Dimitris Kouimtsidis
LA Sagrada Familia will open its doors to Barcelona front-line professionals free of charge for the first two weekends in July, as a sign of gratitude, it has been announced.
Europe’s top must-visit attraction according to Eurochange, closed its doors in mid March when the state of alarm was declared.
On July 4 however, the famous landmark will welcome health professionals, firemen, policemen and all those workers who were on the front line during the pandemic, free of charge, as a form of gratitude for risking their lives trying to keep the rest of us safe.
This will be the case across two weekends, July 4 and 5, along with July 11 and 12.
From the following Saturday, July 18 and until December, the cathedral will be open to all Barcelona residents in the afternoons.
This will also be done as a form of thanks, for the fact that citizens followed the Government’s instructions and stayed at home, helping to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The Director of Operations at La Sagrada Familia, Marc Martinez, explained that to make these visits safe and stick to the new normal guidelines, the capacity will be reduced to 750 people per hour.
It’s also noted that face masks will be compulsory at all times and hand sanitiser will be available at stations throughout the cathedral.
A date for tourists to be welcomed into the Catalan church has not yet been decided, but that will be the final phase of the landmark’s reopening.
The Director General of the cathedral’s construction board, Xavier Martinez said: “La Sagrada Familia is prepared to open when necessary”.
He also added that tourists will not interfere with the Saturday slots for Barcelona residents.
The construction works on Gaudi’s most famous work will only restart once tourists return, as that’s the main way to fund the works.
