You’re not really supposed to play favorites, right? But I must confess – I do have a favorite Gaudí house to visit. I say house, because it’s hard to say that anything tops the Sagrada Familia in terms of a must-see, as the church is just so bizarre that it’s in a category of its own. So let’s just stick to houses.
And one of the house-related questions I get a lot from visitors is which Gaudí house should I visit – Casa Batlló or La Pedrera/Casa Milà? Both are totally unique in terms of style, have similarly-priced entry fees, are on the same street, and host fun events like concerts. However, I think one is much more fun to enter, and that’s La Pedrera…even though Casa Batlló is my favorite from the outside.
Why?
Well, first, people actually still live here. Isn’t that crazy to think about? I still can’t quite believe that a building as unusual as this is somebody’s house. When La Pedrera was turned into a tourist attraction, some families chose to stay in their apartments.
Of course, you can’t go into their apartments and have a nosey round. But you can do the next-best thing, which is see rooms done up like they would have been when their former residents still lived there. It’s fascinating to see how people used the spaces for everyday living.
Lots of La Pedrera’s features are totally practical, by the way. You might not realize it from the whimsical look of the place (I certainly didn’t), but it’s all been carefully planned out so that it’s functional as well as beautiful. Things like the door handles are ergonomically designed to be pleasing to the touch. There are special blinds on the windows so residents can let fresh air in without letting the sun in, too.
Those iconic swirling towers? They disguise the chimneys, staircases, and air vents. That’s also why the rooftop has that wavy form (and all the stairs, security fences, and warnings so visitors don’t slip!).
One of the towers houses another little surprise; it’s covered in dark green tiles. The “tiles” are actually pieces of smashed cava bottles, said to be the empty bottles from the building’s inauguration party.
Speaking of the roof, that’s my #1 reason La Pedrera is better bang for your buck than Casa Batlló. Casa Batlló is really, really spectacular as well, but the rooftop of La Pedrera is just unbeatable. Those weird, twisting towers, the pretty sherbet orange color that changes with the sun, the expansive views of Passeig de Gràcia and downtown Barcelona…yeah, I could have spent hours up there.
Practical information for visiting La Pedrera:
Address: Passeig de Gràcia, 92 (metro stop: Diagonal)
Phone: (+34) 902 202 138
E-mail: web@fcatalunyalapedrera.com
Website: https://www.lapedrera.com/ca/home
Hours: Every day: 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Besos!
-Jess
I liked La Padrera but I LOVED Casa Batllo!!! I think Casa Batllo’s rooftop dragon and the colorful chimneys are way better than the chimneys atop La Padrera.
Casa Batllo definitely wins out as my favorite Gaudi architecture 🙂
The dragon is pretty sweet, and the outside of Casa Batlló is so cool! But I liked the chimneys better on La Pedrera.
Still, that’s part of the fun – some of my visitors like La Pedrera better, some like Casa Batlló better – so it’s nice to hear what different people see in the same building.
I keep meaning to go to La Pedra every time I go to Barcelona, but keep missing it! I didn’t know there was still people living there- that’s awesome.
Yep! I think they told me there were three apartments that people had chosen to stay in. It’s pretty weird to think about your home also being a major tourist attraction.
I actually have yet to visit either, but when I trek over to Barcelona at some point this either, I will definitely give La Pedrera a visit.
Definitely worth a visit! The rooftop is so much fun.
When Caixa Catalunya bought la Pedrera in t’he 1980’s, most famílies Living there were on rent control and paid almost nothing to stay in a huge gorgeous centrally located apartment. I’d also had chosen to stay!
But as the holders of the contracts passed away, their children couldn’t afford to pay market price anymore and then they left.
When I started giving tours years ago, it was still 8 families out of 16 apartments… It’s 3 now? Last time I checked it was 4, but that’s something I need to check regularly to stay updated. So thanks for the tip!
Btw, in Casa Batllo there is also one lady living there: the other day I could still see some clothes hanging to dry in her balcony (rear façade). I’ve heard another family has a contract but doesn’t live there: they come and go. But that’s something I’d like to get confirmed.
Cheers!
I love the story about the roof tiles! I will definitely have to do a Gaudi tour of Barcelona while I’m in Europe.
I love the story about the roof tiles! I will definitely have to do a Gaudi tour of Barcelona while I’m in Europe.
…It’s definitely unorthodox–but, then again, I guess that’s Gaudí for you!!…
This is one of the few things I visited in Barcelona when I visited for a short weekend in 2009, it was right next to my hostel. It’s hard to remember the inside but I remember really loving it, especially the roof. 🙂
Your photos are incredible! Sad we missed this when we were in Barcelona last year… Oh well, another trip is a must!