Detailed review by debmercury
debmercury
United Kingdom99%
Barcelona's Cathedral is located in the centre of the Gothic area in Barcelona.
One of the things I was really looking forward to on our trip to Barcelona was visiting the Cathedral especially when I found out you could pay to go up in a lift to the rooftops, I love heights and the fantastic views you get from being up there.
The first thing that struck me was the elegant tall spires, on top of the highest spire is a statue of St Helen.
Barcelona Cathedral is a 14th century Cathedral built in the Gothic style and is dedicated to St Eulalia who was martyred at the young age of thirteen. Eulalia's crypt with an albastor tomb is in the Cathedral down some steps under the altar.
The Cathedral is open daily from 8am-12.45pm and 5.15-7.30pm and entrance to the Cathedral is free. You are allowed to take photos inside the Cathedral and Chapels when worship and services are not taking place. Flashlight on your camera is not allowed and you do have to be quiet in the Cathedral as visitors are outnumbered by worshipers here and religion and Barcelona Cathedral are very important to the people of Barcelona.
Barcelona Cathedral is lovely from its gothic entrance, really tall pillars and dome shaped rooofs to its spires, flying buttresses and gargoyles.
Dancing the Sardana
At weekends the people of Barcelona gather outside their Cathedral to dance the sardana which is a Catalan folk dance that symbolises unity.
Rooftops of the Cathedral
Acess is through one of the Chapels and admission is 4 Euros. You go up in a lift which is a nice change from most Cathedrals where you have to climb hundreds of steps.
The views from the rooftops are fantastic and you can see all over Barcelona as well as the Cathedral spires and flying buttresses up really close which gives you an amazing uplifting feeling.
Chapels
There are twenty nine Chapels inside the Cathedral and I found these fascinating, each one containing religious figures, altars and various treasures. Each Chapel is painted in amazing bright colours with a lot of real gold colour used.
The Cloister
The Cloister is lovely a bit like a secret garden with a fountain and orange, magnolia and palm trees. You feel a sense of peace and contentment in here as the monks must have felt years ago.
Thirteen geese live inside the Cloister which was the age of Eulalia when she was martyred. The geese have a little house and a large pond to swim on.
There are public toilets at the side of the Cloister.
Catedral Basílica de Barcelona8
