Barcelona unveils plan for tourist zone near Sagrada Familia
Barcelona plans to create a special tourist zone near the Sagrada Familia. This will reduce the pervasive chaos and conflicts with residents. It will be designated, among other things, for people who enjoy taking photos.
Barcelona, one of the most frequently visited cities in Europe, struggles with issues of overcrowding, mass tourism, and rising rental prices. In response to some of these challenges, city authorities plan to establish a special tourist zone near the Sagrada Familia.
An icon on the map of Spain with a new zone
The most famous Art Nouveau church in Barcelona, designed by Antoni Gaudí, attracts nearly five million tourists each year. Construction of this iconic basilica has been ongoing for over 140 years and is expected to be completed in 2026. The new zone aims to help manage tourist traffic and facilitate photo-taking, both strolling residents and tourists, without disturbing others.
The planned area of about 6,200 square metres will be set between the Sagrada Familia and Plaça Gaudí. It is intended to allow tourists to take photos freely and take breaks without disrupting pedestrian and car traffic. Until now, tourists, often engrossed in their cameras or phones while taking pictures, selfies, and recording videos, have frequently disrupted other users of this space without paying attention to them. Construction work will commence after the summer of 2025 and be completed in April 2026.
The investment is expected to cost 2.7 million euros (approximately £2.4 million). It is part of a larger plan to modernise public spaces around the Sagrada Familia, which has a total value of 15.5 million euros (approximately £13.5 million).
This is how they promote the Spanish city
Barcelona is also changing its approach to promoting the city. To emphasise the city's authenticity and local character, it abandoned the slogan "Visit Barcelona" in favour of "This is Barcelona."
