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The Casa de les Punxes or Casa Terrades was designed by modernist architect Puig i Cadafalch. This unusual looking building is located in L'Eixample, close to the Gaudi designed La Pedrera.
It was built between 1903 and 1905 and looks more like a fairy-tale castle than an apartment block. It is called the 'House of Spikes' because of its needle-like turrets. It is also unusual in that is it the only fully detached building in L'Eixample.
The apartments are not opened to the public, though at street level there are some shops and a gallery that you can browse in. Leave a Comment Address: Avinguda Diagonal 416, L'EixampleDirections: Located in the L'Eixample district Nearest metro: Diagonal
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Barcelona's stunning Gothic cathedral - La Seu - is a must see on your visit to the city. It is located in the ancient Barri Gotic quarter, on the small Placa de la Seu, which joins onto Placa Nova.
The cathedral was constructed between 1298 and 1460, though churches have existed on its site dating as far back as 343 AD. The main façade wasn't built until 1870, though it is based on a 1408 design. The spire of the central tower is 70 metres tall. The two times I have visited Barcelona the façade has been under restoration, though it is supposed to be completed later in 2007.
Inside there is a large central nave and 28 side chapels. Make sure you check out the lavish choir stalls in the centre of the cathedral.
You can catch the lift up to the roof for great views over the city - highly recommended!
Opening hours: Daily, 8am-12.15pm & 5.15-7.30pm
Free admission, but it will cost you around 2 euro to catch the lift to the roof Leave a Comment
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Casa Batllo is possibly one of the strangest looking residential buildings around. Located on the grand Passeig de Gracia, the house was originally built back in the late 1800's. It was bought by Batllo i Casanovas in 1900 and he commissioned Gaudi to tear it down and build a new house.
In the end, Gaudi worked with the existing building, redesigning the amazing façade and roof, and remodelling the interior, with work being completed in 1907.
The outside of the building looks bizarre. It is covered with bits of green, blue, purple & brown tiles, and has multiple small balconies with bone-like pillars or pieces of skulls (hence its nickname, 'House of Bones'). Gaudi used colours and shapes found in sea life for his inspiration for the building, and it is said that the colours on the façade are like those found in coral.
Inside you can visit the first floor, top floor and roof top (though the admission price is steep!). The first floor is home to the main salon with its stunning curved wooden doors and sun-like light fitting.
The top floor has some fabulous arches and I loved the flowery floor tiles. There is a small terrace area here (near the gift shop) with a beautiful tiles pavement.
The roof is a must-see, for the colourful chimney pots which rise above it, and the other tower like structures also covered in the pretty mosaic tiles. As you descend from the roof you will get to meet the great man himself - Gaudi….well, a hologram of him anyway!
Opening Hours:
Apr to Sep - Daily from 9am-8pm
Oct to Mar - Daily from 9am-6pm
Admission cost: 16 euro (Jan 2007) Leave a Comment Address: Passeig de Gracia 43, L'EixamplePhone: 93 216 03 06Directions: Located in the L'Eixample district Nearest metro: Passeig de GraciaWebsite: http://www.casabatllo.es/ Other Contact: infovisites@casabatllo.es
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Casa Mila, more commonly known as La Pedrera, is a Gaudi designed apartment and office block - it is the largest civil building he designed. It was constructed between 1906 and 1910, commissioned by Pedro Mila i Camps, a rich businessman, who was impressed by what Gaudi had achieved with Casa Batllo.
It looks like the whole thing has been constructed in stone, but in fact has just been coated in a layer of stone. The outside of the building has a series of undulating balconies that look a bit like waves. There are unusual wrought-iron designs on the balconies which were created by Josep Maria Jujol.
Inside you can visit the top two floors, plus the roof top. The inside of the apartments is filled with Gaudi's signature curves and arches - there is not a straight line in sight!
The highlight of a visit to La Pedrera is the roof top. Here you will see large chimney pots which look like some sort of medieval warriors, along with other unusual shaped structures covered in mosaic tiles. There are some great views from up here to.
Opening Hours:
Nov to Feb - Daily from 9am-6.30 pm (last entrance at 6 pm)
Mar to Oct - Daily from 9am-8pm (last entrance at 7.30 pm)
Admission cost is around 8 euro Leave a Comment
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Located within Park Guell, up the hill to the right of the entrance, is the Casa-Museu Gaudi. This is the house that Gaudi lived in for most of the last 20 years of his life - from 1906 to 1926.
The house was not actually designed by Gaudi himself, but by Francesc Berenguer i Mestres. It was supposed to be a prototype or show-home to help sell the 60 or more homes that were projected to have been built in the failed housing development which later became the park.
Today, the structure of the building is still the same as when Gaudi lived there. A visit to the museum is well worth while, as not only is it an interestingly designed building itself, but you get the chance to see some of Gaudi's personal possessions.
You will see some of the great architect's drawings, and better still a selection of his quirky furniture, including some that used to be housed in Casa Batllo.
Opening Hours:
Apr to Sep - Daily from 10am-8pm
Oct to Mar - Daily from 10am-6pm
Admission cost: 4 euro (Feb 2007), or 1 euro if you buy the combined ticket at the Sagrada Familia Leave a Comment
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My favourite building in Barcelona would have to be the Sagrada Familia, and it isn't even finished yet! The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia is Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece - a massive church that he was working on when he died (in 1926) and which is still under construction today.
Currently only two of the three planned facades have been built - the Nativity Façade and the Passion Façade, with work now commencing on the Glory Façade. Each façade has 4 tall towers, and there will be an additional 6 towers built, giving the church 18 towers in total - the tallest of which could be up to 170 metres high. When the church is finished it will hold up to 13,000 people. It is hoped that it will be completed in time for the 100 year anniversary of Gaudi's death in 2026.
Although under construction, you can go inside the church and explore this amazing work in progress. Make sure you have a look at some of the beautiful stained glass windows that have recently been completed - the light reflects the colours of the windows onto the tall pillars inside the church.
You can also visit some of the towers, towards the top of the church. First you will have to catch the lift, and then walk up stairs to reach the outside of the towers. It is an amazing experience to get an up-close look at the majesty of Gaudi's work.
Opening Hours: Daily from 9am-8pm
Admission cost: 8 euro, or combined with Casa Museu Gaudi (in Park Guell), 9 euro
There are additional charges for: lift to the top of the building (2 euro); audio tour or guided tour (3.50 euro) (All prices correct as at Feb 2007) Leave a Comment Address: Carrer de Mallorca 401, L'EixamplePhone: 93 207 30 31Directions: Located in the L'Eixample district Nearest metro: Sagrada FamiliaWebsite: http://www.sagradafamilia.org/
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Park Guell is a very unusual park designed by Gaudi, located in the Gracia district in northern Barcelona. The area where the pack is located started out as an ambitious housing development project, thought up by Eusebi Guell, a well known Catalan industrialist.
He hired Gaudi in 1900 to work on the garden village. Work continued until 1914 when it was clear that the project was a commercial failure. At this time Gaudi had already created roads and walkways, two gatehouses and a plaza. The city bought the park and it was opened to the public in 1922 as a park.
You enter the park through the aforementioned gatehouses. Just to your right is a small building which contains some information on the history of the park and a scale model.
The stunning Gaudi designed steps in front are guarded over by a mosaic lizard, which is the main symbol of the park. Ascend the stairs to the Sala Hipostila - a mass of 84 stone columns, which were originally intended as a market area.
Climb further until you get to the large open space, which offers fabulous views across the city. Here you will no doubt take a seat on the fabulous Banc de Trencadis - a mosaic tiled bench which winds its way around the edge of this upper deck. The bench was designed by Gaudi's colleague, Josep Maria Jujol.
You may also be interested in visiting the Casa-Museu Gaudi, where Gaudi lived for most of his last 20 years (details in a separate tip).
Park Guell was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984.
Opening Hours:
Jun to Sep - Daily from 10am-9pm
Apr, May & Oct - Daily from 10am-8pm
Mar & Nov - Daily from 10am-7pm
Dec to Feb - Daily from 10am-6pm
Admission cost: free Leave a Comment
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Placa Nova is one of the largest and most modern looking squares in the Barri Gotic thanks to a makeover in the early 1990's. However, it does date back to 1358, and is home to one of Barcelona's Gothic gems - La Catedral. The square is also home to some nice cafes and bars, and you may see some buskers doing traditional Spanish dance.
Connected to Placa Nova is Placa de la Seu, which is a small square located at the foot of the cathedral's steps. It doesn't look like a separate square so you may be confused if specifically looking for it.
Across Placa Nova, from the cathedral, you will see a building with large childlike-drawings on its façade. This is the Col.legi de Arquitectes, and the scribblings were done by none other than Picasso, in 1962. Leave a Comment Address: Located in the Barri Gotic districtDirections: Nearest metro: Jaume I
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The Monument a Colom (Columbus Monument) sits in the middle of a traffic-roundabout at the end of La Rambla, overlooking the harbour. This 60 metre high tower has a statue of Columbus sitting on its top.
Barcelona was the place Columbus returned to after his voyage of discovery to the Americas, and he is therefore thought of as one of the important 'sons' of the city.
The column was constructed in 1888, for the Universal Exhibition. There is a (very small) lift inside that you can catch to the top for some excellent views of the surrounding area. You can get a particularly good view along tree-lined La Rambla, which makes a great photo (you should be able to open one of the small windows to allow a better shot).
Opening Hours: 9am-8.30pm May-Oct and 10am-6.30pm Nov-Apr
Admission was 2.30 euro (Jan 2007) Leave a Comment Address: Placa del Portal de la PauDirections: Located at the bottom end of La Rambla, overlooking the harbour Nearest metro: Drassanes
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There may be many other beautiful fountains all over the world, many with light and color and even motion, but this one is the oldest one of its type. This amazing fountain, or better said, set of fountains, cascades and jets, were built as part of the stetting of the Great Universal Exhibition of 1929. It was restored before the Olympics of 1992
It seems that the Exhibition’s organizers felt that it needed something special to attract people’s attention and to distinguish their Exhibition above others. Carles Buigas submitted his project for a “colossal, daring and costly piece of work”. The project was so unexpected and stunning that it was even branded by some as madness. But even most amazing is how fast they could build it: In less than a year (more than 3,000 workers involved!)
Technically is an amazing engineer and physics project, apart of its beautiful results as artwork. Buigas discovered that the light should be concentrated so as to avoid larger beams obscuring smaller ones. Light would no longer be used only to illuminate the night, but rather to embellish it too.
Part of the cascades and fountains were removed after the Exhibition, but we still can enjoy its major works of water, light and color: to the four cascades and the large jet.
You can se more pics at my Font Màgica travelogue
But you have to be there, pics do not make justice
Maria Cristina Axis Opening Hours:
Winter: (October to April)
Fridays and Saturdays from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Music sessions: 7:00 PM 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM
Summer: (May to September)
Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 pm to 11:30 pm Leave a Comment
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on February 27, 2007
on July 4, 2008
