Want to take a look inside Casa Batlló?
On my last trip to Barcelona, I got to go inside Casa Batlló, one of the most impressive and famous architectural gems created by Antoni Gaudí.
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What is Casa Batlló?
Casa Batlló is a restored historic house on one of Barcelona’s main avenues, Passeig de Gràcia.
The building was originally purchased by a businessman by the name of Batlló.
He entrusted Architect and designer Antoni Gaudí with the task of renovating the entire building and, most importantly, gave him artistic freedom.
Between 1904 and 1906 Gaudí completely transformed the building into a clever, modernist creation with an incredible façade and magnificent interiors.
Why visit Casa Batlló?
What makes Casa Batlló so special is the abundance of detail, elegance, storytelling, sophistication, and creativity.
Seeing the building from the outside is pleasing in itself, but going inside was a truly rewarding experience for me.
This wasn’t a typical visit to a historic house. A lot of effort has been put into creating a magical, immersive experience at Casa Batlló.
This building and other works by Gaudí made the UNESCO World Heritage list. Among other superlatives, they were described as representing “an exceptional and outstanding creative contribution to the development of architecture”.
Which Casa Batlló tickets to choose
Casa Batlló offers three types of tickets: Gold, Silver, or Blue.
My personal recommendation is to get the Gold or Silver ticket.
The ticket prices are meant to help cover the restoration and preservation of this historic building.
Here are some more details to help you choose:
The Gold ticket grants you access to all parts of the house, plus skip-the-line entry.
- See everything: I bought a Gold ticket because it includes everything this experience has to offer and I didn’t want to miss out on anything. The main advantage of the Gold ticket over the silver ticket is the access to the private residence of the Batllós (it’s splendid! More about that in the tour description below).
- Skip the line: There’s a separate entry for Gold ticket holders, so I didn’t have to wait in line at all.
- Get a multimedia guide: You also get a multimedia guide with augmented reality, which is essential to really enjoy this experience.
The Silver ticket is similar to the Gold ticket but doesn’t include entry to the private residence, nor skip-the-line entry.
- See everything except the private residence.
- Wait in line: There were lines outside Casa Batlló just about any time I passed by, during the day or in the evening. This is one of the most popular attractions in Barcelona.
- Get a multimedia guide.
- Save a bit of money: When I made the booking, I noticed that the difference in price between Silver and Gold was negligible (about €2 at the time). I decided to buy a Gold ticket and save time waiting in line, as well as see the gorgeous private residence.
The Blue ticket: With the blue ticket you’ll only get to see some parts of the house.
- Limited access.
- Wait in line.
- Audio guide, instead of the multimedia guide. I think the experience is definitely a lot less enjoyable without the multimedia content.
Tips for booking Casa Batlló tickets
- Whichever ticket you select, Gold, Silver, or Blue, it’s cheaper to book online than to buy at the ticket office. There are signs at the ticket office itself encouraging you to book online.
- When you book you choose a starting time for your tour. Once inside Casa Batlló, you can stay as long as you like.
- It’s also a good idea to book in advance, at least a couple of days ahead. This way you’re more likely to find a time slot that suits you.
Is Casa Batlló worth it?
I bought a Gold ticket to Casa Batlló and felt it was worth it. The Silver ticket is quite similar, so it would be worth it as well.
However, I’m not sure the Blue ticket would be worth it, because it doesn’t include the multimedia guide, nor access to several parts of the house.
Visiting Casa Batlló is worth it especially for avid Gaudí fans, for architecture and design lovers, and for history buffs.
I’m fascinated by architecture and design, so it was a gratifying cultural and aesthetic experience for me.
This wasn’t a sponsored visit, I paid for my ticket myself.
Generally, I prefer to spend my money on experiences rather than things.
Casa Batlló alternatives
For those who still hesitate to spend too much money on one attraction, here are some alternatives:
- Take a Gaudí e-bike tour instead. For a similar price to that of the Casa Batlló ticket, you can see many other Gaudí creations (from the outside) with a professional guide. Going by bike saves time, which means you can cover more places.
- Take a free architecture tour. It’s a walking tour that covers the main architectural highlights. I took this tour on my last visit to Barcelona. We didn’t get to see any of the houses from the inside, but the guide told us a lot of interesting stories about the exteriors. On a free tour, you tip the guide at the end of the tour as much as you think it was worth, so this is a great option if you travel on a budget.
Inside Casa Batlló
Visiting Casa Batlló with a multimedia guide
The Casa Batlló tour is self-guided. with a Gold or Silver ticket You’ll get a tablet with a multimedia guide. It has audio explanations, videos, music, and augmented reality.
Blue ticket holders get an audio guide.
The guide is available in 15 languages. The audio descriptions put what you see in context.
The AR content was great. For the unfurnished rooms, the AR can really make you imagine what the house might have looked like.
It adds details and items to each room, such as furniture and carpets.
At some points around the house, the tablet will surprise you with some surreal animations. I especially liked the fireplace that turned into a giant mushroom.
Navigating on this self-guided tour is very simple. Each room has a number and a symbol, so you can find it easily on the screen. Just follow the arrows and room numbers.
What can you expect to see inside Casa Batlló?
Here’s a general description of the highlights of my tour, which hopefully will give you a taste of what you’ll see when you visit.
As you go inside Casa Batlló, you walk through the Gaudí Dôme, an immersive experience themed around Gaudí’s childhood and his sources of inspiration.
It’s a beautifully designed experience in a dark room with lights and music that really makes for a dramatic entry to Casa Batlló.
From there, follow the visit signs up the stairs to the entrance hall, where you can see the restored concierge room with an enchanting retro feel.
The guide is very helpful in giving background information about the house, how it was conceived, and how Gaudí decided to renovate the entire building, turning it into one of the most unique buildings in the world.
Next, I climbed up a peculiar staircase. Tip: check the tablet and point it at different parts of each room to see some surprising AR animations.
As I went up more decorative elements were revealed. I liked the skylight resembling turtle shells and the curvy lines all around. It was a joy to see Gaudí’s artistic freedom everywhere I looked.
The first floor of Casa Batlló
The space at the top of the stairs is the first-floor entrance hall, where guests would be greeted.
From there you enter the study, a stylish room with a huge chimney looking like a mushroom and an amazing chandelier. I liked the stained glass above the doors.
These rooms are unfurnished, but use the tablet for extra visuals. In the study, there’s also a screen on the wall showing what it might have looked like in the old days.
You’ll soon arrive at what has been dubbed the Sistine Chapel of Modernism.
It’s the main hall or the living room, and it’s probably where you’ll spend the most time on this tour.
This impressive room looks a bit empty until you view it on the tablet screen and see what it looks like with carpets and furniture.
The guide also provides plenty of information about the room and explains how cleverly it was designed.
The massive window overlooks the street that always seems to be full of people taking photos of the façade.
One of my favourite things about this room, apart from the amazing window, was the ceiling with its spiral effect.
The doors and windows with their fluid wavy lines and stained glass merge beautifully with the ceiling.
The second floor of Casa Batlló
After seeing the first floor I followed the signs that led me to another staircase.
Going upstairs inside Casa Batlló, you get a fantastic view of the lightwell, beautifully decorated with blue tiles.
The waterfall animation screened on the walls creates a magical effect.
This lightwell is beautiful but also functional of course: it distributes air and light coming in through the main skylight, filling the house with natural light.
You can also see the original wooden lift installed by Gaudí.
If you have a Gold ticket, you can visit the private residence of the Batllós.
These rooms are furnished, and include Art Nouveau decorations and many period items such as an old phone, a typewriter, a gramophone, and even a telescope.
Beautiful lighting that keeps changing creates an otherworldly atmosphere.
I’m glad I got to see this part of the house; it was a gorgeous, colourful, vintage experience.
The Casa Batlló rooftop
As you keep climbing up the stairs, you can see the lightwell from different angles.
Soon you reach the attic and from there keep climbing up to the rooftop.
The rooftop is a unique attraction in itself. This is where you can appreciate Gaudí’s trencadís mosaic chimneys and enjoy the views of Barcelona.
It’s also the place where you can see the spine of the ceramic dragon. More about the dragon below when we talk about the façade.
Tip: If you visit the roof terrace after dark, check the tablet to see what it looks like in daylight.
The ending of the Casa Batlló tour
As you go down the stairs from the roof, you’ll be able to read more about the history of the family and see old photos.
Right at the end of the visit, after you return the multimedia guide, you’ll be invited to join a contemporary, immersive, 360º experience called the Gaudí Cube.
Designed by new media artist Refik Anadol, it’s a short, fun experience where you’re surrounded by images and sound.
Exit through the beautiful gift shop. You can spend quite a bit of time in. It felt like a mini gallery.
The Casa Batlló façade
Any time you pass by Casa Batlló, you’re going to see crowds of people standing outside, taking pictures of its façade.
It’s probably one of the most unique and unusual buildings ever designed.
I found the façade quite overwhelming at first, with so many elements, colours, textures, and materials.
The overall impact of the façade is quite stunning, but it wasn’t designed just to impress.
When you dive into the symbolic meaning of each element, you discover an interesting story.
Some things to notice in the façade:
- The stone columns look like bones;
- The ceramics on the roof look like a spine;
- The roof has a tower with a cross.
What does it all mean?
The legend of St. George, the patron saint of Catalonia, inspired the design of Casa Batlló.
According to the legend, St. George slayed a deadly dragon with his sword.
The peculiar-looking elements in the façade start to make sense if you follow that legend as a guide for interpretation.
The cross on the roof is the sword and the ceramic spine belongs to the dragon.
The bones are those of the dragon’s victims. Casa Batlló is also called the “House of Bones” or the “House of the Dragon”.
A completely different interpretation suggests that the façade was inspired by marine life. With many wavy lines all over the façade, scales at the top, and a colour scheme that resembles Monet’s Water Lilies, this is a plausible idea.
Gaudí never left any records explaining what the façade represented to him, so we’re free to adopt whatever interpretation we like.
How long does it take to see Casa Batlló?
I spent about 2 hours in total with the Gold ticket that grants access to all parts of the building.
I really took my time to appreciate the details and took a lot of photos.
The multimedia guide also provides plenty of info to delve into and engage you during the visit.
If you get a Blue ticket your tour will be a bit shorter.
Attractions near Casa Batlló
Casa Batlló is close to other well-known architectural gems:
- The Sagrada Familia – Another well-known Gaudí masterpiece.
- The Casa Milà – A house by Gaudí worth visiting.
- Casa Amatller – A historic house next to Casa Batlló.
Can you visit both Casa Amatller and Casa Batlló on the same day?
Casa Amatller is a gorgeous historic house right next to Casa Batlló. It’s well worth visiting.
I’ve been to both houses, but not on the same day.
The visit to Casa Amatller is shorter. It took me about 40 minutes. You’ll probably want to allow more time for the chocolate shop and the cafe.
The visit to Casa Batllo took me about 2 hours, but it can be a bit shorter.
If you’re short on time in Barcelona, by all means, visit both on the same day.
However, if you have more time in Barcelona and are not in a rush, then I recommend you see them on two separate days.
I think each house is such an impressive experience in itself. You’d want to give your brain some time to process all the details and all the beauty.
Other gorgeous historic houses to visit
- Eltham Palace
- Paris opera house
- Brighton Royal Pavilion
- Budapest opera house
- The Palace of Catalan Music
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