If you’re visiting Barcelona, you’ve likely been researching which Gaudí House – Casa Batlló, Casa Mila, or Casa Vicens – you need to tour. If we haven’t met, I’m Gina, and I’m an aesthetic traveler who has made herself at home in all 3 of Gaudí’s most famous houses. In this blog post, I’ll give you a snapshot of what to expect when seeing Casa Batlló, Casa Mila, and Casa Vicens – with pictures, of course – so you can decide which house you’d like to tour for yourself.
Let’s be honest – Barcelona has so much to do…and while touring all 3 Gaudí houses would be nice, I’m going to assume you need to pick THE ONE that you can fit into your Barcelona itinerary. The good news is, Casa Batlló, Casa Mila, and Casa Vicens are all fascinating in their own right. Be sure to tag me in your social media posts so I can see which one(s) you visit!
I toured Casa Batlló during my first visit to Barcelona, then later toured Casa Mila and Casa Vicens when I came back to live in in Spain for a summer. All 3 houses are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Each house made me appreciate Antoni Gaudí’s architectural genius in a different way, and I’m so excited to give you an inside look at some of his coolest designs. As always, if you have questions when you’re finished reading, use the Contact Me form at the bottom or message me on Instagram.
Want the best of everything? Book a tour of all 3 Gaudí houses here
BaRcelona’s Most Famous Architect
Who Was Antoni Gaudí?
Antoni Gaudí was the visionary Catalan architect whose imaginative style reshaped Barcelona’s skyline. Born in 1852, he blended nature, geometry, craftsmanship, and bold color into designs that felt years ahead of their time. His work is instantly recognizable: organic curves, mosaic-covered surfaces, and structures that seem to grow rather than be built. While he’s best known for the Sagrada Família (pictured), Gaudí also created striking residential homes, parks, and civic spaces that define the city’s Modernist movement. His legacy lives on in the way he fused art, architecture, and engineering into one-of-a-kind masterpieces.
Casa Batlló
Casa Batlló is Antoni Gaudí’s most famous house, and the one the majority of people come to Barcelona to tour. It is located around the center of Passieg de Gracia. As someone who loves artsy creativity, I will never forget seeing this house for the first time. I took every opportunity I could to walk past it and stare at its unique design. Speaking of which, there is always a crowd in front of Casa Batlló. Clearly, I’m not the only one who was fascinated!
Gaudí’s love of nature and symbolism is very obvious all throughout the house, from the outside to the intricate details of the interior. The outside looks like a kaleidoscope, fish skeleton, and an undersea castle all rolled into one. The roof is arched like the back of a dragon. If you don’t do a guided tour, I highly recommend listening to the audio guide to learn about all the ways Gaudí’s artistic genius is represented throughout Casa Batlló.
On the official website, there are different levels of tickets – Blue, Silver, Gold, and Platinum – and the one you purchase dictates how in-depth your tour goes. Blue will be your basic ticket, and the rooftop is only accessible with silver, gold, and platinum tickets. Additionally, the Gaudí Dome, Original Concierge Room, and Private Residence of the Batlló’s are only available with the gold and platinum options.
Book the self-guided audio tour of Casa Batlló here – note: this is the most basic tour
Prefer a guided tour? Book this Casa Batlló Early Access Guided Tour
Casa Batlló also has a Magic Nights option, where you can purchase a ticket to see a concert on the rooftop once it gets dark, complete with a complementary glass of cava. I did this my first time in Barcelona and loved it. The concerts and performers rotate, so you could go multiple nights and see different bands each time. Magic Nights take place from March through November, and tickets should be bought in advance.
- Pro Tip: In the wintertime, they have Casa Batlló – A Winter Night, complete with an audio guide and bright colors throughout the inside of the house
Casa Mila (La Pedrera)
Casa Mila is also located on Passeig de Gracia, about a 5-10 minute walk from Casa Batlló on the opposite side of the street. In contrast to Casa Batlló’s colorful façade, Casa Mila is an ivory-colored limestone building with wavy curves and wrought-iron balconies. It’s also much larger than Casa Batlló. In fact, if you didn’t know any better, you might mistake it for a (slightly odd) hotel with the way the windows are spaced from the outside!
Casa Mila was originally built as a family residence for Pere Milà and Roser Segimon, one of Barcelona’s wealthiest couples in the early 1900s. Much of the tour is centered around replicas of what the house looked like during that time. The recreated early 20th-century apartment is one of the highlights, meticulously arranged with period furnishings, decor, and everyday objects that bring the era to life.
Once you get to the attic, you’ll find that it’s set up as a museum of how Gaudí created his work. We know Gaudí was inspired by nature, and you’ll find a lot of nature replicas up here – complete with fossils and animal skeletons – along with structural systems of his most famous designs.
The rooftop of Casa Mila is slightly less impressive than Casa Batlló’s IMO. Maybe I’m biased because I got to see Casa Batlló’s rooftop during the Magic Nights show, but Casa Mila’s just didn’t hit for me. However, they DO light the rooftop up at night as part of the La Pedrera Night Experience, and I’d be willing to bet it’s equally as stunning once it gets dark (I only saw it during the day).
Lastly, Casa Mila is also the only one of the houses that has a full-blown cafe inside, which is perfect to grab a bite before or after your tour!
Book the Casa Mila tour (with audio guide!) here
Prefer a guided tour? Book the early-access Casa Mila guided tour here
- Fun Fact: Casa Mila is also called La Pedrera (translation: The Stone Quarry). Locals gave it this nickname due to its wavy, rugged façade that looks like an uneven quarry or cliff.
Casa Vicens
Casa Vicens was Gaudí’s very first house he built, and was completed in the 1880s. It’s a bit out of the way from the other 2; about a 20 minute walk from Casa Mila. I loved the outside of this house more than Casa Mila but slightly less than Casa Batlló. Something about it just felt…homey…especially around the back right before you enter the house. It has a vibrant, red exterior that blends Moorish, Mediterranean, and nature-inspired elements into one artsy façade. You’ll find bold tiles, intricate ironwork, and a garden that feels like a secret oasis.
My favorite part of this house was the porch right as you come in: it reminds me of something you’d see in Japan. I could envision myself sitting on it and having coffee every morning…well, I mean, if there weren’t hundreds of tourists around! Inside, the rooms are a colorful mixture of pattern, texture, and light. I LOVED walking around in here. It’s far more intimate than Gaudí’s later works, but every bit as imaginative. Similar to Casa Mila, much of the house is a museum of Gaudí’s inspiration and genius once you get to the upstairs level.
I have to admit, I was the least impressed with the rooftop at Casa Vicens – the views just aren’t as sweeping as what you’ll find on Passieg de Gracia. I suppose you can’t have everything…/shrug
Book your entrance ticket to Casa Vicens here, or, book the early-access visit to Casa Vicens here
Prefer a guided tour? Book the guided tour to Casa Vicens here
So…Which Gaudí House Should You Tour? My Recap:
Now that I’ve given you a virtual tour of all 3 houses, do you have a favorite yet? Personally, I liked Casa Batlló the most. You feel the creative, artsy energy from the time you walk in until the time you leave. If you decide to tour this one, I would go with one of the options that allows you to see the rooftop (so, either Silver, Gold, or Platinum). I also really enjoyed seeing the Magic Nights concert, and would definitely recommend that if you have enough time.
As for Casa Mila and Casa Vicens, my biggest complaint about these 2 houses was that I expected more artsy rooms and less museum-like rooms. When I was walking through, I just didn’t feel like there was as much color and art to see as I’d anticipated. I loved the outside of Casa Vicens, along with the porch and the first floor rooms. I thought the designs were absolutely beautiful. But the first floor only consisted of a few rooms, and once you got past this part of the house, the rest wasn’t overly impressive IMO.
In contrast, Casa Mila had more rooms to wander through, but they weren’t nearly as colorful or creatively designed in the way you expect Gaudí’s work to be. It was cool to see the replica of what the house looked like back in the day, but I think I just envisioned something different. As I mentioned before, the upstairs/attic in each house showed a glimpse into the framework of Gaudí’s architectural genius. I think this was probably best portrayed in Casa Mila.
So…my verdict: Casa Batlló for the win!
Exploring Gaudí’s Other Works Throughout Barcelona
As captivating as Gaudí’s houses may be, my personal favorite things he created haven’t even been mentioned in this post…until now.
La Sagrada Familia
Gaudí made his mark all over Barcelona, but the one thing you HAVE to see is La Sagrada Familia. This church, located in the Eixample district, is one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever seen in my life. I have been to Barcelona multiple times, and each time I make it a point to buy a ticket to see it again. It just never gets old. I will never forget visiting this church for the first time – observing how the outside was different than any church I’d ever seen, and then walking inside and seeing the bright colors of the stained glass windows come to life.
Park Güell
My other favorite thing that Gaudí created is Park Güell – a hillside park where architecture, nature, and vivid color all blend together. You could say this is one of Gaudí’s most playful creations. Originally imagined as a garden community, it’s now a whimsical public space filled with gingerbread-like gatehouses, a mosaic lizard sculpture, the serpentine bench, and pathways that twist through lush greenery. You could spend hoursssss here just wandering through everything. Bring comfortable walking shoes and your charged camera – there are plenty of creative photo ops!
Book this Park Güell Skip-The-Line Guided Tour
- Pro Tip – Should you decide on the guided tour above, know that the meeting point is NOT the main entry to the park – make sure you follow the instructions from Get Your Guide
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