Barcelona: Gaudí

If you visit Barcelona, you're going to hear the name Gaudí a lot - he's their favourite person, though he was actually from Reus - and his stamp is all over the city. From buildings to lampposts - the lampposts in Plaça Reial were his first commission as a graduate in 1878 - you won't walk too far before you spot a piece of work designed or influenced by him.

The interiors of his masterpieces are just as stunning as the outside I've read. With so much to fit in we only got chance to admire the exteriors, but we'll definitely be back to Barcelona to explore further one day! I'd recommend booking your tickets online if you want to see inside any of Gaudí's buildings as you could quite easily be waiting a few hours to get in.

Above is Casa Batlló, which Gaudí redesigned in 1904. Locally it's know as the "House of Bones" but I think it deserves a much nicer nickname than that as it's absolutely stunning to look at. I love the mermaid scale look of the roof and the use of colourful ceramics. You'll spot at the top there's also a four-armed cross, which is quite often featured by Gaudí in his designs.

La Pedrera (Casa Milà) is another of Gaudí's designs and is on the same road as Casa Batlló. Sadly it was covered in scaffolding whilst we were in Barcelona, which was quite apt as Gaudí's most famous work is still very much a work-in-progress, with scaffolding and cranes galore!

This, of course, is la Sagrada Família - construction started on it in 1882, and it's hoped that it will be finished sometime within the next fifteen years. Gaudí himself said on the completion date: "My client is in no hurry." I wish we could have spent more time there, and got to see the inside too, but it was far too hot to queue for two hours in the blazing sunshine, and other bits of Barcelona were calling us! (We were silly and didn't book tickets online.)

     

Palau Güell looks a little more gritty from the outside. It's certainly not as colourful or as splendid as Casa Batlló or la Sagrada Família, but there's a delicate intricacy to it. Again, you can visit inside but it, along with many tourist attractions and restaurants in Barcelona, isn't open on a Monday.

As well as Palau Güell, there's also Park Güell. They were both designed by Gaudí, but don't be fooled by the name in thinking that they are in the same location: Park Güell is about an hour's walk away. If you visit, let me know what you make of it! We'll have to go the next time we visit the city.

Gaudí definitely brings a quirkiness to the city, and I can see why his name is synonymous with Barcelona. What do you think to his designs? x