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Barcelona Gaudi

The works of Antoni Gaudi dominate the city of Barcelona. Whilst the city is both modern and cosmopolitan in nature, it has a rich history in architecture and the arts. The city has always proven to be a bit ahead of the rest of the world in its tendencies, and the discerning traveller can see this in the exquisite Gaudi architecture that is found throughout Barcelona.

In spite of impressive works from the Romanesque and Renaissance periods, it is Gaudi's Modernism which attracts millions of visitors to Barcelona. The magnificent works of Catalonia's favourite son were created well before their time and you should dedicate much of your time in Barcelona to visiting a selection of Gaudi buildings. 

Antoni Gaudi - The Person and His Work

The man behind these amazing masterpieces is Antoni Gaudi, who was born in 1852 in Catalonia. Gaudi was the youngest of five children, and he had a difficult childhood due to suffering from rheumatism that caused him a great deal of pain. At a young age, he had a lot of time to observe and inspect nature, which helped him to develop his unique form of architecture.

Gaudi went on to study architecture at the Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura, which is located in the city of Barcelona. Although his grades were only fair, he did receive his diploma, which named him as an architect. Soon he was planning and designing what would be some of the most amazing architectural masterpieces ever created.

Sagrada Familia - the Gaudi Masterpiece Gaudi's Park Guell
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When Gaudi first started out, his works were primarily Gothic in nature and had a traditional Spanish flare to them. After a few years, he went on to develop his own style, which was when his most popular works were created. The nature he had studied so much as a child was soon to be incorporated into his works and he showed amazing portrayals of water and organic shapes in his architectural designs. Later his work became known by the name Art Nouveau Architecture, and was actually a precursor to today’s modern architecture (known as 'modernisme').

Main Gaudi Buildings in Barcelona

While you are in Barcelona, you should dedicate plenty time to seeing Gaudi’s works and not just the Sagrada Familia which is his most famous attraction. The most visited of his works after the unfinished Gaudi cathedral include Park Guell, Casa Mila, and Casa Batllo.

Sagrada Familia
The Sagrada Familia is probably the most well known of Gaudi’s works, and is known as a symbol of Barcelona across the entire world. It is actually a beautiful monumental church and was started by Gaudi in 1883. Much of his time was spent on this piece of architecture and he continued to work on it obsessively until his death. To this day work continues on the greatest of all Gaudi's masterpieces with the finish date estimated as 2026. This will mark the 100th anniversary of the great architect's death.

Address: C/ Mallorca 401
Opening hours: 9am-6pm (Oct-Mar); 9am-8pm (Apr-Sep)
Metro: Sagrada Familia
Website: http://www.sagradafamilia.org/

Park Guell
Eusebi Guell, who was actually one of Gaudi’s clients, wanted to have his own suburban city just outside of Barcelona. The resulting property was never successful as a real estate venture with only two homes ever being built on it. Today it is a Gaudi park which is owned by the city of Barcelona, and features a breathtaking selection of Gaudi architecture. Look out for the giant coloured lizard which is one of the city's most photographed attractions. Casa Museu Gaudi is the house at the entrance with a spire where the architect lived for most of his last 20 years. Entrance is free.

Address: Carrer D'Olot, 7
Metro: Lesseps (more convenient is Bus Nº 24 or the tourist bus service)
Opening hours: 9am-9pm (June-Sept); Slight variations at other times of year

Casa Mila
Casa Mila, otherwise known as La Pedrera, is probably very close in popularity to the Sagrada Familia. This building actually covers more than 100 meters, and is designed so that the entire building gets sunlight at some point in time. The rooftop is full of interesting architectural designs, with sculptures and chimneys adorning it. During the summer months you can go on the roof in the evening for a glass of cava to the accompaniment of classical music. Look out for 'La Pedrera de Nit'.

Address: Passeig de Gràcia ,92
Metro: Diagonal
Opening hours: 10am-8pm (also 9pm to midnight on Fri. & Sat. from July-Sept)
Website: http://www.lapedreraeducacio.org/

Casa Batllo
Although today this building houses a variety of offices and apartments, Gaudi originally designed it to look like St George's Dragon. The design is very stimulating to the imagination and you can definitely see the influence of nature in this design. Depending on your imagination, you might be able to see fish scales, balconies that appear as bird’s nests and a roofline that shares characteristics of the back of a dinosaur.

Address: Passeig de Gràcia, 43
Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (exit Calle Aragó-Rambla Catalunya)
Opening hours: 9am-2pm (Mon-Sat); 9am-8pm (Sun)
Website: http://www.casabatllo.es/

As well as the Gaudi buildings described above, there are around 25 more spread around the city. Not all of the works are open to the public but they're still worth looking for if Gaudi architecture is an important reason for your visit. The biggest concentration of these buildings is in the Gracia district of Barcelona, just north of Plaza Catalunya. Take a look at this Gaudi map to get some idea where you'll find all his main works.

Gaudi's Casa Batllo Cas Mila or La Pedrera - Gaudi Masterpiece
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Barcelona Excursions and City Tours

Barcelona Excursions
Time permitting there are some fascinating day and half day excursions from Barcelona including a visit to the 'Black Virgin' of Montserrat, a trip up to Girona and Figueres where you can visit the Dali Museum or a visit to a cava winery and the quaint resort of Sitges.

Barcelona City Tours
There is so much to see in Barcelona so you'll need to plan your sightseeing.  Here we list a selection of walking tours, private city tours with chauffeur and guide and panoramic bus tours of the main sights of the city.
 

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Barcelona Excursions and City Tours

Take a Barcelona Excursion to Montserrat, the Dalí Museum in Figueres or a winery tour. Barcelona City Tours show you the best of Gaudi architecture.

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