Sagrada Familia--Only From the Outside?

The visit inside, especially with an audioguide, was well worth it. One sees the exterior from closer, too, with lots of detail. The play of light in the interior and careful choice of materials are marvellous. You don't have to be a religious person to be moved by the artistry.

What's inside that's worth the price of admission, do you think?

I basically have a conscientious objection to paying to enter a church, but we made an exception with the Sagrada ... it was pretty good indeed - amazing inside, architecturally. It's Gaudí without being gaudy.

Not the same as only seeing the outside of Chartres, Notre Dame, or Salisbury ... but definitely worth the €15,00 on this occasion. Need to buy a timed ticket beforehand of course.

Yes the cost to enter is well worth it.

After the visit if you walk down Carrier de Sardenya towards Avinguda Diagonal you will come across Bodega del Poblet, a traditional Spanish bodega, and a much better (and quieter) location for refreshment compared to the bars directly opposite the catherdral

Not one dissenting vote?
That's hard to argue with.

okay, thanks very much.
And thanks for the tip, stav.
Sounds like a quiet place nearby to sit and process will be useful.

Go inside and you won't be disappointed Craig. I am also better with the outside of the Colosseum, but Sagrada Familia is on a different level.

A better comparison would be, would your visit to St Peter's in Rome be complete if you just walked round the square?

Lol, not a big fan of St. Pete's interior, either... but your point is well taken.
Thanks, crazy hammer guy, for making them move the most beautiful piece of art in the whole darn basilica to a position where it's difficult to appreciate!
Though I guess they had choices in terms of positioning...

The "ayes" certainly have it. But if I am disappointed, I assume each of you will be happy to contribute one euro of restitution to the "Sorry Clem, There's No Accounting For (Your Poor) Taste" fund.

But disappointment seems unlikely.
And no, you don't get a euro each if your advice is sound.
Though you certainly should! But you won't. Rest assured.

Thanks again.

Thanks, crazy hammer guy, for making them move the most beautiful piece of art in the whole darn basilica to a position where it's difficult to appreciate!

I'm not proud to say that the crazy hammer guy was one of my countrymen = Lazlo Toth.

And I thought my analogy up-thread was a little closer ... St Peter's Basilica is extremely ordinary from the outside, compared to the "magnificent" interior, whereas Chartres, Notre Dame, and Salisbury are outstanding on the outside, but complemented by their interiors ... which is what also applies more at the Sagrada.

Mmm, I tend to think "spacious" and "magnificent" are two different things (yes, I noticed the brackets, so maybe you do, too). And that's what had me worried about Sagrada Familia.

List of countrymen I'm not proud of: life's too short.

Here is the (slightly) dissenting voice !

As a tourist I visited the Sagrada Familia several times on trips. I think the outside is magnificent. Not sure if it is ugly or beautiful, but impressive nonetheless.

When living in Barcelona for over 8 years, I did visit the outside now and then, and still had the same feeling. But the long queues and the hype made me very wary to go inside.

I visited it a month or two before deciding to leave Barcelona (and Spain). It was expensive, but nice. But - someone pointed this out above - the same feeling as seeing St Peter´s inside. Not a ¨wow¨. Just very nice. Would rather spend my money on the interior of some of Gaudi´s houses, or, even better, on a Modernism tour (self organised is best but needs research) as there is much more to modernism than just Gaudi.

You know how it goes. Everyone goes to the same tourist attraction in a certain city, while there is much more to see. Gaudi was great, but many of his contemporaries were great in their own version of the style.

Money well spent, and yes, inside it is quiet although it is full of tourists. But still very touristy. My (catalan) girlfriend said it was the only place she had ever been to in Catalunya without hearing a word of Catalan :-)