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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Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
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Best Viewpoints in Barcelona

It’s always good to see life from a different perspective... and here’s how you can do just that with this list of the 10 best viewpoints in Barcelona. At street level it’s sometimes hard to get your bearings in a new city. From above, however, you can see where you’ve been and make sense of one place in relation to another. And you can be sure of some great photo opps too, with amazing Gaudi architecture, free-flowing sunshine and buzzy atmosphere all laid out before you in the Catalan capital. From mountain tops to rooftops, spires, statues and terraces, here’s our top tips for Barcelona sight-seeing that will have you feeling...on top of the world!Get the best view of Barcelona...from...MontjuicTibidaboParc GuellLa Sagrada Familia...and lots more visionary vistas... Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya From the Plaça d’Espana look beyond the Venetian towers to admire the beautiful dome and bell-towers of The Palau Nacional de Montjüic. Originally built for the 1929 World Fair it now houses the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, home to more than 260,000 historic (and contemporary) works. But perhaps not everyone realises that there’s as much to see from it as in it! The two rooftop viewpoints of the Palau Nacional offer 360o panoramic views of Barcelona. Marvel at the famous Magic Fountains, spot the soaring Sagrada Familia and look out for the buildings that were part of the 1992 Olympic Park. The terrace even has a cocktail bar to make the view even more delicious! Montjüic Not high enough for you...? There’s plenty to do and even more to see when you head uphill from the Palau. Take the Funicular de Montjüic to the base station for the cable car - Telefèric de Montjuic, then glide over the tree tops as you look out over the city, the port and the sparkling Mediterranean.The next cable car stop is at Mirador d’Alcalde, a ‘belvedere’, or series of terraces, that provide an even more impressive view and a chance to explore the beautiful public gardens.You may as well go all the way! Montjüic Castle tops the hill; a former fortress and prison, it is now a Military Museum. The best birds-eye view is from the terrace of the Terraz Martinez where you can also enjoy a drink, along with seafood platters and paella said to be among the best in town. Tibidabo Just when you think you’ve reached new heights, we have to break the news that Montjüic is only the second-highest mountain in Barcelona. Just a hill in fact alongside Tibidabo, which, at 512m above sea level, is visible from practically anywhere in the city. The Hop-On Hop-Off bus turistico blue route heads up there, or jump aboard the Tramvia Blau, the charming vintage tram that takes you to the start of the Tibidabo Funicular. This has recently been re-invented as the Cuca de Llum (Glow-worm) with new larger windows for maximum oohing and aahing, educational on-board displays and funky new lights that are most effective after dark. When you land you could take a scenic stroll in the Parc de Colliserola or pause for a panoramic picnic by the church of the Sagrat Cor (Sacred Heart). Tibidabo’s best known attraction however, is probably its amusement park, one of the oldest in the world.The ‘Panoramic Area’ boasts the best views of Barcelona as well as two especially iconic attractions. The famous Avió Plane, the world’s first ever flight simulator, is a replica of the first aircraft to fly from Barcelona to Madrid. Powered by its own propellor since 1928 it gives you all the views, with a side helping of alarm! Meanwhile the Talaia lookout tower, which takes visitors up to a giddying 551m above sea level, was such a hit when it opened in 1921 that people believed it had healing properties and that if children with whooping cough spent a few minutes at the top they’d be cured. Best give it a try! Bunkers of Carmel We all love a hidden gem and, away from the crowds, this is a cute and quirky place to get your cityscape kicks. Whilst it’s becoming increasingly popular, particularly at sunset, it’s still one of the quietest spots to find the most beautiful view of Barcelona.Despite the name, the Bunkers del Carmel, or El Turo de la Rovira (for the hill on which they’re found), were never actually bunkers but, in fact, anti-aircraft fortifications dating back to the Spanish Civil War. Canons were sited on the concrete bases and defenders could survey the entire city. When parts of the city were spruced up for the 1992 Olympics, this historic site got an overhaul, so now you can enjoy the same jaw-dropping vista.Pick the perfect time of day to survey how the Sagrada Familia bestrides the city and gaze beyond Barceloneta beach to the sea. Whether you reach the area by metro, bus or taxi, you’ll still need to be prepared to walk some distance uphill but put on your comfiest trainers, pack a drink or two to share at the top and we promise it’ll be well worth it. Parc Guell How have we got this far into an article about Barcelona and not mentioned Antoni Gaudi? Well hold tight since, as we all know, there are endless captivating examples of his design and architectural genius around the city.Parc Guell is quite literally one of Barcelona’s high-spots. Spread over a once bare hill (it was formerly called Muntanya Pelada (the Bare Mountain) Gaudi transformed it into a lush, flowing park, featuring some of his best work, including the Dragon stairs and the Austrian Gardens. Bag the mandatory selfie with El Drac, the famous Gaudi lizard, then, from the terrace of the ‘Monumental zone’, you can drink in the whole of Barcelona spread below, framed by colourful benches and modernist mosaics, with the Mediterranean sea beyond. Sagrada Familia towers Gaudi’s unfinished masterpiece is Barcelona’s most famous icon. Thousands of visitors each day marvel at the endlessly imaginative detail of its facades or stare open-mouthed at the awe-inspiring architecture and dazzling stained glass of the interior. Soak up its secrets on a Sagrada Familia guided tour, then, if you’re here for the views, grab a ticket that takes you to the top of the basilica’s lofty towers.Gaudi’s original vision was for 18 towers, to represent the 12 apostles, the four evangelists, the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. Only eight have been finished so far. Should they finally be completed as intended (with that dedicated to Jesus Christ envisaged at 560ft) they will make Sagrada Familia the tallest church building in the world.The richly decorated Nativity tower was the only tower to be built under the supervision of Antoni Gaudi himself so don't miss the chance to see his original work up close and to feel the breeze as you stand on the bridge that connects the towers of the Nativity facade. Facing the east, you can enjoy a stunning view of the city and the mountain ranges beyond.The Passion Tower, representing the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, is much more minimal but the view to the west and the Mediterranean is just as incredible. Gaudi houses Barcelona Not as high up but equally awe-inspiring are the houses Gaudi created on the Passeig de Gràcia. From the rooftop terrace of Casa Battló, where ceramic tiles resemble a dragon’s back, you can look across the old quarter and over to the undulating facade of La Pedrera (sometimes known as Casa Milá). If you visit in summer you might even find special rooftop ‘magic nights’ where the city views are complemented by free drinks and live music!Across the road, on the terrace atop La Pedrera’s huge stone wave, you’ll find twisted, sentinel chimneys, many with warrior helmets, plus spectacular 360o views over the Gracia district and city beyond. Las Arenas de Barcelona Another popular city centre viewing platform - with the rare added bonus of dining and drinking - is the roof terrace of this distinctive building on Plaça d’Espanya, once one of three bullfighting rings in the city, with capacity for around 15,000 spectators. It was later transformed into a shopping and entertainment centre by legendary British architect Richard Rogers. His ambitious design maintained the original facade but added a dome and circular roof terrace. Don’t bother with the separate glass elevator; the lifts inside the shopping centre are free and whisk you up to the rooftop viewing platform and an exciting choice of bars and restaurants. Christopher Columbus statue At the bottom of La Rambla, this 60m high Corinthian column, topped by a bronze statue, marks the spot where the famous explorer first set foot back into Catalonia after his trip to the New World. His arm is pointing south-east towards the sea; not, as many believe towards America, which is in the opposite direction! Hop aboard the lift concealed in the column and join Chris on his lofty pedestal. On windy days you can feel the column flex in the wind. A glassed-in viewpoint just by his feet offers views of the port, La Rambla, the Gothic Quarter, Montjüic and the sparkling Mediterranean so, like him, you can decide just where to explore next! Barcelona’s best rooftop bars If you love living the high life, why not end your day at one of Barcelona’s many rooftop bars?The stylish Sky Bar at Grand Hotel Central is open to non-residents after 8PM for food and cocktails and boasts an infinity pool that appears to cascade towards a view of the whole city. For a magical 360° panorama, treat yourself to Terrat at the Mandarin Oriental, which serves amazing Peruvian food, or take the lift to the 360° terrace at the Barcelo Raval Hotel for classic cocktails, tapas and live DJs on summer weekends.Down at Barceloneta beach you can’t miss the W Barcelona Hotel (more locally known as the Hotel Vela (or Sail Hotel), the conical shaped building that turns blue and red at night. Ride the lift to the Eclipse Bar on the 26th floor to dance the night away, look out over Barceloneta beach and watch the city’s twinkling lights come to life. We hope we’ve inspired you to new heights. For all the high spots and the low down on how to sightsee and save, remember to choose an All-Inclusive Pass or Explorer Pass - only from Go City.
Jo Cooke
Barcelona Couples Header
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Romantic Things to do in Barcelona

Spain is without a doubt one of the most romantic countries in Europe, filled with glorious food, stunning architecture and idyllic beaches. Most popular with tourists is Barcelona, with thousands of vacationers flocking to the Catalonian capital each month. So, it’s no surprise that you’re looking to plan a romantic vacation to Barcelona. Here we’ve put together a list of the most popular attractions and activities when searching for romantic things to do in Barcelona, including... La Sagrada Familia Casa Batlló La Pedrera Park Güell Moco Museum Erotic Museum La Boqueria Market Turó de la Rovira and more.... 1. La Sagrada Familia If Barcelona is famous for one thing, it’s the stunning architectural work of Antoni Gaudí. With his masterpieces dotted across the city, it would be hard to miss a visit to at least one of them. La Sagrada Familia, perhaps the most famous landmark in Spain, is a must for visitors in Barcelona and it’s sure to get those sparks flying. Take a guided tour around the basilica, where you can learn about the building's different facades and the fascinating history behind this awe-inspiring building, which is still yet to be completed! If you have a spare moment, taking a lift to the top of the building will offer you unforgettable views of Barcelona from one of the tallest churches in the world.A few of Gaudi’s other creations include Casa Batlló and La Pedrera, both of which are located on Passeig de Gràcia, so pay them a visit if you’re passing. 2. Park Güell Park Güell is the perfect place to take a romantic stroll. Overflowing with yet more of Gaudi’s modernist architectural works, spending a few hours here and taking a guided tour is definitely worth your time. 3. Moco Museum A visit to a museum or two won’t go a miss on your romantic getaway. The Moco Museum is an independent museum full of modern and contemporary art that is sure to blow your mind. Check out the incredible immersive exhibitions – the perfect place to snap that couple's pic to send to the family group chat. 4. Erotic Museum Another popular option, perhaps not one for the group chat, is the Erotic Museum of Barcelona. Centrally located on La Rambla, why not swing by for a bit of a sexy history lesson? Here, you’ll explore the unusual history and culture of eroticism through playful exhibits and unique artifacts. This is definitely one for a passionate adventure in Barcelona. 5. La Boqueria Market This bustling market can be found in the heart of Barcelona. From colourful sweets and fresh fruit to jamón ibérico and spices and nuts, this market is a foodie's dream. Popular with locals and visitors alike, La Boqueria is a treat for all senses so dive right in to find the best deals around. As well as the ingredients listed above, there’s plenty of top-notch tapas bars where you can sample the market’s fresh produce right then and there. 6. Tapas, Sangria and more Evenings in Barcelona with your other half are undoubtedly best spent enjoying scrumptious food and sipping on the Spanish classic, sangria. We suggest heading to the Gothic Quarter or venturing along the marina, where you’ll find hundreds of bars and restaurants offering up the tastiest paella and tapas. 7. Turó de la Rovira Or, if you fancy something a bit more homemade, make the trek to Turó de la Rovira, also known as the Bunkers del Carmel, and pack a picnic. Once used as a strategic defence site during the Spanish Civil War, this incredible viewpoint sits 262 meters above sea level, giving unparalleled views of the city. Be warned, it’s a bit of a hike, but cosying up to watch the sunset with a glass of sangria in hand doesn’t sound like a bad idea, right? 8. Old Town and Gothic Quarter Still looking for activities to inspire love? Wander around the streets of Barcelona on an Old Town and Gothic Quarter Tour. Take in the charm and character of the Cuitat Vella and explore the city’s rich history and culture as you navigate the narrow streets with a knowledgeable guide. You’ll find plenty of hidden gems along the way too so keep your eyes peeled. Save on Attraction Admission So there you have it –- a few romantic things to do in Barcelona that are guaranteed to give off those date night vibes so you can fall in love all over again! A few of these Barcelona attractions are included on the All-Inclusive Pass or Explorer Pass with Go City®, so check out what options we have to save on attraction admission.
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Eat your way through Barcelona without blowing your budget – buen provecho!

From tapas tasting to brewery tours, here’s how to enjoy Barcelona’s famous flavors with Go City.
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