Casa Batlló is another of Gaudí’s masterpieces, one of two private homes that are now open as museums. The modernist façade is decorated with oval windows, bone-like columns and colourful mosaics. The inside has been restored to its original condition with built-in fireplaces, arched ceilings and stained glass. The house is in Eixample, a neighbourhood just north of the city centre.
Casa Batlló was built between 1904 and 1906 for a wealthy aristocrat and his family. It was opened to the public in 2002 after many years of restoration and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There’s no furniture, but the rooms have been left as they were when the Batlló family occupied them.
Stand on the street to admire the façade. The surrealist design and light blue colours evoke the calm of the ocean. True to Gaudí’s style, there are no straight lines. The colourful roof resembles the spine of a dragon.
The house is a popular attraction and the line to get in is long at any time of the day. Buy a ticket before you visit from the Casa Batlló website and go straight in. Tickets are relatively expensive, but there’s a discount for students and retirees. Children younger than six get in free.
An audio guide is included in the price of a ticket. It runs for about an hour. Explore the Noble Floor, where the Batlló family lived. Move through the light-filled inner courtyard to the stairwell, loft and roof terrace. Finish in the gift shop to pick up Gaudí-related souvenirs such as books and postcards.
The house is open 365 days a year. Come by bus, metro or train.
