In your stay in Barcelona, we’re sure you will walk along the Passeig de Gracia at least one time. In the first place, you will notice how wide, clean and busy the street is, not to mention the amount of big brands having their shops in there. At the same time, just looking up, you will admire the most spectacular buildings the city has to offer.
With this in mind, be ready to be amazed by a former art gallery converted into seven gourmet restaurants and bars, the house of a chocolate maker where you can admire the original kitchen while tasting one of the best hot chocolates of the city and of course, Gaudi’s architecture.
The Casa Batlló in Barcelona as well as the Casa Milà are the two lasts building designed by Antoni Gaudi.
The Casa Batlló was built first, from 1902 to 1906 and right afterwards he started the constructions of the Casa Milà.
As a result, the Passeig de Gracia is the fanciest boulevard in Barcelona.
(Look at the picture of the living-room empty! that was a magic moment in one of our guided tours!)
Some details not to miss in Casa Batlló
While passing by the number 43 of the Passeig de Gracia just stop, and look up. The firs thing you will notice is that the facade is not flat. You will see a little curve, or a little wave like in a lake.
If you walk just some steps, you will notice the difference between the first floor and the others. While the first one was built in gray stone looking like a bat with its wings opened, the other floors have balconies looking like Venetian masks and the walls have ceramics creating the effect of a mosaic.
The best hour to admire this front is in the morning, when the sun hits on it.
After admiring the whole facade, let’s take care of the details. First, look at the windows. They are not just flat square windows, they are wavy. Second, look at the lower part of this windows and what do you see ? Some little holes which can be opened or close to have more or less fresh air in the house.
M. Josep Batlló bought a classic (and boring) building and renovated it in order to live in the first floor and to rent the apartments of the other floors.
All about light and air
If you wish to go inside the Casa Batlló in Barcelona, after admiring the layout of the apartment, the back yard and the wavy shapes of the walls, be ready to be amazed by the patio. Plenty of buildings in Barcelona have a patio in the middle called “pati de llums” (meaning bright patio) and this is usually really ugly. In the Casa Battló is just the opposite: it is the best feature. Actually all the apartments have a window and some ventilation holes in this patio, which allow the light and the air to enter the apartment. As a result, this house has a king of very old fashioned air conditioning system and this is one of the reasons why Casa Batlló in Barcelona is classed by the Unesco as a World Heritage.
This is just a sample of what you can expect in your visit to Barcelona. Would you like to explore Casa Batlló with a passionate and expert guide? Just contact us and let’s the magic begin!