Visit Casa Batlló, a jewel of modernist architecture from the beginning of the 20th century: everything you need to know about the building designed by Gaudi, on the visit and its history!
Built between 1904 and 1906, Casa Batlló is one of the wonders designed by the famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926), a spearhead of Catalan modernism. Located on Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona , visitors have not finished pushing to admire the façade and enter into this unmissable visit of the Catalan capital. Inscribed to UNESCO’s World Heritage, Casa Batlló attracts more than 600,000 visitors every year.
Here is our guide to visit Casa Batlló in Barcelona:
The context in which Casa Batlló was built
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Catalan economy suffered a recession due to the loss of the colonies of the Spanish kingdom. Indeed, Spain lost Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines after losing the Spanish-American war of 1898.
Photo credit: Flickr – Kah-Wai Lin
The chemical, metallurgical, electric and automotive industries are growing and a very high bourgeoisie is growing rapidly during this new industrial revolution.
In 1900, Josep Batlló i Casanovas , a rich textile entrepreneur – married to the daughter of the Count of Godó, another powerful family of Barcelona – acquires the building on Passeig de Gràcia, one of the largest boulevards in Barcelona. In 1904, both spouses filed a building permit to renovate the building. Josep Batlló calls on Antoni Gaudí to transform the facade of the building.
Spaces, lighting, combles, terrace, everything was remodeled and the old building became unknowable. Antoni Gaudí added eleven metres of structure that gave the undulating façade and the kaleidoscopic mosaics the sinuous forms we know today.
Photo credit: Flickr – Riccardo Meneghini
For the small anecdote, Casa Batlló was built in illegality since the municipal authorities only issued the building permit in 1913!
Description of the building and visit of Casa Batlló
Antoni Gaudí used stone, wrought iron, glass trencadis and polychrome ceramic, as in the case of Park Güell . It would have been inspired by the marine world, hence the supremacy of the blue hues symbolizing a calm sea lined with a Mediterranean Azur.
Visiting Casa Batlló is exploring an architectural treasure in which the visitor will have access to all the corners of the building:
- The noble floor, originally dedicated to the home of the Batlló family,
- Combles,
- The terraces,
- The chimneys characteristic of Gaudí style,
- The majestic inner courtyard,
- The entrance hall and main staircase.
A visit which undoubtedly magnifies the visual, architectural art and the typical extravagance of Gaudí’s creations.
Photo credit: Flickr – Andrew Booth
How to visit Casa Batlló? Prices
La Casa Batlló is therefore located at 43, Passeig de Gràcia . The visit to Casa Batlló lasts about an hour and is possible from 9am to 9pm during the 365 days of the year. Closure starts around 8:00. At the opening, this is where there are the least tourists, to favor so.
All year round, reception services provide the public with a SmartGuide , that is, an audio and video digital box to visit the house at its pace. To visit Casa Batlló, you should book your ticket in advance, as the queue can be long. To do this, you can book a cut-file ticket online for not having to queue. On the official website Casa Batlló, you can find this ticket at 28,50€, but it is sold at 23,50€ (via button below).
Photo credit: Flickr – Pablo Cabezos
Several tariff formulas are available to the visitor:
- Free for children under 7 years of age, accompanied by blind people, teachers accompanying a group (1 for 20 people) and tourist guides accompanying groups,
- A single ticket: 23,50 €,
- A skip-line ticket (Fast Pass) to avoid queues at the entrance: €28.50,
- A "Open Date" ticket to visit when you wish: €30.50,
- A “Be the first” ticket (10 people maximum) to visit before the official opening of the doors at 8:30 am only: 36 €,
- A ticket "Theatrical visit" to visit with family, only Sunday at 11am: 36 €,
- Opening in the autumn of 2017, a ticket « Sort by at sunset » to visit the building with a cava cut on the fireplaces at sunset: from 6pm to 8pm, for major people.
If you are planning your stay in Barcelona, don’t hesitate: Casa Batlló is as beautiful inside as it is outside!
Main photo credit: Flickr – Moyan Brenn
Loading comments ...