What’s it like to visit Casa Amatller in Barcelona?
Casa Amatller, the former home of a famous family of artisan chocolatiers, is one of Barcelona’s best architectural gems.
It’s a historic house turned into a museum that’s now open to the public, so you can visit it to see the uniquely elegant residence of the Amatller family.
The building is hard to miss, as it’s located on a central avenue, Passeig de Gràcia, right next door to one of the most popular attractions in the city, Casa Batlló.
These two exceptional buildings are different examples of the Catalan Modernist architectural style. It’s lovely to see them right next to each other. You can visit both of them to see the interior.
The house is from the beginning of the 20th century, but the Amatller family has a long history in the chocolate industry, dating back to 1797.
At the end of your visit to the house, you’ll get to taste some of the Amatller chocolate.
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Is Casa Amatller worth visiting?
Yes, Casa Amatller is worth visiting, especially for anyone who loves great vintage design, decorative arts, extraordinary architecture, and historic heritage.
It’s an activity you can easily include in your Barcelona itinerary because the house is in a very central location and the tour of the house last about 40 minutes.
Read my description of the house tour below to get an idea of what to expect of the tour of the house.
I really enjoyed my visit. For lovers of design and architecture, this is a must-see in Barcelona.
Casa Amatller tickets
You can visit Casa Amatller with an admission ticket that includes a tour.
I got my ticket online in advance here.
The house isn’t large, so the number of visitors is limited to 20 at a time.
Pick a date for your visit and book it here:
What you’ll see on the Casa Amatller tour
When I arrived I showed my e-ticket at the entrance and was asked to wait a couple of minutes for the guide.
The guide gave me an audio guide and explained how the tour in English worked: she was going to guide me around the house, while I would listen to the information and descriptions on the audio guide.
She opened all the doors, pointed out interesting details to pay attention to, and was available in case I had questions.
As you walk around the house, the audio guide tells you about the history of the family, the story of each room, and unique design features to spot.
I followed the guide up the stairs and was already impressed by the colourful stained glass of the skylight.
Generally don’t forget to look up, there are decorative details everywhere.
You’re allowed to take pictures during the tour. Some parts of the house are a bit dark, but you can still get decent pictures without using flash.
At the top of the stairs, we entered the house. The first thing we saw was a lovely mosaic welcoming us into a small entrance hall.
The Casa Amatller tour has two parts. First, we saw what used to be the public parts of the house, where the family would entertain guests. Then we saw the private rooms. All parts of the house are beautifully decorated.
Casa Amatller tour: public rooms
We started at the guest room, where we saw a short film about the house.
Next, the guide opened the door to the dining room, which had wonderful natural light coming in through the window.
It’s an impressive room with many interesting details to notice in its decor – the window, the ceiling, the dining table – all covered by the audio guide.
Right next to the dining room is the music room with its unique ceiling, sculptures, and period furniture.
Casa Amatller tour: private rooms
The guide walked me through to the private side of the house, passing by the most lavish wash basin in the corridor.
The private rooms where the family lived also feature wonderful decorations. The family had good taste, the ornamentations weren’t just for show.
Antoni Amatller and his daughter Teresa lived in these private rooms.
We started in the sewing room, leading to Teresa’s bedroom. The bedroom is impressive and very elegant, with a window overlooking the street.
Her dressing room has a completely different style to the rest of the house. It’s an Art Deco room designed at a later stage in her life.
The living room at Casa Amatller holds some surprises.
It wasn’t at all what I’d expected. Antoni Amatller was a keen collector of decorative arts, glass, and photography. He used the living room to display his collections.
The next room on the tour was Antoni’s bedroom. It seemed to me at first like the least exuberant room out of the main rooms in the house. It has a slightly more reserved feel.
Still, the wallpaper and the sculptures above the door fit the elegant aesthetic of the rest of the house.
The things that made this room more interesting were the personal items in the room, the suitcase on the bed, and old photographic film.
Near the end of the tour, we saw Antoni Amatller’s study, from which he used to run his business. It’s right in the centre of the house, so he could see who was coming and going.
The colourful stained glass in this part of the house is just marvellous.
The chocolate shop and cafe
At the end of the tour, we went downstairs to what used to be the kitchen.
These days, unsurprisingly, it’s a chocolate shop. You can taste some of the chocolate and I ended up buying some boxes as gifts.
Next to the shop, there’s a lovely cafe with outdoor seating, which is famous for its hot chocolate. That was a great way to conclude this experience.
The Casa Amatller façade
When you look at Casa Amatller from the avenue, the facade is pretty striking. It’s unlike any other building I’ve seen in Barcelona (and there are so many amazing buildings in Barcelona!).
Architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch was one of the three great architects of Catalan Modernism.
That’s the style you’ll see in many parts of the city and the region, which was the local version of Art Nouveau.
In Casa Amatller, he combined different architectural styles that make this building distinctive: Romanesque and Catalan Gothic with some hints of medieval architecture.
There are many elements to spot in this facade and you just might find yourself staring at it for a while, alongside many other people.
I liked the organic motifs, the sculptures, and the elegant colours.
There are also some symbolic elements that are interesting to learn about. The almond tree branches are a nod to the surname Ametller, Catalan for almond.
The top of the facade with its unique shape is apparently symbolic too; it should remind you of a chocolate bar. I must admit I didn’t notice it at first 😉
See more great architecture in Barcelona
I’ve reveiwed more beautiful historic buildings in Barcelona:
- Gaudi’s masterpiece right next to Casa Amatller
- The most amazing concert hall in Barcelona
- An old hospital and architectural gem
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