That Barcelona is closely connected with architect Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926) is more than clear. Masterpieces like the Sagrada Família, Park Güell, Casa Milà (La Pedrera), or Casa Batlló mesmerize thousands of tourists daily and have become major attractions. But there’s much more to see in Barcelona that was designed by the brilliant Antoni Gaudí!
Laatste update: 11/10/2022
Gaudí and Barcelona
Gaudí was born in 1852 in Reus but soon came to Barcelona to study. He then began his magnificent career as an architect until his fatal tram incident near the Sagrada Família.
Several places in Barcelona frequently visited by Gaudí are still accessible: for example, Plaça de Sant Felip Neri, where Gaudí’s favorite church is located, or the famous old café and restaurant Els 4 Gats.
Gaudí lived in the pink house in Park Güell and, at the end of his life, in his workshop near the Sagrada Família.
He died on June 10, 1926, from his injuries in the charity hospital Hospital de Santa Creu in the Raval district.
The Gaudí Walking Tour in Barcelona
With the walking route below, you will find both well-known and lesser-known architectural works and places closely connected to Gaudí and his work. Keep a day free in your agenda and explore the city through the eyes of Gaudí!
Note: to complete this route in one day, I recommend not visiting every museum or spending too long in Park Güell, otherwise, you won’t be able to finish this route in a day.
1. Casa Calvet
We start our Gaudí tour at Carrer Casp number 48, very close to Plaça Catalunya, by visiting Casa Calvet, which was built between 1898 and 1900. This was a commercial and residential building, constructed on one of the most remarkable streets of the new Eixample district in Barcelona.
The building has 6 floors and was specifically built for the Calvet family. Gaudí was inspired, among other things, by the “C” of Calvet, which you can see on the facade and the entrance door. The columns on either side of the entrance resemble balls of yarn and are a nod to the Calvet textile industry. The basement and ground floor were for the family’s textile business, the first floor was the owner’s residence, and the other floors were for rent.
In 1900, Casa Calvet won the award for the best building in the city, and in 1969 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Casa Calvet is still a private residence. On the ground floor, there is now a restaurant, Restaurant Casa Calvet, which has managed to preserve many of Gaudí’s original details.
Address: Carrer Casp, 48 / Metro: Urquinaona (L1 and L4)
2. Workshop of Eudald Puntí
We then walk to Carrer Cendra number 8. Where now a modern apartment building stands, used to be the workshop of Eudald Puntí. This was also the place where the young Gaudí learned the trades of glassblowing, blacksmithing, carpentry, and pottery. Here, he met Eusebi Güell, who later became his patron.
Little remains in this small street of its glorious past, which once buzzed with numerous workshops. Yet, it’s special to think that Gaudí worked here.
Address: Carrer Cendra, 8 / Metro: Sant Antoni (L2)
3. Streetlights of Plaça Reial
We then walk via the Ramblas to Plaça Reial, where Gaudí’s first commission for the city of Barcelona is located: two streetlights from 1878.
Address: Plaça Reial / Metro: Liceu (L3)
4. Palau Güell
Next, we visit Palau Güell (1886-1888), located at Carrer Nou de la Rambla number 3-5. This was the Güell family’s residence, merged with the house they already had on La Rambla.
The building has 6 floors for different purposes. The basement was used as a stable, the ground floor as a reception, the mezzanine for the office, the first floor for the residence, the second floor for the rooms, and finally the attic.
Behind an organized and sober appearance, the structuring of the covered spaces in the palace is the greatest achievement and definitely worth seeing. The colorful chimneys are also one of the most beautiful details of this building.
During the Civil War, Palau Güell was used as a prison by the anarchists, and in 1944 an American wanted to buy the palace and bring it to America. Fortunately, this did not happen, and the Regional Council of Barcelona began the building’s restoration, which currently serves as a museum.
Palau Güell was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
Address: Carrer Nou de la Rambla, 3-5 / Metro: Liceu (L3)
5. Park Güell
Next, we take the metro at Liceu (L3) to Lesseps (L3). After a fifteen-minute walk, we arrive at Park Güell (entering in this case via Carrer d’Olot).
Park Güell was conceived as a private garden city for Barcelona’s elite. It was to be a self-sufficient space with everything the residents needed: a chapel, a market, a school, theaters, water…
Güell (the client) and Gaudí wanted this community to maintain itself at a distance from the rest of the city. At that time, Barcelona was plagued by epidemics and social conflicts.
However, the project that began in 1900 was never completed due to various reasons.
An interesting fact is that the lodge on the left, now a bookstore, was originally a reception with a telephone. And the lodge on the right, now the park’s information desk, was once the porter’s house.
Gaudí, along with his father and niece, moved into the park in 1906. Gaudí lived in a model house built by Francesc Berenguer i Mestres and stayed there until 1925, when he moved to the workshop of the Sagrada Família. This house now serves as a museum.
The park is also full of surprises and famous architectural icons such as the Dragon and the trencadís mosaics, with various constructions perfectly adapted to the irregular nature of the terrain.
Park Güell has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1984 and a National Monument since 1969.
👉 Read more about tickets for Park Güell here.
Address: Carrer d’Olot / Metro: Lesseps (L3)
6. Casa Vicens
From Park Güell, we continue to Casa Vicens at Carrer Carolines number 18. This impressive house with striking green tiles and Arabic-inspired details was built as a summer residence for the Vicens family between 1883 and 1888.
It is known as one of Gaudí’s first major works and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1969.
Casa Vicens was a private building for many years but opened as a museum in 2017.
Address: Carrer Carolines, 18 / Metro: Fontana (L3)
7. Casa Milà (La Pedrera)
From Fontana station (L3), we travel to Diagonal station (L3). On Passeig de Gràcia, La Pedrera and Casa Batlló await us. Our first stop is the unmistakable building of Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera.
Built between 1906 and 1912 at number 92 on Passeig de Gràcia, this majestic building with a rock-like appearance was quickly dubbed by Barcelonans as La Pedrera, the quarry. This building caused a huge stir in the city due to its primitive and futuristic design.
Gaudí could not even complete the last phase of the project due to differences with the owners.
La Pedrera was built and treated as a giant sculpture. Large stone pieces were brought here and polished on-site by stonemasons. The result of years of work is an exhibition of vibrant architecture in which the undulation of the stone changes from weightiness to lightness.
The most notable details in this building include the beautiful chimneys, the circular inner courtyard, the staircases, and the iron balconies.
In 1986, Caixa Catalunya bought La Pedrera to make it a museum. You can still visit it.
La Pedrera has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1969 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.
Address: Passeig de Gràcia, 92 / Metro: Diagonal (L3 and L5)
8. Casa Batlló
Just across and a bit further on Passeig de Gràcia number 43 lies the enigmatic Casa Batlló (1904-1907). This is one of Gaudí’s most radical interventions, who did not hesitate to recreate the facade of the old building.
On Casa Batlló, Gaudí added sinuous undulations, an elaborate glassy trencadís that shines with different intensity according to the position of the sun, balconies that resemble bare skulls, and a roof shaped like a giant backbone, resulting in a magical spectacle.
For many, the Batlló house brings to mind a dragon.
The building consists of 7 floors. On the first floor, Gaudí designed the house of the owners, the Batlló family, with all the furniture, curved ceilings, and even a private chapel.
Another interesting detail: did you know that the tower with the cross above Casa Batlló was not meant to be on the left but actually in the middle of the building?
Casa Batlló is still a private residence that is partly open to the public.
Casa Batlló has also been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2005.
Address: Passeig de Gràcia, 43 / Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (L2, L3, and L4)
9. Sagrada Família
We then walk towards the Sagrada Família. Instead of walking, you can also take the metro at Passeig de Gràcia (L2) to the Sagrada Família station (L2).
At the Temple of the Sagrada Família, we encounter one of Gaudí’s most important and grandiose projects, which is still unfinished to this day.
This church, started in 1882 and then taken over by Gaudí in 1883, is based on the Gothic style and is a tribute to geometry, color, shapes, and sounds.
Gaudí worked on the Sagrada Família until the day of his death in 1926. After moving from the house in Park Güell, Gaudí lived in the storage room and workshop he had built on the northeast corner of the Sagrada Família. He is now buried in the crypt of the Sagrada Família.
Interesting to note is that the Sagrada Família is built through donations, which sometimes makes it difficult to continue the construction.
The Sagrada Família has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1969.
👉 Read more about tickets for La Sagrada Família here.
Address: Carrer Mallorca, 401 / Metro: Sagrada Família (L2 and L5)
10. Pavellons de la Finca Güell
You can start with the Pavellons de la Finca Güell, near the Maria Cristina metro station (L3) at Avinguda de Pedralbes number 7.
Built between 1884 and 1887, this was a set of two constructions. One was a stable and the other served as accommodation for the caretaker.
It is in this building where Gaudí first used his famous trencadís mosaic.
Between the two buildings stands a spectacular wrought-iron gate, cast in 1885 in the workshop of Valle y Piqué in Barcelona, resembling a dragon, the immortal guardian of the estate.
After the death of Eusebi Güell in 1918, the heirs were separated from the estate. The surrounding wall was demolished and the other two extra doors that led into the house lost their function.
Today, the houses are the headquarters of the Gaudí Centre. The Pavellons Güell have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1969.
Address: Avinguda de Pedralbes, 7 / Metro: Maria Cristina (L3)
11. Gaudí’s beeld en Can Miralles
A statue of Gaudí that is still unknown to many tourists can be found near the Pavellons de la Finca Güell, on Passeig Manuel Girona. Here, you will find a life-size statue of Gaudí, dressed in the clothes he typically wore and in a teaching pose. This statue is located under the wavy Miralles entrance, also designed by Gaudí himself in 1901.
The statue dates back to 1999 and was created by the sculptor Joaquim Camps Giralt. Interestingly, in the 1970s, Gaudí’s entrance for Miralles was an annoyance to workers building the apartment complexes in the old Can Miralles.
There was a possibility that this piece of history would be moved to Park Güell, but fortunately for the local residents, the Miralles entrance has remained intact, although Can Miralles no longer exists.
Address: Passeig Manuel Girona, 59 / Metro: Maria Cristina (L3)
12. Col.legi de les Teresianes
You can then walk north to reach the Col.legi de les Teresianes at Carrer Ganduxer number 85. The school building was started by an unknown architect in 1888 and finished by Gaudí in 1890.
Gaudí also designed the school’s garden, which was later replaced to make way for the Rondas.
Despite damage to the school in 1936, when the building was attacked and plundered, it still functions as an educational establishment.
The Col.legi de les Teresianes has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1969.
Address: Carrer Ganduxer, 85 / Metro: La Bonanova (L6)
13. Torre de Bellesguard
Lastly, you can visit the Torre de Bellesguard. Its name, Bellesguard, means “beautiful view” and was given to this piece of land by the poet Bernat Metge. The Torre de Bellesguard is a detached (and then isolated) house at Carrer Bellesguard number 16-20, built between 1900 and 1909.
The exterior is known for its pronounced cubic volume and slender angular tower.
With this piece, Gaudí paid tribute to the history of Catalonia, restoring the Catalan Gothic style while blending it with his own personal vision of architecture.
The Torre de Bellesguard was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1969.
Address: Carrer Bellesguard, 16-20 / Metro: Av. Tibidabo (L7)
