Things to do near the Sagrada Familia

Can you even say you’ve been to Barcelona if you haven’t visited the Sagrada Família? No, dear, reader, you cannot. This otherworldly spacecraft-looking confection by visionary architect Antoni Gaudí is Barcelona’s greatest icon. It’s its crowning glory; its big kahuna; its sky-piercing sightseeing shangri-la. But enough with the superlatives.

Nearby Placa de la Sagrada Família, a cute little park opposite the basilica’s eye-popping Nativity Facade, offers a different perspective on the Barcelona behemoth, and a fine opportunity to snap all those Sagrada selfies you’ve been dreaming of. That’s particularly true in spring, when blooms and a bright blue sky add pops of color to your shots, and budding photographers vie for the most Insta-worthy shots of the cathedral reflecting in the park’s mirror-like pond.

Take a stroll along the broad (and largely pedestrianized) Avinguda de Gaudí, which runs all the way from the Sagrada Família to the remarkable Hospital de Sant Pau at its northern end. At around a kilometer end-to-end it’s a relatively short meander, but you can be forgiven for pausing at least once along the way at one of the dozens of convivial outdoor cafés and cozy tapas bars that line the street. After all, nothing nourishes the soul quite like calamari, garlic shrimp, patatas bravas and a reviving glass of cava. You’re on vacation after all.

Suitably fortified, continue to the Hospital de Sant Pau which, much like the Sagrada Família, is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a spectacular example of Catalan Modernism, designed in this case by Gaudí contemporary Lluís Domènech i Montaner. All Art Nouveau flourishes, kaleidoscopic mosaics and serene courtyards and gardens, it's more like an art museum than a former medical facility, and all the better for it.

There are several more celebrated Gaudí designs within a short walk (or even shorter metro ride) of the Sagrada Família. Whimsical, controversial and hallucinatory in equal measure, Casa Batlló (aka the House of Bones, pictured above) and Casa Milá (aka La Pedrera, pictured below) are among the best examples of Catalan Modernism anywhere in Barcelona. Check out Batlló’s dragon-crest roof, shark-skull balconies and spine-like staircase and ogle La Pedrera’s fairytale mosaic-clad chimneys and trippy courtyards to find out why.

Read our guide to Casa Batlló and La Pedrera here.

It’s also worth making the two-kilometer pilgrimage from Sagrada Família to the famous Parc Güell, although this vibrant Gaudí fantasyland is best visited early, before the selfie-stick-toting crowds descend.

Top tip: admission to many of the city’s top Gaudí confections, plus dozens more Barcelona attractions, tours and activities, is included with a Barcelona pass from Go City, which could save you more than 50% on your Barcelona sightseeing. Hit the buttons below to find out more and get your pass.

Pause just north of the fantastic Parc de la Ciutadella to admire the Arc de Triomf, yet another (ahem) triomf of Catalan Modernism, built for the Barcelona World Fair in 1888. Onward into the park proper, around two kilometers from Sagrada Família, where a lush urban sanctuary of some 70 acres awaits.

There’s stacks to see and do here: glide across the lake in a rowboat, pausing to take in the views and say hola to the occasional passing duck; check out the (much larger) selection of critters at Barcelona Zoo; enjoy a spring picnic surrounded by color-bursts of fragrant blooms.

And, at the risk of sounding like a stuck record, there are also several impressive architectural marvels to ogle. Hit up the Castell dels Tres Dragons for your Insta fix, and strike a pose by the Cascada Monumental, an epic 19th-century fountain complete with mythological creatures and charioteer, designed by Josep Fontserè and (yes, it’s him again) Antoni Gaudí.

The Sagrada Família isn’t exactly a million miles from that other big Barca attraction – the bustling La Rambla thoroughfare – but if you’re doing a lot of sightseeing you might want to consider hopping on the metro at Monumental for the short journey there. Sure, it’s a tourist trap, but what bucket-list Barcelona attraction isn’t? Lean into the madness a little and you’ll discover that – between the tacky souvenir stalls and pushy paella joints – La Rambla has bags of charm.

You’ll find it in the veritable foodie paradise that is La Boqueria market, where one bite of the freshly-fried calamari could prove life-changing. It’s there at the show-stopping Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house, and in the Gaudí-esque facade of the Antigua Casa Figueras cake shop, which looks every bit as edible as its contents. And, who knows, you might even find it in an overpriced-yet-adorable ‘I ♥️ BCN’ fridge magnet, yours to treasure forevermore.

Just east of La Rambla, Barcelona’s medieval Gothic Quarter is home to the city’s *other* basilica. The Sagrada Família gets most of the attention, and perhaps rightly so. But does it have its own gaggle of resident geese? No, it does not. Barcelona Cathedral is a melodramatic gothic masterpiece in its own right and is well worth a visit for its fabulous gargoyles and secluded cloisters, as well as the aforementioned feathered honkers.

Elsewhere in this atmospheric district, spend time getting lost along narrow cobbled lanes and sipping café con leche on tiny tree-lined plazas before making a beeline for the Picasso Museum, an awesome collection of some 4,000 pieces by the maestro, including a treasure trove of early sketches from his formative years on the nearby Carrer d'Avinyó.

Looking for cool things to do near the Sagrada Família and elsewhere in Barcelona? The Barcelona pass from Go City is your friend. Click here to find out how you could save up to 50% on your Barcelona sightseeing.