La Pedrera (Casa Milà)
Worth the ticket for the roof alone; book a timed entry. It is ten minutes from Casa Batllo, so see one properly rather than both quickly, and this is the easier of the two to enjoy.
The facade and the roof, which are as good as anything Gaudi built.
At a Glance
- — You have had enough Gaudi; keep the Sagrada Familia and stop
Gaudi's last civil building before the Sagrada Familia consumed him: an undulating stone facade with iron balconies that look like seaweed, a structure held up by columns rather than walls, and a rooftop of chimney stacks that is the strangest sculpture in the city. The attic holds a small Gaudi exhibition and a period apartment sits below it.
How it got here
Pere Milà and Roser Segimon commissioned the house in 1906. Antoni Gaudí designed a self-supporting stone facade and a structural steel frame to eliminate load-bearing walls. The project faced legal disputes with the city council over building height and encroachment on public pavement lines. Construction finished in 1912 after the couple moved into the main floor. The building changed ownership several times during the twentieth century before a financial institution purchased the structure in 1986. Extensive restoration work corrected decades of neglect to the facade and the rooftop chimneys. The building now functions as a cultural center that allows visitors to traverse the original attic and apartment spaces.
Where it sits
Passeig de Gràcia cuts a wide swath through the heart of the Eixample district. This grid of streets formed the nineteenth-century expansion of Barcelona beyond the old medieval walls. Plane trees line the broad avenues while stone buildings from the turn of the century create a dense canopy of modernist detail. Summer heat traps the humidity of the Mediterranean against the limestone, yet the wide streets catch the sea breeze. Winter brings brisk winds down from the nearby hills. Crowds swarm the sidewalks throughout the day. Residents use the thoroughfare to walk between the center and the upper residential districts.
What to eat and drink
The dining culture of Barcelona centers on the markets and the produce of the Catalan countryside. Pan amb tomàquet, crusty bread rubbed with raw garlic and ripe tomato, appears at every table. Botifarra, a grilled pork sausage often served with white beans, remains the standard midday meal. Escudella i carn d'olla, a heavy stew of meats and seasonal vegetables, provides warmth during the colder months. Cava from the Penedès region accompanies most traditional lunches. Crema catalana, a custard base topped with a layer of burnt sugar, ends the meal. These flavors define the culinary identity of the province.
Catalonia: the whole region
Barcelona is the anchor and most trips never leave it, which is a mistake but not a fatal one: Girona, Tarragona and the Costa Brava's coves are all within two hours by train or a short drive, and the Empordà behind them holds the best…
Minimum 4 days · better 7-8 days · deep 2 weeks
In Catalonia
In Catalonia
In Catalonia
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Experiences worth booking ahead
- Barcelona Arrival Private Transfer Airport To Barcelona City4.7 (157)30 minFrom €25
- Barcelona Airport to Barcelona Hotels Private Taxi Transfers4.7 (124)30 minFrom €25
- Private Transfer from Barcelona Airport to Barcelona City4.6 (155)30 minFrom €24
- Private Transfer from Barcelona hotels to Barcelona Cruise Port4.5 (79)30 minFrom €30
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