Day 19 ·
Gaudí day, from Park Güell to Casa Batlló
Barcelona · Spain · 3 min read
Three Gaudí buildings from north to south: Park Güell at 9:30, Gràcia on foot, La Pedrera at midday, tapas at Cervecería Catalana, Casa Batlló at 15:00 and the evening in El Born.
- 1
Plaça del Sol
A quick breakfast standing up at one of the bars on the square, in Gràcia. We came by taxi from the Gothic Quarter: about €15–18 and 15 to 20 minutes.
- 2
Park Güell
First time slot for the Monumental Zone. It is 1.3 km uphill from the square; if your legs aren't up for it, a taxi costs about €6. Tickets are issued in your name: bring your passport.
Our guide Worth it on the first morning slot. By 10:30 the dragon stairway is already a selfie line. Read the full guide - 3
Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
A walk down through Gràcia, which was an independent town until 1897: the square with the clock tower and Carrer de Verdi, with cinemas and bookstores.
Our guide Worth it as a walk down after Park Güell: neighborhood squares, small streets and fewer tourists than downtown. Don't expect an undiscovered neighborhood; plenty of people do the same thing. Read the full guide - 4
Casa Milà (La Pedrera)
Metro L3 from Fontana to Diagonal and 700 meters along the Passeig de Gràcia. The visitor entrance is on Carrer de Provença, not on the Passeig. Rooftop first.
Our guide It's the most interesting of Gaudí's houses as architecture and the least spectacular at first sight. If you're after color, Casa Batlló is more striking; if you're into ideas, this is the one for you. Read the full guide - 5
Cervecería Catalana
200 meters from La Pedrera. Arriving before 14:00 spares you the longest line, the one from 14:00 to 15:00.
Our guide It deserves its reputation: classic Catalan tapas, well made, fast and fairly priced. It's not a discovery or a quiet place, and the time you arrive decides how long you wait. Read the full guide - 6
Block of Discord
Three masters of Modernisme on one block: Casa Lleó Morera by Domènech i Montaner, Casa Amatller by Puig i Cadafalch, with a chocolate shop inside, and Gaudí's Casa Batlló.
Our guide Worth 15 minutes before or after Casa Batlló: three rival architects on a single block. You enjoy it from the opposite sidewalk, and it's free. Read the full guide - 7
Casa Batlló
Platinum ticket with priority line. At three the facade is in shade and the trencadís shows more color than in direct sun.
Our guide It's the most striking of Gaudí's houses, and the architecture justifies the high price. We bought Platinum for the flexibility; the immersive rooms aren't necessary. Read the full guide - 8
El Xampanyet
After an hour and a half of rest at the hotel (metro L4 from Passeig de Gràcia to Jaume I), house cava and anchovies standing at the bar. Our second visit of the trip.
Our guide Worth it for the house cava, the anchovies and a tiled room that has barely changed since 1929. Order the simple things and ask the price of everything else. Read the full guide - 9
Bar del Pla
A light dinner on the same Carrer de Montcada, after a stroll along the Passeig del Born.
- 10
Moll de la Fusta (Port Vell)
A ten-minute walk to the port to end the day facing the sea. The sun set around 21:15.
This was our Gaudí day. We put it together from north to south so we never had to backtrack: Park Güell up on the hill, Gràcia on the way down, La Pedrera and Casa Batlló on the Passeig de Gràcia, and the evening in El Born, near the hotel. We bought all three tickets weeks ahead on the official websites: 2026 marks a hundred years since Gaudí’s death and the time slots sell out.
Why we planned it this way
Park Güell opens at 9:30 in May and by 10:30 it is already full. That is why we took the first slot and had breakfast beforehand on the Plaça del Sol. After that, the walk through Gràcia is all downhill and ends right at the Fontana metro stop.
La Pedrera at 12:00 gave us 25 minutes of buffer and one rule: rooftop first, before it fills up and in case it rained. Coming out, Cervecería Catalana is two minutes away, and getting there at 1:30 beats the 2-to-3 rush.
Casa Batlló was at 15:00 because of the light. At that hour the facade is in shade and the mosaics look more saturated than with the sun hitting them head-on. We bought the Platinum ticket, the most expensive one, for the priority line, free cancellation and date changes. The immersive rooms it includes were not the reason.
Then an hour and a half of rest at the hotel. It was day 19 of 21, and the next day we had to be at the Sagrada Família at 9:15.
What to know before you go
At first we had the evening planned at the Bunkers del Carmel, but since 2023 they close at 19:30 and you can no longer see the sunset from there. We swapped it for El Born: a glass of cava at El Xampanyet, dinner at Bar del Pla and a walk to the port. On the Passeig de Gràcia and on metro lines L3 and L4, backpack in front and nothing in your back pockets: they are well-known pickpocket areas.
What we booked and tasted
Bars on the Plaça del Sol
Order Pa amb tomàquet, cafè amb llet and a butter croissant
Breakfast standing up, €5 to €7 per person, about 15 minutes on foot from the Park Güell entrance.
Cervecería Catalana
Order Pa amb tomàquet, patatas bravas with both sauces, jamón ibérico croquetas, shrimp montaditos, pimientos de Padrón and the house Catalan rosé
It is two minutes from La Pedrera, the kitchen stays open all day and they don't take reservations: the line moves fast. Our plan B was Bodega Sepúlveda.
El Xampanyet
Order House cava, anchovies and boquerones en vinagre
A 1929 tavern on Carrer de Montcada. You drink standing up, they prefer cash and it closes Sundays and Mondays.
Bar del Pla
Order Croquetas, a duck foie montadito and grilled vegetables, with a glass of natural wine
Catalan tapas 30 seconds from El Xampanyet. A short dinner, because the next day we had the Sagrada Família first thing.
Gothic Quarter Plaça del Sol, Gràcia
About €15–18. Tell the driver "Plaça del Sol, Gràcia". By metro: L4 from Jaume I to Passeig de Gràcia and change to the L3 to Fontana.
Fontana Diagonal
Green L3 toward Zona Universitària, two stops. Exit toward the Passeig de Gràcia and walk north: the hexagonal paving tiles and the streetlamps on the sidewalk are Gaudí's too.
Passeig de Gràcia Jaume I
Yellow L4 toward La Pau, three stops. Lines L3 and L4 are known for pickpockets: backpack in front.
What we learned
Tips
- All three Gaudí tickets have a fixed time, and in 2026, the centenary of his death, they sell out. Park Güell gives you a 30-minute grace period; La Pedrera and Casa Batlló, 15.
- At La Pedrera, take the elevator up to the rooftop as soon as you go in. If it starts to rain they close it and there is no refund.
- Inside the Monumental Zone of Park Güell there are no water fountains or restrooms: use the ones at the entrance and bring water.
Do
- Look at the facade of Casa Batlló from the opposite sidewalk before you go in: the roof is the dragon's back and the balconies are skulls.
- Set aside an hour and a half to rest at the hotel mid-afternoon. On day 19 of a trip like this, your body asks for it.
- Bring your passport: Park Güell tickets are personal and they may ask for ID.
Don’t
- Don't pay for the Gaudí House Museum inside Park Güell (€5.50) if you are short on time: it has little furniture. Use those minutes on the viaducts.
- Don't eat at the terraces on the Passeig de Gràcia: they are expensive tourist menus, and Cervecería Catalana is a block away.
- Don't plan the sunset at the Bunkers del Carmel: since 2023 they close at 19:30. That is why we took it out of the plan.