Catholic Shrines & Places of Interest in Barcelona, Spain
About Barcelona:
One of Spain’s most beautiful and vibrant cities, Barcelona is about 400 miles south of Madrid on the beautiful Mediterranean coast. It is a popular destination for many, including being a port of call for several cruise lines.
Barcelona has an atmosphere of its own, and even its own dialect: Catalonian, since it is the capital of the area of Spain known as Catalonia. Las Ramblas, a large boulevard which runs through the city center, is one of most interesting sites for tourists. It runs from Port Vell (near the cruise port terminal) to Plaça de Catalunya.
There are many interesting churches and shrines in Barcelona, as you might expect. Below are some of the most visited sights in the city.
Catholic places of interest in Barcelona:
Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar: perfect example of a complete Gothic style church
Cathedral of the Holy Cross: tomb of Saint & Eulila & Cross of Lepanto
La Sagrada Familia: Iconic Church, still unfinished 140 years after its construction began,
Templo Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Expiatory Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus)
Traveling to Barcelona:
In addition to its major international airport, it has excellent train connections as well. Get air, train & bus schedules, see fares & buy tickets here.
Barcelona is also a popular cruise port, with many Mediterranean cruises departing from the port--either returning here or going on to Italy and other Mediterranean ports.
If you plan on taking one of these, we recommend that you arrive a few days prior to the cruise to savor the sites of Barcelona. And don’t overlook an re-positioning cruises that might include Barcelona.
For independent travelers: Barcelona has a comprehensive network of tourist offices and information points available to visitors. Turisme de Barcelona is at your disposal to guide you wherever you are and offer you tourist products and services that will help you discover Barcelona. Barcelona Airport Tourist Office and Barcelona Tourist Information Centre in Plaça Catalunya are some of the key locations where you can find assistance and information about the city. Here is the official website of Turisme de Barcelona.
Water shortages have plagued the city in recent years, resulting in cutting off water to public fountains and showers at beaches, along many other attempts to reduce consumption, so don’t count on getting water in restaurants. To combat this shortage, Barcelona and the wider Catalan region are investing heavily in non-rainfall-dependent water sources like desalination and reclaimed water, and improving water infrastructure to prevent future emergencies.
Hi. I am arriving via Cruise ship for a single day on a Sunday. I’d love to attend mass at Sagrada Familia, but I’m having trouble estimating the timing to work in a tour + mass. How long is the 9am international mass? What time should I book a tour? Ideally, it would follow directly after.
If you have a local guide for a tour, then the guide (or the company he works for) should be able to help you with this. You might also want to contact the church itself.
Wish I could find English Mass in Figueres for sat or Sunday 28/29Sept 2019