Sagrada Família

Gaudí took over the Sagrada Família in 1883, a year after the first stone was laid, and gave the last 43 years of his life to it. When he died in 1926 only a fraction of it stood. Work has carried on ever since, paid for by ticket sales and donations rather than public money, so the pace of building has always followed the number of visitors.

The basilica has three façades. The Nativity façade, facing the morning sun, is the one Gaudí saw finished, crowded with carved plants, animals and figures. The Passion façade on the opposite side, sculpted by Josep Maria Subirachs from the late 1980s, is deliberately bare and angular. The Glory façade, which will become the main entrance, is still being built. Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church as a basilica in 2010, and the Nativity façade and crypt are part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Gaudí's work.

A visit takes about an hour on your own, or around 90 minutes with a guide or a tower climb. Everyone goes through a security check where bags are screened. Suitcases are not allowed and there is nowhere to leave them, so drop luggage at your hotel first.

Inside, the columns branch out like trees and hold the roof up like a forest canopy. The stained glass is arranged by colour: blues and greens on the east side catch the morning sun, reds and oranges on the west side catch the afternoon. Below the nave, a small museum shows how the building is designed, including Gaudí's plaster models and the hanging-string model he used to work out the shape of the arches.

It is a working church. Shorts and skirts should reach at least mid-thigh, swimwear and see-through clothing are not allowed, and hats come off inside. Bare shoulders are not allowed in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, so a scarf is useful. From 9:00 to 10:00 every morning is a quiet hour, when audio guides must be used with earphones.

The towers are a separate ticket. A lift takes you up and you walk down a narrow spiral staircase, so they are not suitable for anyone with reduced mobility, and children under 6 are not allowed up.

The basilica is open every day. Hours change with the season: from 9:00 until 6 pm in winter and until 8 pm from April to September, with a 10:30 start on Sundays. Check the official hours for your date before you book.

Light is the reason to choose your time carefully. In the morning the sun comes through the blue and green windows; in the late afternoon the red and orange windows light up the whole nave. Midday is the busiest time and the light is at its flattest.

Entry is by timed ticket only, sold online, usually up to about two months ahead. Morning slots in spring and summer sell out first, so book at least a week ahead in high season. Winter weekday afternoons are the easiest to get at short notice.