Friday, September 18, 2026

Sagrada Familia

Basilica de la Sagrada Familia

The Sagrada Familia when we visited in 2024

I don’t have adequate words to describe La Sagrada Familia. It is completely unique!

It was completed in 2026 and is now the tallest church in the world, with its highest tower reaching 566 feet.

It has 18 towers, with the Jesus Christ Tower being the tallest.

We had purchased our entrance tickets ahead of time because we heard about the church’s popularity.

We also purchased tickets to the Passion Tower, which at the time of our visit in 2024 was the highest

tower in the Sagrada Familia.

Sagrada Familia was originally designed by Francisco de Paula del Villa in 1882. Only a year later, the project was taken over by famous architect Antoni Gaudi. He worked on the Sagrada Familia until his death in 1926. The basilica was scheduled to be completed 100 years after his death, in 2026. And it was.

Tickets to visit the basilica are 26 euro. To visit the basilica along with one of the towers - either the Nativity or the Passion Tower - costs 36 euro. This is definitely worth it! Don’t miss visiting one of the towers! You ride the elevator to the top, enjoy the view, and then you climb down the winding stairs all the way to the bottom (in the case of the Passion Tower, that is 426 steps). I am deathly afraid of heights, but this was still very worth it! We chose the Passion Tower, the higher of the two. I didn’t have any problems with vertigo, despite the height, and have probably never descended a winding staircase faster than that one! It was definitely a challenge being up that high and then climbing down so many stairs while being somewhat exposed with so many windows. You can watch a video of our visit to the Sagrada Familia here: Sagrada Familia

The sun shines through the stained glass windows on the interior of the basilica and the result is so very beautiful.

The basilica is open beginning at 9 am Monday through Saturday, but 10:30 on Sundays. It closes at 6 p.m.

during the winter and 8 p.m. during the summer. Full information can be found at their official website here:

La Sagrada Familia

The famous Sagrada Familia

The detail and workmanship are incredible

The model of what Sagrada Familia will look like when completed in 2026

A worker on the exterior of Sagrada Familia

I could have taken hundreds of photos of all of the details on the exterior

The stained glass windows on the interior are amazing as well and create such a brilliant light show inside the basilica

workmanship on the ceilings

the beautiful windows

one of the towers not currently open to the public

beautiful staircase and stained glass windows - look at the reflection from the windows on the side of the staircase

This light effect may have been my very favorite

The columns are supposed to resemble tree trunks so that visitors feel they are standing in a forest. They branch out at the top to form an illusion of a canopy of trees.

The line for the Passion Tower elevator

view from the Passion Tower

No fear of falling from the Passion Tower - it is enclosed with metal wire

upward view in the Passion Tower

view under the columns on the exterior

The Sacristy Dome

The Sagrada Familia's google maps location is here: Sagrada Familia

Other sites not to miss nearby:

* Cathedral of Barcelona

* Sagrada Familia

* Park Guell

* Park de la Ciutadella & the Arc de Triomf

* Mercat de la Boqueria

* Las Ramblas

Memorabilia or Information about Barcelona and Sagrada Familia:

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Sagrada Familia Building Sets

Sagrada Familia puzzle

The Sagrada Familia: Gaudi's Heaven on Earth

Sagrada Familia 3D Metal Puzzle

Gaudi: The Complete Works

The Sagrada Familia of Gaudi

Barcelona Travel Guide

Rick Steves Barcelona

Top 10 Barcelona

Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron

View from the balcony of Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron

I have loved The Sound of Music ever since I was a little girl. I have happy memories of eating waffles on Sunday night with my family, the Sound of Music playing in the kitchen as we ate. For as long as I can remember, I have known the words to every song, loved every character, and I've been in love with this classic love story. In 2024 I had the amazing opportunity to visit Salzburg, and visit most of the filming sites from the Sound of Music. One of the nights we stayed at the Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron, which was one of my favorite experiences of all time. I loved all of the different filming sites that we visited, but this was the very best. I could picture the von Trapp family being on the grounds while filming the movie. I could imagine the real-life family in this fictional setting exploring the beautiful grounds and living in the majestic house. It was well worth the money to stay there! Its google maps location is here: Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron

If you are going to visit Salzburg, and you love the Sound of Music, it is definitely worth staying the night here! To learn more about Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron, visit their official website here:

Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron

Top photo - my grandson and I in 2024 while visiting Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron, Bottom photo - the Von Trapp family on the grounds of the Leopoldskron Palace

Upper photo 2024, Bottom photo 1964

My grandson and I enjoyed a view of the lake next to the gate that is also visible in a shot featuring Georg, Max, and Elsa on the terrace.

When we stayed at the Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron, we didn't sleep in the palace itself. You can book a suite in the palace for an average of 500 euro per night. We opted for staying in the Meierhof building, which is right next to the palace on the grounds of Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron. I slept in the "Sound of Music Room." It is a bit more affordable, at about 250 euro per night. We only stayed there one night, and it was totally worth it! We explored the grounds, and also the palace, except for rooms that were locked or in use. The Venetian Salon was of particular interest to me because it was replicated for the movie to be used in both the ballroom scene, as well as for the puppet show scene.

The Venetian Salon in 2024

My grandson and I exploring the Venetian Room

The chandelier in the Venetian Room

Mansbach White Salon

The Marble Hall, where the breakfast buffet was served, which was included in the price of our room

Marble Hall breakfast buffet

The ceiling of the Marble Hall

Marble Hall

Enjoying breakfast at the buffet in the Marble Hall

The balcony off of the Marble Hall offers a beautiful view of the lake and surrounding mountains

View from the balcony

My daughter in law took this photo of me and my grandson from the balcony

View of the back of the Leopoldskron Palace

Steps into the back of the palace

The grounds behind the palace

This swing is in a large tree next to the palace

Swinging May Cause Happiness, Use at Own Risk

The beautiful gardens behind the palace

This used to be the terrace, where Georg, Elsa, and Max enjoyed lemonade in The Sound of Music

The Meierhof Building where the smaller guest rooms are, right next to the palace

The Chapel inside the palace

This baby grand piano is located just inside the back doors of the palace

Staircase inside the palace

On the top floor of the Meierhof building - the Sound of Music room where we stayed was at the very far end of this hall, as far away from the elevator as it could get!

This Sound of Music display is on the wall in the Sound of Music room

These Sound of Music histories are on the wall in the hallway of the Meierhof Building on the top floor

My grandson with a fun photo of the Sound of Music filming that is on the wall in the Meierhof building

My one disappointment with the Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron is that there are not places to eat nearby. I was very hungry and wanted to grab a quick dinner, but there wasn't anywhere to go. On the first floor of the Meierhof building is a small cafe, where we ordered a couple of pieces of cake and some sandwiches. It was a bit expensive, but it was something.

You can read about the other places we visited in the Salzburg area here: Salzburg, Austria