Anyone who stands in front of this church thinks they are seeing a real palace. What is meant is the so-called “Sagrada Família”. Known for its high towers, over the years it has become a symbol of Barcelona (pronounced: barsälona), a city in Spain. Experts speak of a masterpiece. That’s why the “Sagrada Família” is one of the most famous buildings in the world. And that even though the church isn’t finished yet. It has been under construction for 140 years. That doesn’t stop holidaymakers from all over the world from visiting this church. But that is precisely what is becoming more and more of a problem.
Selfies cause trouble
Instead of simply looking at the famous church, many visitors take dozens of photos. So that not all pictures and videos look the same, people are always looking for new perspectives on the “Sagrada Família”. And it seems they recently found a corner that looks particularly stunning. People use the subway exit in front of the church to make their videos. To do this, they stand on an escalator and start filming. Meanwhile, the “Sagrada Família” gradually becomes visible in the background.
But exactly such recordings are now banned. Many people discovered this escalator and tried to take photos and videos there again and again. However, because they constantly blocked the square, there were always accidents and queues of people. The city was forced to act, which is why selfies are now banned. Separate prohibition signs and security guards are intended to prevent people from taking pictures.
Worldwide problem
It’s not the first time that selfie hunters have endangered those around them. In Wales (pronounced: wejls), which is a country in Great Britain, there are more and more tourists endangering wild ponies. In the hunt for selfies, people get dangerously close to wild animals. A newborn foal panicked and fell off a cliff to its death. You can read more about this here.
But disrespectful behavior is also a recurring theme. Some climb mountains half-naked for the “perfect” snapshot and start dancing for fun. Without knowing that they are currently in holy places. In other words, places that mean a lot to the population and where there are actually something like dress and behavior rules. That’s exactly what happened in Bali, which is why the island’s politicians are even considering closing certain mountains to guests. We have summarized what this is all about here.
This is an article from the current issue of KinderNachrichten – the OÖNachrichten weekly newspaper for 6-12 year olds. Further information: www.kinder or try it for free: www.kinder/testen