Located on the summit of Mount Tibidabo and towering over Barcelona, the Sacred Heart of Jesus basilica seemed like a must-do. There are three ways to get there:
1. By car (not for us).
2. By funicular to a town down the ridge from it, or
3. By tram to the funicular.
We decided on option 3, only to find out the funicular is under repair, so we had to wait around and take the bus. That was fine, and when we got up to the top, we had pretty views to the east and north.
However, the church itself was underwhelming, even though we went up to the mid-level. Part of the issue may have been that, with it being morning, the sun gave off a nasty glare, making views of Barcelona less than comfortable. Maybe it would be better in the afternoon? I don't know, but we can't recommend it.
The church construction was started in 1902 and not finished until 1961. In the late 19th Century, there was a rumor that a Protestant church was to be built there, so a Catholic board bought the property and donated it for a Catholic church. The building is relatively underwhelming. We did not stay long, and honestly can't recommend this to Barcelona visitors. It's a lot of work to get there (and back) for not much pay off.
We went from the highest point of the immediate surroundings of Barcelona to the lowest point, as we walked down to our Beach Bar and hung out for a while. Then, we went to Vasa de Oro for dinner, and had a great time there. We salvaged the day with our late afternoon/evening.
This famed communications
tower can also be seen from
nearly everywhere in Barcelona.
This is the one view looking
down, not up, at it.
Sagrada Familia from the church.
That's Montjuic in the middle right. The ferris
wheel is part of an amusement park right next
to the church. Sort of amusing placement.
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