We plan on going to the Passion Tower - are the stairs are wider than the other tower? How hard is the trip down and on average how long will it take? My husband is an able bodied senior but will tire if there's nowhere to stop and rest along the way. Any place to sit for a minute or is a continuous spiral of stairs? Thanks!
Posted by
World
138 posts
Hi there,
Maybe try to contact through official website contact form? https://sagradafamilia.org/en/home
I'm sure they will happy to help, also that is the best source for that kind of info in my opinion :) Good luck!
Posted by
Chicago
1943 posts
We saw the Nativity tower and while there are places to rest walking around the tower, there is a spiral staircase going down(with handrail). I am young but got a little dizzy myself. I don't remember seeing any place to rest along the way, but you could go slow. It may be best to email the church and ask their advice. I'm not afraid of heights but looking over the rail as I was walking down was not my favorite moment.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23267 posts
As I remember there are no resting spots in the towers. Once you start the climb there is no stopping till the top in the towers we climbed. BUT -- don't remember the names of the towers we were in. So I may or may not be accurate for the Passion Tower.
Posted by
Barcelona (Catalonia)
2940 posts
1.) No, there are no places to rest, it's a continuous spiral. The stairwells, both, are rather narrow. There are, if I recall correctly, 400 stairs in each one to descend some 60m/200ft. This article contains a good video on how one of the stairwells is: https://blog.sagradafamilia.org/en/divulgation/the-temples-geometry/ so you can have a feel.
2.) For info... the towers are named after the 12 disciples (Luke, John, etc), however, to refer to the two visitable towers (of the twelve), they're referred to in relation to the façade they're located in. Thus, it's referred for example to the Torre de la Passió, since the tower is located in the Passion façade... but the name of the tower is not Passió.
3.) The Sagrada Família wasn't conceived as "a tourist attraction", despite it has become one, and the towers were not supposed to be used by thousands of people day in day out. That's why they weren't designed with such a traffic flow in mind and why they're so narrow and confined.
4.) For safety reasons is not allowed to ascend the towers to under 6 y.o. and people with reduced mobility. No exceptions. For people with a propensity to vertigo, claustrophobia or dizziness it's not recommended either. If you feel you are not up to it once you're at the top, simply go to the attendant by the elevator and let him/her know, they'll allow you to descend in the elevator (at least that was the custom sometime ago). But only you, not your companion (or rest of the party), they're very strict on this, again, for safety regulations.
Posted by
7662 posts
I did the steps in 2012 when I was 64 years old and it was not difficult. I don't know your husband's health, but if you are that concerned have him discuss it with his physician.
Posted by
Chicago
1943 posts
As another poster pointed out, the attendants do let some people go down via the elevator. I did remember seeing two older women ask the attendant if they could take the elevator down and she let them. You might ask an attendant at the tower before you go up.