As an architect, I had always wanted to visit Barcelona. The 19th and early 20th centuries marked Barcelona's golden age of Modernism, a Catalan Art Nouveau movement that sought to revive and celebrate Catalan culture. Antoni Gaudi, the visionary architect, became synonymous with this movement and his iconic works like La Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, and Casa Batllo transformed the city's landscape with organic forms and vibrant colors.

In November 2009, Peter and I spent a week in Barcelona before visiting his mother in Germany. We stayed in the Eixample area which was adjacent to the Old Town and Montjuic Hill and not far from the waterfront — allowing us to walk everywhere.

From our experience, Barcelona is one of the most walkable cities that we have visited. The city is flat with wide sidewalks and very compact given that it has a population of 1.6 million. Many Barcelona streets feature a wide pedestrian area in the central median and the walking areas are tree-lined, and often have benches, vendors, outdoor seating areas, transit stops, and public art.

Gaudi's Influence is Everywhere

Barcelona is known for Spain’s most influential architect — Antoni Gaudi — whose influence on Catalan modernism was significant. Having spent most of his life in the city, it has the largest concentration of his works in the world.

La Sagrada Familia

La Sagrada Familia, or the Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family, is Gaudi's most important work in Barcelona and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is known for its unique blend of Gothic and Art Nouveau architectural styles and its ongoing construction over the past 140 years. We visited the site on two separate days during our visit since it was conveniently located in the Eixample area where we stayed.

The Sagrada Familia's facades feature elaborate sculptures that depict the birth, passion, and death of Jesus, with the Nativity Facade showcasing scenes of the birth and Passion Facade depicting Christ's suffering and death.

The inside of the Sagrada Familia is spectacular and the columns and ceiling reflect the organic shapes of Gaudi's design. Along with the jewel-tone colors of the stained glass windows, the overall effect is magical.

Climbing to the Top

During our visit, we were able to climb up the internal stairs for a magnificent view over the roof, pinnacles, and city.

Sagrada Familia Museum

We were also enthralled by the Sagrada Familia Museum located in the basement of the Facade of the Passion. The museum showcases Antoni Gaudi's innovative design process, including his use of hanging models, and features original drawings, models, and photographs related to the Sagrada Família and Gaudi's life.

Since Our Visit

A year after our visit, on November 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the Basilica for religious worship and designated it a minor basilica. On 12 November 2023, the Sagrada Familia inaugurated the four towers of the Evangelists with a mass, subsequent blessing, and lighting up for the first time. As part of the central group of towers, the four towers of the Evangelists surround the tower of Jesus Christ. Together with the tower of the Virgin Mary, five of the six central towers have been completed. The central tower of Jesus Christ is scheduled for completion in 2026, coinciding with the centenary of Antoni Gaudi's death, though some decorative elements and a stairway will continue to be worked on until 2034.

Parc Guell

Parc Guell was designed by Antoni Gaudi upon the request of Count Eusebi Guell, who wanted to build a stylish park for the aristocrats of Barcelona. The Count had planned to build a housing development that would take advantage of the views and fresh air; however, only two show houses were completed. Gaudi himself lived in one of them from 1906 to 1925, designed by architect Francesc Berenguer in 1904. The house is now a museum showcasing some of Gaudi's work. The park has an iconic entrance flanked by two Gaudi buildings.

Casa Batllo

Casa Batllo is another UNESCO World Heritage Site and also a Barcelona icon. Josep Batllo granted Antoni Gaudi full creative freedom of a project that initially entailed demolishing the building to construct a new home for the Batllo family. However, Gaudi ruled out demolition of the house and fully renovated it between 1904 and 1906. Gaudi completely changed the facade, redesigned the internal space, and expanded the light well — converting the inside into a true work of art. Casa Batllo is no longer owned by the Batllo family and since the 1990s has been owned by the Bernat family who have fully restored the house. In 1995, the family opened the house to the public, and also offers the use of the building for events.

Old Town

Barcelona's old town is a historic area encompassing the Gothic Quarter, El Raval, and La Ribera. It has narrow streets, picturesque squares, and iconic landmarks — which gave us a glimpse into the city's Roman and medieval past.

Barcelona Cathedral is a prominent landmark in the Gothic Quarter. The cathedral was constructed from the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries, with the principal work done in the fourteenth century. It has a beautiful cloister with 13 white swans.

Other Interesting Buildings

Walking through the streets of Barcelona, we saw many interesting buildings — many by Antoni Gaudi but many more by less known architects. The interiors of the buildings we visited were as unique as the building facades.

Casa Mila, popularly known as La Pedrera in reference to its unconventional rough-hewn appearance, is the last private residence designed by architect Antoni Gaudi. It was built between 1906 and 1912 was commissioned by Pere Mila and Roser Segimon. The main floor of this new building, Casa Mila, was to be their home and they would rent out the other apartments.

Montjuic Hill

On another day we climbed the stairway up Montjuic Hill to visit the Foundation Joan Miro. There are also several sculpture gardens around Montjuic Hill including the Laribal Gardens. A small garden next to the Foundation Joan Miro has a statue by Josep Montserrat from 1909 that represents a typical Catalan mountain man. In the Laribal Garden we saw a beautiful statue by Josep Viladomat from 1925.

The Foundation Joan Miro

We spent most of the day at the Foundation Joan Miro located in a building designed by the Josep Lluis Sert which is integrated into the landscape of Montjuic Hill. This modern art museum honors the life and work of the Spanish artist Joan Miro and was created by Miro himself, starting with works from his own private collection.

The museum is now home to 14,000 pieces of art by the Catalan artist who also collaborated with the architect on the building. It opened to the public in 1975 and provides and overview of the artist’s art and life and also displays the work of other artists from the 20th and 21st centuries.

Barcelona Waterfront

After years of Barcelona's access to the sea being obstructed by warehouses and railway tracks, the waterfront was rebuilt prior to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics as part of a major urban renewal program. Aside from sand being imported to create several beaches, there are hotels and restaurants and a busy marina. The Barcelona Aquarium which opened in 1995 is a particularly striking building with the roof shaped like a fish.

The Contrast of Old and New

The Columbus Monument, located at the lower end of La Rambla, was constructed in 1888 for the Exposicion Universal de Barcelona in honor of Columbus' first voyage to the Americas. This is a real contrast to the Montjuic Communications Tower completed in 1992 for Telefonica to transmit television coverage of the Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona. Designed by Santiago Calatrava, it represents an athlete holding the Olympic Flame. Because of the tower's orientation, it also works as a giant sundial using the Europa Square to indicate the hour.