Casa Batlló Vs Casa Milà Comparison - Gaudí Houses Compared

By <a href="#author-bio">Stuart Bak</a>
By Stuart Bak
Published: July 18, 2024
Interior of Casa Batlló

Gaudí masterpieces don’t come much more spectacular than Casa Batlló and Casa Milá, eye-popping architectural stars of Barcelona’s fashionable Eixample district. Designed and completed by Gaudí in the early 20th Century, these near-neighbors should be considered bucket listers for aficionados of the maestro’s work. Though, frankly, they’re pretty much essential viewing for anyone who possesses a) even a passing interest in unusual architectural design and/or b) an Instagram account. We took a closer look at these iconic Gaudí houses in our Casa Batlló Vs Casa Milà comparison. Scroll for the lowdown…

Antoni Gaudí: a (Very) Short History

Skull mask balconies on the Casa Batllo facade

Born in rural Catalonia in 1852, Antoni Gaudí i Cornet rose from humble beginnings to become the chief exponent of Catalan Modernisme, popularizing an architectural style that’s near-impossible to categorize but is always distinctly, inimitably Gaudí. His calling cards included geometrical forms, neo-Gothic flair, colorful mosaic tiling and structures influenced by his deep love of nature – think bones, tree trunks, butterfly wings, and so on. The majority of Gaudí’s buildings – 12 in all – can be found in Barcelona, and are among the most-visited attractions in town. We’re talking the Sagrada Família, Park Güell, Casa Vicens and two of his most flamboyant confections: the UNESCO-listed Casa Batlló and Casa Milà, all of which are included with a Barcelona pass from Go City. Find out more about the pass and how to get yours here.

Casa Batlló: The Lowdown

Casa Batllo's distinctive bone-like carapace

Name: Casa Batlló is named for textile magnate Josep Batlló, who commissioned Gaudí’s building redesign in 1904. It’s known locally as the casa dels ossos (house of bones), for reasons which will become apparent…

Vital Statistics: Completed in 1906, it took 99 years before Casa Batlló was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. It’s located on the stylish Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona’s Eixample district, and is one of the city’s most popular attractions, welcoming around a million visitors every year. 

Casa Batlló in Brief: Casa Batlló is a pure flight of fantasy, with a hallucinatory exterior that will appeal to everybody from high-art aficionados to fans of Game of Thrones. Considered one of Gaudí’s crowning glories, it’s truly a sight to behold. The striking dragon-crest roof fairly shimmers with blue-and-green ‘dragon scale’ tiles. Glass, stone and ceramic mosaic gives the facade a textured, rough-hewn look, while the skeletal carapace and creepy skull-mask balconies on the lower levels are what earned Casa Batlló its ‘house of bones’ nickname. Things are no less bonkers inside, where the staircase is designed to resemble a spine and the entrance hall feels  a bit like being in an underwater cave, complete with tortoise-shell skylights.

On the roof terrace at Casa Batllo

Three Highlights of Casa Batlló:

  • The Noble Floor. The former residence of the Batlló family features a gently undulating ceiling, mushroom-shaped fireplace and huge gallery which protrudes far over the Passeig de Gràcia.
  • Roof Terrace. Ogle fairytale mosaiced chimneys and get close-up views of the dragon’s scaly back.
  • Indoor Garden. This highly decorative terrace, with colorfully tiled floor and flowerpots is a tiny oasis in the heart of Barcelona.

Casa Milà: The Lowdown

Casa Mila aka La Pedrera

Name: Casa Milà is more commonly known locally as La Pedrera, aka ‘the quarry’, thanks to its unusual rough-hewn facade.

Vital Statistics: The last house Gaudí worked on before applying himself full-time to the Sagrada Família, Casa Milá was built between 1906 and 1912, and designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984. No more or less popular than its near-neighbor Casa Batlló, La Pedrera also attracts around a million annual visitors.

Casa Milá in Brief: La Pedrera was pretty controversial when it was first built. And by controversial we mean the locals hated it. Hence the somewhat unfair nickname. History has of course been much kinder to Gaudí’s legacy and this Barcelona icon is now widely accepted to be one of the finest examples of Catalan Modernisme, all sinuous limestone curves, intricate wrought-iron balconies, and soaring mosaic-clad chimneys. Great paintings, tapestries and frescoes adorn the eye-popping interiors; rooms are also kitted out with curvaceous furnishings by Gaudí himself, each designed to slot seamlessly into the building’s flowing waves and curves.

The roof terrace at La Pedrera

Three Highlights of Casa Milá:

  • Roof Terrace: a total of 28 extraordinary warrior-like stone chimneys stand sentinel on the Casa Milá rooftop, vying for attention against some fairly spectacular 360-degree views of the city skyline.
  • The Whale Attic. Come over all Jonah as you enter what appears to be the belly of a leviathan, thanks to 270 arches representing a whale’s ribcage. If that’s not enough, there’s also a quite excellent Gaudí exhibition to explore up here.
  • Courtyards don’t come much trippier than La Pedrera’s Flower Courtyard and Butterfly Courtyard, in which you can expect fantastical shapes and colors, complemented by beautiful blooms and great Ballard-esque insects that are quite at odds with the far more sober exterior.

Casa Batlló Vs Casa Milà Comparison: Which is Best?

Warrior-like chimneys at La Pedrera

Who could possibly pick a favorite from these two extraordinary Gaudí Houses? Both Casa Batlló and Casa Milà are like nothing you’ve seen before, each with its own set of architectural quirks and fantastic visual spectacles. Here’s the good news: you don’t have to visit just one or the other. Not only are these dreamlike townhouses just a few minutes’ walk from each other; both are included with a Barcelona pass from Go City. The pass is ideal if you’re planning to see a number of top attractions on your vacation, and includes entry to Casa Batlló and Casa Milà, plus other Gaudí masterpieces including Casa Vicens and tours of the Sagrada Família and Park Güell. It also gives you access to many more Barcelona tours, activities and attractions, like the Picasso Museum and Barcelona Zoo, and could save you up to 50% on regular prices. Find out more about the pass and get yours here.

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Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Freelance travel writer

Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.

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As for amenities, you'll find plenty of hip coffee shops, boutiques, and independent art galleries, if you're in the market for anything specific. And the night life is pretty lively too, so it's a great place to stay until the early hours!   Poblenou Poblenou has one of the most fascinating contrasts in the entire city, thanks to the traditional lower part of the district juxtaposed with the popular, gentrified areas higher up. The latter is about as close as Barcelona gets to their own Silicon Valley, so expect plenty of craft beer pubs, tech startups, and probably some hats and beards. It can be remarkable to walk through both and see the shift as old makes way for new. Plus, the influx of new blood does have its perks. Brunch is a big deal in Poblenou now, and you'll find plenty of places to express your inner brunchy self as you wander the streets.   Raval Raval has a rather colorful history as a den of miscreants and never-do-wells. Think of it as an old-timey pirate district of old. Raval has done much to brush up its image in the decades and centuries since, but if you want to know more about its gritty past, take a walking tour and learn all about it! Nowadays, Raval's cleaner image makes it no less of an exciting neighborhood to visit in Barcelona! The barrio is the hangout of street artists and skaters, so expect to see plenty of graffiti and hear heaps of hippidy hop. It's also somewhat of a cultural hub, thanks to the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (or MACBA) and the Center of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona. On top of all that, you'll find plenty of delightful cafes, bars, and trendy bars to enjoy when the sun goes down. Or while it's still up, because hey, you're on vacation after all.   Sant Antoni This charming neighborhood is named after the famed Sant Antoni Market, which takes center stage in the district. 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