Sagrada Familia tower stairs

I read that you can take an elevator up, but have to walk down the towers. Heights aren't my best friend (recovering acrophobe here). I wondered how open the stairwells are. If I can't see very far, or if there are bound to be a lot of people with me (Nov. 18), that would be a major help. I assume there are handrails. Are the steps very steep, as I had knee replacement last year and it was a bit less than a perfect success.

I should be fine as long as I don't feel like I'm in an Escher painting, but want to be prepared.

There are actually two sets of towers, one on the Nativity Facade (the one that Gaudi worked on) and the other on the Passion Facade. In both towers, you ascend by elevator. On the Passion Facade (unless something has changed in the four years since we were there), you also descend by elevator.

It's the Nativity Facade where you walk down. It's a steep, narrow stone stairwell; I couldn't recall whether there is a handrail, but my photo below shows there is one. The view from the Nativity Facade is beautiful. It may also be beautiful from the Passion Facade, but we did not go up to those towers, so I can't say. The lines are typically longer for the Passion Facade towers because you don't have to walk down. (Again, this is based on my experience four years ago. Perhaps there are timed tickets now for the elevators, but I don't know.)

Enjoy your trip!

Nativity Facade stairwell

View from Nativity Facade

(photos by turtles06)

Yes, things have changed. You now have to walk down from both towers.

Also, people with limited mobility are not allowed into the towers.

I emailed La Sagrada Familia and they said that only in the Passion towers can you ride the elevator down. So Turles06 is correct. They, of course, warned me that if there are issues with the elevator you may still have to walk down. I'm sure they encourage people to do so, anyway.

I emailed La Sagrada Familia and they said that only in the Passion towers can you ride the elevator down. So Turles06 is correct. They, of course, warned me that if there are issues with the elevator you may still have to walk down. I'm sure they encourage people

to do so, anyway.[/quote

 

Hope the elevator is working when we all visit the site :)

Walking down the stairs is actually best [if you can]. there are many elements of the Segrada Familia that you can only see if you do this.

We walked down the Nativity tower. It was a long spiral, but I felt closed in.