See the Sagrada Família light up while dining in the heights

The Pope is already in Barcelona. After an intense first day, including a mass gathering at the Estadi Olímpic, the city is now ready for the main event of the pontifical trip: the visit to the Sagrada Familia to bless the Tower of Jesus. It will be a historic moment for the basilica, which only a few thousand people will be able to experience live: 4,000 will be inside the temple, and 4,000 will be outside the basilica. But the culminating moment, at 9:30 PM, when the cross of the Tower of Jesus is illuminated, can be seen from many points of the city, including the two giant screens installed in Glòries and Arc de Triomf.

Many points of the city will serve as viewpoints: from rented balconies at good prices to elevated points of the city from which the Sagrada Familia can be seen framed by the Eixample, passing through windows to the skyline like the Torre Glòries. But it can also be seen in other ways. One of them is from one of the city's rooftops that overlook the basilica. From dinners to more informal options, restaurants and terraces in the city become viewpoints from which to witness the moment the tower will be illuminated, with a light and drone show coinciding with the centenary of Gaudí's death.

Several rooftops in Barcelona look towards the temple. From closer or further away, and with more or less pomp, they stand as another stage from which to see the illumination of the cross that crowns the Sagrada Familia. Luxury is not lacking among the options: the Rooftop Garden of El Palace Barcelona has prepared a reduced dinner for the centenary of the architect's death. From its views of the Sagrada Familia, it will offer a light summer menu accompanied by a selection of wines, in an event inspired by Gaudí. The hotel has also opened this season an ephemeral cocktail bar that pays homage precisely to the architect, the Gaudí Secret Garden, open to the general public.

The Pope's visit also translates into reservations and reserved spaces, such as on the rooftop of the Hotel Royal, which overlooks the city (and also the Sagrada Familia) from Passeig de Gràcia, and which will be occupied by a private group during sunset, with numerous reservations also afterwards. Reservations are also plentiful at one of the city's most emblematic hotels: La Dolce Vita del Majestic terrace expects a significant influx of public, although reservations are similar to a regular Wednesday. A short distance away, from Pau Claris with Gran Via, the Hotel Almanac and its Azimuth Rooftop also offer a good panoramic view dominated by the cross of the Sagrada Família.

From another angle, the SíSí Rooftop also offers views from the top of The Social Hub hotel, in Poblenou, with a more informal proposal ranging from cocktails to snack options, with a Mexican touch. Poblenou also houses another good viewpoint of the basilica: The Hoxton has the Four Corners restaurant on its rooftop, with an Italian-American proposal as the common thread of the menu.

In contrast, the immediate surroundings of the Sagrada Familia will offer fewer options. The terraces on Gaudí Avenue and its surroundings, accustomed to views of the basilica from its base, will forgo this role this Wednesday, as they will not be allowed to be placed along the avenue; establishments may open, but without a terrace, and many of them have chosen to close.

Another of the great spots from which to see the temple will also not be an option: the panoramic terrace of the Sercotel Rosselló hotel, perhaps with the best views of the Sagrada Familia in the city, will be reserved for hotel guests and a private event, to witness a moment that will represent a before and after for the basilica, in honor of the architect who conceived it.