Among the names of the genius creators of works of art of architecture, the name of Antoni Gaudi will live in the memory of the people of the century, while the buildings created according to his fantastic designs will stand. One can silently look at these architectural masterpieces for a long time before finding words that can express the whole gamut of feelings of admiration, delight, and aesthetic euphoria. The view of the amazing buildings is so unusually beautiful that it is hard to believe that it is possible to design and build such a thing in real life.
Guell Palace
In different parts of Barcelona, immensely beloved by Gaudí, he built miraculous buildings of the neo-Gothic style and immortalized his name. A self-guided tour of seven unique sites created by Gaudí's imagination and skill. The first of them - the Güell Palace is located at the address: st. Nou de la Rambla, 3-5. This is the first of the extraordinary architect's biggest projects, commissioned by the wealthy entrepreneur Guell, who grew up in a poor area of Barcelona. In memory of his parents, he decided to build a palace. Having already heard about the young architect and his original solutions in architecture, Guell turned to Gaudí.
All floors of the palace are connected by a parabolic dome passing through them and a sumptuous neo-Gothic staircase. The interior design is not only beautiful, but very cleverly thought out: the heating system is combined with the ventilation system; maximum illumination is achieved with the help of additional figured windows in the roof dome. Symbols of royal power are everywhere: 120 columns of Gerraf marble (King Pedro), an amazingly beautiful fresco depicting Hercules (Philip IV), wooden ceilings (Ferdinand's era).
The palace looks like a royal from the outside: two magnificent arches serving as an entrance are draped with an intricate pattern of forged lattices, among which one can distinguish the initials of the names of the owner and the architect. In the center of the openwork fence, on a high metal lantern, there is a coat of arms depicting an eagle sitting on a forged helmet and spreading its wings for flight (a symbol of Catalan independence).
House Calvet
If only the beginnings of elements of unusual symbolic architecture were embodied in the Palace of Guell, then in subsequent buildings they manifested themselves more clearly. An example of this is the House of Calvet, located at Carrer de Casp, 48, built by a unique designer at the request of the widow of the Barcelona textile magnate Calvet in 1900. The building combines the features of a business office and a residential building (according to the customer's requirements), but all this is presented in such a way that this house cannot be called otherwise than fabulous. Only the facade of the corner building can be viewed for hours, its details and general picture are so interesting. Each floor is separated by graceful curves with mushroom caps over the windows; entrance columns in the form of textile coils symbolize the family business; a stucco bust of the head of the Calvet dynasty in a niche under the roof is a tribute to him. The architect generously uses natural elements in the decor: an amazing bas-relief above the door of the main facade depicts a cypress - a symbol of hospitality, an olive tree and a cornucopia are present in the decoration.
Real works of art - balconies and balconies with a delicate tracery of graceful metal fences - cannot but arouse admiration. A kind of "stands" in the form of curved trapezoids under the balconies are decorated in a floral version. The convex pattern of the side walls, decorative details of the original pediments complement the effect of the fabulous beauty of this amazing house. It takes more than one hour to examine all of its interiors.
Casa Batlló
If someone decided that there is nothing more to surprise him, then he is mistaken, because the next object of the excursion can strike on the spot (in a good way) seasoned travelers. Casa Batlló, located at 43 avenue Passeiq de Gracia, is a truly fantastic embodiment of the fabulous ideas of the brilliant architect who remodeled the old house of the manufacturer Batlló. The façade full of symbolism impresses with its unusual shape of windows with mirrored blue glasses, meandering interfloor boundaries, and kaleidoscopically variegated walls.
The roof in the form of a scaled dragon, gracefully bent in height against the background of the sky, and a turret in the shape of the cross of St. George, as if piercing a monster, symbolically complement the mythical unreality of architecture. Balconies with ornate white fences on graceful stucco bases resemble mysterious skulls; the dividing columns between the windows are bone-like in their construction. For these analogies, the locals called the unusual building the House of Bones. Gaudi's creative imagination in artistic stone images embodied the bizarre forms of flora and fauna, dearly loved by him since childhood. Casa Batlló is a symbol of a new, hitherto unknown architecture, excluding straightforward structures, laid the foundation for the famous unique style of Gaudí.
Mila's house
This streamlined building is located at the intersection of Passeig de Gràcia and Carré de Provença. It is the full embodiment of curvature in architecture, where there is literally not a single perfectly straight line. As Gaudi himself said, in the appearance of the house, he conveyed the bends of waves, clouds, leaves and flowers. Irregularly shaped window openings, numerous columns of different thicknesses, a continuous winding strip of canopies above the windows embodied the author's intention. Here you can see the most unexpected forms of stone statues - the result of non-standard solutions of the artist, who even clothed the chimneys in an intricate artistic shell. The elevator shafts installed in the house are decorated with delicate sculptures. Gaudí has done a huge design and creative work on the masterpiece, which is taken under the protection of UNESCO as a priceless monument.
Sagrada Familia
Another real masterpiece from the world of fantasy can be seen on Carrer de Provenca - the Temple, which seems to be carved out of solid rock by an unsurpassed skillful carver, and not built from separate stones. So organically fit into the overall ensemble all the extraordinary components of the most important brainchild of Gaudi, to whom he devoted 40 years of his life, but did not manage to fully realize the whole idea. The construction of the unique shrine of the Sagrada Familia has been going on for 130 years.
It is impossible to describe in a few words the architectural style of this treasure, which reflected the talent of Gaudí, who sought to move away from sharp Gothic forms to more rounded, flowing, graceful ones. Despite the enormous size of the cathedral, it seems light and airy. Gaudí sought to create a "bible in stone", over which 17 symbolic towers will rise, personifying 12 apostles, 4 evangelists and Jesus. 3 facades are decorated in accordance with the main lines of the earthly life of Christ. You cannot tell about a stone miracle in one article, it needs to be studied for a long time in order to comprehend all the greatness and beauty of an unearthly structure.
Park Guell
The next address is st. Carrer lt Olot will open another miracle from Gaudí - a park of unique architectural creations, each of which is original and magnificent with its uniqueness of forms. The Hall of 100 Columns amazes the imagination with its monumentality and grandeur, with painted stucco ceiling plafonds. A huge mosaic salamander, spreading out on an improvised pool, a coiled snake, an outlandish bench with a mosaic picturesque back - everything is so extraordinary and fantastically beautiful! All day you can admire the creations of the great master, which are beyond time and space.
House Vicens
It can be safely called the main decoration of the rather gray factory district of Barcelona - Gracia at the address: Carrer de les Carolines, 18-24. Like a bright gem among nondescript brethren, Vicens' house illuminates the surroundings with colorful mosaic wall decoration. Even without knowing who Vicent is, one can guess about its production, because the decorative patterns of the facade are "woven from ceramic tiles." Vincent owned a brick factory and a finishing tile workshop. It was these traditional materials that Gaudí took advantage of and created his first architectural work of art as a graduate, equipping it (the house) with a wonderful garden with a fountain. Until our time, he (the garden) has not survived, but the house continues to delight with its colorful composition. It is allowed to get inside only on May 22, on the day of St. Rita, but it is already a great happiness to see Gaudí's masterpiece outside. All architectural creations of the Spanish genius are included in the list of world heritage and are taken under the protection of UNESCO.
How to save money in Barcelona?
Everyone knows that Barcelona is an expensive city. If there is an opportunity to save money, why not use it? What you need to do to get:
- Skip-the-line tickets to the Sagrada Familia and Park Guell
- Transfer from and to Barcelona airport or one way transfer from Girona airport will allow you to quickly and comfortably reach the city center
- Hop-On Hop-jff bus tickets
- 20% discount on tickets to top museums (including Picasso, Juan Miro, MNSC), attractions (including Casa Mila, Casa Batllo and Camp-Nou), excursions and bike tours, Hola Transport card
All this will be available to you after purchasing the Barcelona City Pass (+ visit to the Sagrada Familia).
Priority access tickets will save you time and avoid long queues. You can also buy the Barcelona City Pass (with a visit to the Sagrada Familia + Audioguide + Tower).
Which hotel to stay in
For those who have not yet chosen a hotel in Barcelona, we recommend the following options:
