The Sagrada Familia is one of the most famous monuments in Spain and the most important one in Barcelona. It’s world-renowned, everyone wants to see it, and everyone knows its story. But there are some details that only a few people know. Want to know what they are?

1.As you know the Sagrada Familia is still not finished; but did you know that Gaudi planned to let his work be adapted by new architectural styles that would arise after his death?

2.Initially it was going to be a neo-gothic temple. In fact originally the architect was going to be Francesc de Paula Villar, who ended up rejecting the project because of a disagreement with Barcelona’s city hall. And that’s how the project ended up in Gaudi’s hands!

3.Some of the ideas for this great monument were originally from a different project Gaudi was working on… a hotel that was never built, which would have been located in NYC!

4.Have you noticed that the Sagrada Familia barely uses any straight lines? Gaudi hated them; he said, “in nature, straight lines don’t exist”.

5.There are no original plans or mock-ups for this work of art. All of the sketches and notes that Gaudi made were burnt during the Civil War.

6. Perhaps for this reason there is a certain amount of controversy when it comes to the Sagrada Familia. Some critics think that the works being carried out are too “stylized” and would not be to Gaudi’s liking.

7. Legend has it that during the construction of the Sagrada Familia famous architects such as Gropius went to visit Gaudi to learn the secrets of his construction. But the genius didn’t have time to receive them! Could this be the reason his style is so unique?

As you can see, everything has come together perfectly for this monument to be completely unique, and it’s a monument you can’t miss if you’re passing through Barcelona.

The winner of this essay contest will receive 1 Week of language classes and a shared room in dorm/apartment. Second prize is $500 gift certificate valid for any AmeriSpan program in Barcelona 2 weeks or longer including Teenager programs, College Study Abroad or any other Barcelona program.

See AmeriSpan's Why Barcelona? Contest Page for details!

Read more about Barcelona Spanish schools

Spaniards celebrate Christmas from Christmas Eve until 'Reyes', on January 6. Barcelona provides the perfect backdrop for a new take on Christmas that lasts for over a week.

Read the New York Times article

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 Learn more about Spain study abroad

For the times when you're not cruising all the open-air markets and marvelling at the Goudi architecture, Our Spanish schools in Barcelona provide safe and comfortable facilities in great locations. The schools are centrally located and easily accessible by metro. Inside the schools, you'll find beautiful terraces, computer lab/wi-fi, and well-equipped classrooms.

1st Choice: Barcelona Spanish School
Budget-friendly: Barcelona Spanish school

Meet Rich Kurtzman, Director of one of AmeriSpan's Barcelona Study Abroad programs

What is your background?
I graduated from a small, liberal arts university in Illinois in 1998 with a double major in Spanish and Russian, but also studied Marketing and Psychology.  I earned my M.A. degree in Spanish Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition from University of Illinois-Chicago where I also taught Spanish.  I came to Barcelona in 2002 planning to stay for 1 or 2 years, but like many others, fell in love with the city and haven’t left. I got married in 2010 to my wonderful wife – who is originally from England but has lived in 3 countries in Europe since 2000.  We live in a lively, eclectic barrio of Barcelona within 5 minutes walking distance of our Spanish, Catalan and international friends.

Do you travel abroad often?
As much as I possibly can.  From Barcelona, it’s a quick flight to so many European cities, but I also try visit other parts of Spain because everywhere I’ve been, I’ve loved.  There is only one region of Spain that I haven’t yet been to, hopefully next year!

Have you studied abroad? 
The first time I left the U.S. was to spend a summer in St. Petersburg, Russia.  That started my love affair with travel and learning about new cultures.  I then studied for a semester in Madrid, did an internship in Milan, volunteered in the Philippines, and have traveled to numerous other places for vacation.

Which languages do you speak or have studied?
I have studied – some for more time than others – Spanish, Catalan, Russian, Italian, French, Hebrew, and a very little bit of Japanese. I cannot say that I still speak all of those however. 

How and why did you get into the Study Abroad market?
I started working in study abroad right after I graduated from college. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life so I decided to get a job in what I knew I loved and what made a difference in my life – Study Abroad.  It combined my passions for travel, language learning and exploring new cultures.

When did you start/join your organization?
Barcelona SAE began in 2009.  After having worked for other much larger companies for many years, I decided it was time to start a smaller program with more interaction with students so they could have the best experience possible.

What is your job or function at the organization?
I am the director.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?
The absolute best part of my job is at the end of the program at our re-entry workshop when we work with students on how they can use this experience to get a job, and I get to hear how much they have learned in Barcelona, how much they have grown personally and professionally, and how much the experience meant to them.

Tell us one of your biggest mistakes in your job, studying/teaching a language and/or traveling abroad.
I once called a store clerk in Russia a very insulting word, over and over, when I thought I was just pointing to the orange juice behind her and thought she couldn’t understand my accent!  It turns out I had the wrong word for juice – oops.

Can you tell us about your school’s philosophy, specialty and/or why you think it is special?
Our goal is to get students to learn as much about the local culture as possible while they are studying here. We do that both inside and outside the classroom with our courses designed towards learning about Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain or the Mediterranean, with our weekly cultural activities, language exchanges, and weekend excursions. 

Meet Demetrio Sánchez, Head of Studies at AmeriSpan's Barcelona Spanish school (1st Choice)

What is your background?
My name is Demetrio, and I am 49 years old. I have a degree in Hispanic Studies from the University of Salamanca. I am married and I have a daughter. For 20 years, I've been living and working in Barcelona. I've been working at Don Quijote for 22 years.

Which languages do you speak or have you studied?
I speak English and have studied Portuguese and Catalan.

Have you ever studied abroad?
I've never studied abroad. I have traveled less than what I would like but enough to know how it feels to be a foreigner.

How and why did you get into the Study Abroad market?
For over 25 years, I dabbled in the market of study abroad and that "blessed" chance has made me realize all the good in this profession. All the emotional and professional advantages of getting to work with different people from different countries and cultures too. Meeting so many people and above all realizing how small our world is sometimes and how much we can learn from others.

What is your job or function at the organization?
I am the Head of Studies, responsible for academics, organization of classes, teachers, levels, etc.   I've always seen this work as a whole, a team where everyone is important and we must all work toward the objective of making the student's stay as pleasant as possible in all aspects: social, academic, cultural, etc.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?
No doubt what I like about my job is the cultural exchange, knowledge of people, and above all teaching my language, my culture, which will certainly help students to broaden their personal and professional future .

Was a person, group of people or organization that were instrumental in your success?
After all this time, it's clear that I've found people who have helped me in every way, who I believe have helped to broaden my horizons and some others do not. "If you love your work, you will not work a day of your life," said Confuccio.

Tell us one of your biggest mistakes in your job, studying/teaching a language and/or traveling abroad?
The biggest challenges have always been not to lose the essence of the work, be aware that we work with and for people, not numbers, we can not forget that behind each number is a person. Not being aware of this can always become the biggest mistake we can make it if we are not taking into account the expectations of the student.

Can you tell us about your schools philosophy, specialty and/or why you think it is special?
The philosophy I've always tried to apply is a consideration of the student as a guest, and as such we should try to make their experience unique, to give them an experience they'll remember for the remainder of their life, learn a language, but also become familiar with another lifestyle that will enrich their personal and professional future.

Learn more about studying Spanish classes in Barcelona

Meet Paula Cerdeira Núñez, Academic Coordinator of AmeriSpan's Barcelona Spanish School (Budget-Friendly)

What is your background?
I am 35 years old and live in Barcelona. I have a degree in German Philology.

Do you travel abroad often?
Usually on vacation. My last trip abroad was to Russia and Kenya

Have you studied abroad?
Yes, I studied a year of study in Aachen (Germany) and worked four years as a translator.

Which languages do you speak or have you studied?
I studied English and German

How and why did you get into the Study Abroad market?
Afther returning from Germany, I sought work in the Spanish field as a foreign language instructor to continue to learn and undertand this industry better.

What is your job or function at the organization?
Academia Coordination, students and teachers, assignment of groups, levels, selecting and training teachers.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?
Being in contact with people off all nationalities and helping to create lesson plans.

Was a person, group of people or organization that were instrumental in your success?
The academia manager of school and my work team

Tell us one of your biggest mistakes in your job, studying/teaching a language and/or traveling abroad? There were some uncertainties due to the lack of experience at the beginning that throughout the years I have acquired, and I feel much more confident now.

Can you tell us about your schools philosophy, specialty and/or why you think it is special?
Personal attention to the student, possibility of student to transfer to another one of our many schools in Spain who use the same method . We have our own manual/teaching method developed by teachers who perfectly know the needs of students.

Find out more about studying Spanish classes in Barcelona

1. Madrid
The Nebrija campus in Madrid is centrally located in the Dehesa de la Villa neighborhood, and is close to shops, landmarks, public transportation and a park.  Students can opt to stay in an apartment or with a host family, and have access to a computer lab, cafeteria, and library.  Semester programs are available in the Spring, Summer, and Fall in English and Spanish.

2. Granada
Granada is a captivating city located at the foot of the Andalusian Mountains and a short bus ride away from the Mediterranean.  The semester program has a unique layout, as it includes both a "Ten Day Intersession" in Madrid and an allotted ten days for personal travel time.

Classes at our partner university in Granada are taught half in English and half in Spanish, although no prior knowledge of Spanish is necessary.  This program is available during the Fall semester only.

3. Barcelona UAB
The UAB (Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona) campus has much to offer: proximity to the beach and mountains, three day weekends, excursions, lodging options, and opportunites to participate in a variety of group outings and school-sponsored cultural activities.

UAB is recommended for students with an existing low-intermediate or higher understanding of Spanish, as students take 90 hours of Spanish class with the option of Spanish or English electives.  The campus provides access to libraries, computer labs, cafeterias and other campus facilities.

Students may spend a Spring/Fall semester at UAB or select one of the shorter Summer semesters.

4. Barcelona BIC
Our BIC (Barcelona International College) campus also offers the pluses of study in Barcelona and homestay options/three-day weekends.  The main difference between UAB and BIC is that BIC offers electives in English only, so if your Spanish level is lower than intermediate, this may be the choice for you.  Additionally, this university caters to an even more international crowd and its program is easier to customize.

The campus is located three metro stops from the popular Plaza de Catalunya, and the facilities are excellent.  This program is available for Spring, Fall, and 2 different Summer semesters.

For details, check out:

Madrid College Study Abroad
Granada College Study Abroad
Barcelona UAB College Study Abroad
Barcelona BIC College Study Abroad

Browse all of AmeriSpan's College Study Abroad programs

I have traveled to Spain before on business, but this time it was different. I was unemployed and on a budget, but the flip side was that I was the master of my own schedule and had the luxury of time. I decided to fly into Madrid, spend a few days there before heading to Sevilla where I would start my Spanish study. I was landing on 31st evening in Madrid and looked forward to spending New Year’s Eve the traditional Madrid way; in Puerta del Sol with everybody else, eating a grape with each strike of the clock and ushering in the New Year. I was looking forward to an interesting international experience.

Since I had booked the hotel at the last minute and it was New Year’s Eve, there was hardly any choice available. I booked what looked like the only decent hotel in my budget range, going by the travel web site’s advice that it was in central Madrid. I considered myself lucky that I had even found a hotel. However, when I landed in Madrid, jetlagged and exhausted after a 16-hour flight, and instructed the cab driver (using my newly practiced Spanish phrases) to take me to my hotel in central Madrid, I was surprised to find him quite confused. He spoke rapidly in Spanish and gesticulated wildly, I was able to make out that he was telling me that no such address existed in Madrid. Exasperated, I called the hotel (an expensive roaming call from the US cell) and handed my phone to the driver to sort out directly (my “Habla ingles?” got a resounding “No!” from the hotel front desk). They spoke for a while, then driver handed me the phone, looking satisfied. I heaved a big sigh of relief. Finally I would get to the hotel – I badly needed a shower and a nap before the evening’s festivities.

The driver whizzed off and in about five minutes, I was surprised to see him leaving the city of Madrid. My alarm grew exponentially after fifteen minutes, when our cab was most definitely out of the city headed towards, what seemed, the middle of nowhere.  With no Spanish phrases handy for this emergency situation, I was in a state of panic. After twenty-five minutes, the cab pulled up in front of a lonely hotel in the middle of an industrial zone. There was nothing but a few large supermarkets and some desolate looking industrial complexes around me. The name of the hotel matched that on my Internet confirmation slip – so it was the right one after all. The web site had just conveniently forgotten to tell me that it was 20km outside Madrid, where I would stare at the back of Carrefour from my hotel room instead of some vibrant plaza in central Madrid.

I had no choice but to check in and then spent the immediate 20 minutes fighting with the travel agency over an expensive international phone call. They didn’t apologize for their mistake, but asked me to file a formal complaint. I decided to stay the night and check out the next day and move to Madrid anyway. The money was sunk, but I could not possibly stay here in this industrial wasteland for two days and ruin the beginning of my trip.

So much for eating grapes in Puerta del Sol and having an interesting beginning to the New Year! Everything (including the hotel restaurant) was closed for New Year’s Eve and I was doomed to my hotel room in this industrial wasteland, feeling hungry, frustrated and jetlagged. Fortunately the hotel manager was nice and he fixed me some bread and cheese when I told him I was hungry. So, I stayed in my room, watched TV, ate bread and cheese, drank Coke from the mini-bar and ruminated on the perils on international travel. But tomorrow would be a new day, a new year in fact, and there was still hope for better things. Happy 2010!

Click for more information on AmeriSpan’s Spanish programs in Spain.