Background
Seven properties built by the architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) in or near Barcelona testify, in UNESCO's words, to his exceptional creative contribution to the development of architecture and building technology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The seven are Park Güell, Palau Güell, Casa Milà, Casa Vicens, the Nativity façade and crypt of the Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló and the crypt at Colònia Güell.
The least-visited of the seven, the church at Colònia Güell, shows how Gaudí worked: commissioned by Count Eusebi Güell in 1898 and begun in 1908, he designed it with a hanging model of ropes and lead-filled sacks, photographed and flipped to give the curves of the vaults. Work stopped in 1914 on Güell's death with only the lower nave built. Wikivoyage says all seven can be seen from the outside for free, and that the Ruta del Modernisme guidebook takes in the best of the city's Art Nouveau.
- 1852Antoni Gaudí is born
- 1898Count Güell commissions the Colònia Güell church
- 1908–1914The crypt at Colònia Güell is built, then halted
- 1926Gaudí dies
- 1984Inscribed as World Heritage
Find Your Way Around
The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them
- 1Sagrada FamíliaGaudí's Nativity façade and crypt; the GoGo guide goes inside at 09:00.
- 2Casa Batlló and La PedreraTwo Gaudí houses on the same avenue, Passeig de Gràcia; La Pedrera is Casa Milà.
- 3Park GüellThe mosaic terrace above the city, in Gràcia.
- 4Palau GüellThe Güell family's town palace in the Ciutat Vella.
- 5Casa VicensAn early house in Gràcia.
- 6Crypt at Colònia GüellThe unfinished church in the company town at Santa Coloma de Cervelló, outside the city.
Know Before You Go
From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides
A Gaudí Day
From the GoGo Barcelona guide · Open the Barcelona Guide ›
- 09:00Inside the Sagrada Família90 minGaudí's basilica.
- 11:00Sant Pau's Art Nouveau Pavilions1 hrDomènech i Montaner's hospital up the avenue.
- 14:00Casa Batlló75 minThe dragon-backed house.
- 15:30Rooftop of La Pedrera75 minCasa Milà's chimneys.
- 17:30Mosaic Terrace of Park Güell90 minThe terrace above the city.
- 20:30Tapas Crawl in El Born2 hrsDinner starts late.
Best Time to Visit
Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct.
Typical highs
Climate: NASA POWER
Pair It With
Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance
