Had you ever heard about these works by Gaudí apart from the famous Sagrada Familia? When reading about Barcelona’s must-sees, it’s hard to miss the fact that many of them have one thing in common: they were built by the talented Antoni Gaudí, a major representative of modernism who left a big mark in Barcelona.
His most famous masterpiece is definitely the Sagrada Familia, probably the most iconic building of the city’s skyline. But reducing his work to just those three or four landmarks featured on every tourist guidebook doesn’t do him justice, since there is so much more to see. For this reason, if you’re passionate about architecture or you’d like to get a more in-depth picture of Barcelona through the works of its most famous architect, then I dare you to cross out as many of the buildings on this list as you can!
Before we begin, I would like to say a special thank you to Visit Barcelona, Barcelona’s Tourism Board, for allowing me to access these buildings and get to know Gaudí much better. Now let’s begin!
1. Casa Vicens
From all works by Gaudí, Casa Vicens is often called his very first masterpiece and it features a really interesting mix of elements, so we’re definitely talking about a must-see. The house was built by a young Gaudí using bricks, with its upper part in a striking red color and beautifully decorated with tiles. Inside there is a beautiful garden as well, which can be admired when visiting the house. The style reflects his inspiration from Far and Middle Eastern art, and it reminds us of the mudéjar style used by the moors in the south of Spain.
Gaudí’s gem, hidden in the small streets of Gracia neighborhood, was built between 1883 and 1885 as a summer residence for the Vicens family, a wealthy family from Barcelona who owned a ceramic factory. It was one of the first modernist buildings in the city and, even today, it’s still one of the most special ones. Casa Vicens has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and it has only been open to the public since 2015, after having been inhabited for 130 years!
Address: Carrer de les Carolines, 20
Opening times: every day from 10 AM to 7 PM
Ticket price: standard tickets cost 16€. Click here to book your tickets.
2. Park Güell
There’s no list of famous works by Gaudí that doesn’t include Park Güell, which is actually a public city park that the architect has left as a legacy to the city. However, Park Güell was not supposed to be a public park: commissioned by the rich businessman Eusebi Güell to Gaudí, this project was meant to become Barcelona’s first private residential neighborhood. The works were carried out between 1900 and 1914, when they came to a stop following the break of the First World War. From a sales point of view the project was a failure, mostly due to the fact that the rich barcelonese prefered to buy and build their houses in the trendy Eixample back then.
The park features a rich variety of details in its gardens and architectural elements, which reflect Gaudí’s naturalist phase. This was the height of the architect’s career, a time during which he took inspiration from natural shapes and applied unique solutions that would later be used to build the Sagrada Familia. The most admired and photographed part of the park is, no doubt, the undulating bench overlooking the city’s skyline and the entrance to the park. The bench, as well as a big part of the monumental area of Park Güell, stands out thanks to the beautiful work of trencadis made by Gaudí. Trencadis was a popular technique during modernism that used broken pieces of tiles to decorate and add color. Full of politic and religious symbolism, Park Güell is a true work of art that you shouldn’t miss during your visit to Barcelona.
Address: Carrer Olot, 7
Opening times: from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM during low season and from 7:30 AM to 8:30 PM during high season.
Ticket price: tickets for the monumental part of the park cost 10€. Click here to buy your tickets.
3. La Pedrera (Casa Milà)
Officially Casa Milà, this building was commissioned to Gaudí by the Milà family as their residence as well as an apartment block. The family occupied the main floor and rented out the remaining apartments for many years. In fact, there is one apartment that’s still being rented by a very lucky lady, who has even written a book about it!
The term “La Pedrera”, or stone quarry, became widely used to refer to the house due to its resemblance to an open air quarry. Indeed, Gaudí’s masterpiece was not always so popular and celebrated, and was instead criticized and laughed at because of its shape and its peculiar architectural elements. Already since the beginning, Gaudí had to fight so that his plans for Casa Milà would be approved by the city council, threatening them to hang up a board reading “this piece of pillar has been cut due to the city council’s orders”. The architect even encountered many problems and legal battles with his commissioners, the Milà family.
Nowadays, there is no doubt that Casa Milà is one of the most impressive, well-achieved works by Gaudí. Its shapes and curves catch your eye, and the roughness and greyness of its exterior calls you in to explore the wonderful world there is to discover in the inside. Its rooftop, with some of the most uniquely shaped chimneys, is definitely a must-see.
Address: Passeig de Gràcia, 92
Opening times: every day from 9 AM to 6:30 PM during low season and from 9 AM to 8:30 PM during high season. Night visits: from 7 PM to 9 PM during low season and from 9 PM to 11 PM during high season.
Ticket price: standard tickets cost 24€. An extra 3€ is charged if you don’t book online. Click here to book your tickets and save!
4. Casa Batlló
When talking about the most important works by Gaudí, one that makes it very easily into the list is Casa Batllò. One of the city’s most creative buildings, it’s impossible not to notice it and be captivated by its intricate beauty when walking on Passeig de Gràcia. The house was built between 1904 and 1906 for Josep Batlló, a businessman who had made quite a fortune in the textile sector.
Casa Batllò is full of shapes, colors, and symbolism which are heavily evident on its façade. The building represents a dream world full of nature and fantasy, inspired in the sea. Its elements resemble natural shapes such as plants and bones, as well as masks which are represented on its balconies. The façade is covered in colors from thousands of pieces of glass and ceramic, placed according to the trencadís technique that Gaudí used in many of his works. Another stunning feature is its undulating roof, which evokes the figure of a dragon. If I had to choose a word to describe this work by Gaudí, that would definitely be ‘dreamy’.
Address: Passeig de Gràcia, 43
Opening times: every day from 9 AM to 8 PM
Ticket price: standard tickets cost 25€. Click here to get your tickets.
5. Palau Güell
Often overlooked by tourists and locals alike, Palau Güell was one of the first important projects that Gaudí was commissioned. Built between 1886 and 1890 as his first project for Eusebi Güell, for whom Gaudí would continue to develop impressive projects, Palau Güell is located only a few steps away from Las Ramblas.
The building reflects the architect’s oriental phase, when his works were inspired in architecture from the Far and the Middle East, as well as islamic and mudéjar styles. Gaudí came up with a project to adapt this house to the family’s needs and both their private and social life. The result is a building that was one of the foundations of the Art Nouveau movement and the beginning of a long, fruitful relationship between the architect and Mr. Güell. Visiting Palau Güell is a must for all those interested in understanding Gaudí’s work and its evolution.
Address: Carrer Nou de la Rambla, 3-5
Opening times: from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 5:30 PM during low season and from 10 AM to 8 PM during high season.
Ticket price: standard tickets cost 12€. Click here for more information and tickets.
6. Colonia Güell & Gaudí’s Crypt
Located just outside of Barcelona and easily accessible by train, Colonia Güell was another project commissioned to Gaudí by Eusebi Güell. There is no doubt that the partnership between the two of them led to some of the city’s most beautiful modernist gems!
Colonia Güell features different buildings not only by Gaudí but also by other talented architects of the time, such as Francesc Berenguer and Joan Rubió. The fascinating thing about this place is the fact that it constitutes a great example of modernism applied to both civil and industrial architecture.
The site was built as a neighborhood for factory workers between 1890 and 1918. Mr. Güell aimed to provide his workers with social improvements and solutions for their quality of life and, for this reason, Colonia Güell also incorporates cultural and religious facilities, as well as a hospital and a school. Among these facilities is the church, which paved the way for the architectural style and features used in the Sagrada Familia. Unfortunately, only the crypt of the church was built as the project was abandoned after Eusebi Güell’s dead.
Address: Carrer Claudi Güell, 6, Santa Coloma de Cervelló
Opening times: Monday to Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM. Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays from 10 AM to 3 PM.
Ticket price: standard tickets cost 8.50€. Click here to buy your tickets now.
7. Casa Calvet
Casa Calvet was the architect’s first project built in the Eixample district, which was expanding rapidly at the time as the city’s rich families were building their houses and investing in properties in this area. Another great example of his naturalist phase, where Gaudí used shapes inspired in nature while rationalism takes a second, less relevant place. Nevertheless, it is often called Gaudí’s least extravagant work.
The house was built by Gaudí for a rich businessman, who also owned a textile factory (yes, that was a huge business in Barcelona at the time). It was meant to be used for different purposes: the basement and ground floor were meant to be used for the family’s store, the main floor for the family’s luxurious home, and the remaining floors for apartments to rent. Although much more conservative than his other works, it does feature some fascinating elements such as the decoration of the tribune on the main floor, with lots of symbolic shapes, and the main door. No detail has been left out in this masterpiece!
Address: Carrer Casp, 48
Unfortunately, the building is not open to public visits. However, you can still visit the restaurant, China Crown Barcelona, located on the ground floor.
8. Torre Bellesguard
Far away from the tourist crowds you can find Torre Bellesguard, at the foot of the Collserola mountain range. When you see it you can immediately understand that this is not your typical building by Gaudí—it belongs to his neo gothic phase and, therefore, doesn’t display as many natural shapes as many of his other buildings.
Torre Bellesguard was built between 1900 and 1909 taking inspiration from medieval gothic architecture, but aiming to improve it. The site used to be an old castle, part of which was preserved and incorporated into the new construction. The building reveals Gaudí’s intention, as was the case for many of his projects, to make it blend with its landscape using materials naturally present in the area. In this case, local stone was used. The result? An original reconstruction of a historical building, a mix between neo gothic architecture and modernism—and one of the least known works of Gaudí!
Address: Carrer de Bellesguard, 20
Opening times: 10 AM to 3 PM, from Tuesday to Sunday. Last admission at 2:30 PM. Guided tours available on weekends.
Ticket price: Standard ticket price is 9€. Guided tours are available on weekends for 16€. Click here to book your tickets.
9. Portal Miralles
This wall and entrance gate, commissioned to Gaudí for the Miralles’ house, is also located far off the main tourist routes so it’s actually very little known. The wall is undulating and features parts made with white trencadìs, while the door has a small roof to offer shelter from the rain and is topped by an iron cross, which is commonly found in Gaudí’s work.
It’s no more than a gate, but if you’re curious to wander off the beaten path and explore a work by Gaudí that very few know about, then you should definitely check this one out!
Address: Passeig de Manuel Girona, 55-57
10. Colegio Teresiano de Barcelona
Last but not least, if you’re looking to cross all works by Gaudí off your list, there’s another gem you should look for. The Colegio Teresiano de Barcelona, or “Teresian School of Barcelona”, was built as a religious school and is still used as such. For this reason, it’s not possible to access the building but it’s definitely worth admiring it from the outside. It also makes for a nice walk off the busy city center, in the more residential district of Sant Gervasi.
Built using red bricks instead of stone in order to cut down costs, this huge school was finished in 1889. It belongs to Gaudí’s neo gothic period, far from the modernist style of his most well-known works. It is, however, a very special hidden gem that not many can say they have seen—not even locals!
Address: Carrer de Ganduxer, 85
Unfortunately, the building is normally not open to public visits and a big part of it is covered by a wall. However, it’s open to the public once a year during the 48H Open House Barcelona, an event during which many architectural gems of the city are open to be visited for free. This event normally takes place around the end of October.
Bonus tip to finish this list of works by Gaudí…
Did you know there’s a bit of Gaudí in the Gothic Quarter, too? One of the most famous squares in Barcelona, Plaça Reial, is also home to some works by the city’s most famous architect, which you can spot if you pay close attention. In fact, these two colorful lamps located on both sides of the fountain were some of Gaudí’s earliest works. Definitely eye-catching compared to the more classic lamps found on this square, they represent Mercury’s helmet surrounded by two snakes. So, next time you set foot on this busy square, look around. Gaudí and his influence can be found everywhere in Barcelona!
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