Casa Batllo / Casa Batlló – (5 Top Tips).
Visiting Casa Batllo, also known as the ‘House of Bones’ was, undoubtedly, my favourite Gaudi building in Barcelona, Spain. With its phenomenal frontage and amazing interior, if you go to Barcelona you must visit Casa Batllo! Read on, for information on Casa Batllo Tickets, Information, Tips and how to save money when visiting Casa Batllo!
Key Info
5 Top Tips
- Save Money Book Online – it’s cheaper by about €5
- The light on the outside is better early morning
- Fantastic roof
- Great Architecture
- Amazing Augmented reality tour inside
But there is much more to tell you!
You might be tempted just to look at it from the outside but, in my most humble opinion, it is worth your time and money to go inside and look around! This is one of the best things to do in Barcelona. After all, it has 4.5 stars on TripAdvisor and is Number 2 on the list of things to do in Barcelona. And, it’s also a world heritage site!
Of all the Gaudi designed buildings in Barcelona, this is probably the second most well known, after the Sagrada Familia. Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) was an architect with a highly individual and distinctive style, from Catalonia, Spain.
His style incorporated influences from nature and he included craft styles like stained glass and ceramics into his work. Other well known Gaudi works in Barcelona include Park Guell and Casa Vicens.
Built in 1877, the existing house was extensively remodelled by Gaudi. He put forward his design in 1904 and all the work was carried out by 1906. Josep Batllo was well known in the city as a textile industrialist.
The Passeig de Gràcia area was seen as a fashionable and prestigious area of the city. I can imagine it caused quite a stir when it was finished!
The distinctive flowing sculpted stonework with hardly a straight line in sight makes this a very unique building indeed! If considered as a musical analogy, the Sagrada Familia is his 1883 breakthrough album. The Casa Batllo could be considered a follow-up album. As difficult follow-up albums go, however, this one is brilliant!
The Sculpted Outside
The facade of the building with its balconies is like nothing I had ever seen before! The balconies themselves looked like theatre masks and the mosaic covering of the front looks so different, depending on the time of day viewed. The balconies also house coloured lights so the hues of the balconies change over time. If you don’t like the colour, wait a few minutes and it’ll change!
The best time of day to visit Casa Batllo?
In my humble opinion, early morning in the soft sunlight was best, closely followed by early evening. Be that as it may, it looks great in full sunlight too, but the early morning sun just had the edge and worked visually for me. Of course, it’s not open too early, 9 am to be precise. At night, as you would expect, it’s all lit up, so there are some wonderful photo opportunities outside at that time of day.
What awaits inside Casa Batllo?
After taking in the unique exterior, its time to step inside and see the equally unique interior. If you have booked online go to the side of the main queue and show your ticket, this will fast-track you in. Collecting your audio tour is the work of a moment and, furthermore, the attendant will select the appropriate language for you.
The main floor is the Noble floor, where the Batllo Family lived. Shapes, colours and sinuous curves abound in this room and, in fact, inside Casa Batllo as a whole!
Casa Batllo Interior
The Casa Batllo interior is truly amazing, and, let’s not forget, this is cynical old me talking! To be sure, I don’t think the interior of any other building has impressed me as much! It certainly has an almost organic feel to the design.
From curved, almost sculpted wooden door frames and bannisters to the stained glass and the lightwell staircase, the interior is unlike any other building I have seen. It surely is a unique creation!
You Might Be Wondering:
Is It Worth Going Inside?
Yes, I definitely think it is worth it! All the above and below photos of the Casa Batllo interior are actually taken in the same room. It’s the Noble floor, where the Batllo family lived. In the below photo the light coming through the stained glass window is impressive. Just another reason to visit Casa Batllo! I stopped for a minute to watch people’s faces as they came in. Generally speaking, there seemed to be genuine pleasure etched on about 95% of the people.
Casa Batllo Interior
Casa Batllo Interior Audio tour and Augmented Reality
Included with the entry fee is a guided audio and augmented reality tour. In short, I am never very keen on audio tours. It’s not the headphones, which can make you look a complete tit, I’m used to that, of course!
Yeah, there reason why I’m not that into audio tours. In brief, I am quite happy hearing about the facts and figures on the audio and the hows and the whys of construction and methods. But when the audio starts to interpret the work and tells me how I should be feeling, however, that’s when I draw the line!
It Just Got Real!
Augmented reality! The view on the phone shows, pleasingly, the furniture in the room that used to be there. And, on the whole, it works pretty well! This is the Noble floor where the Batllo family actually lived. Showing the furniture is a nice touch.
As you can see from the above photo, there are numbered points inside the rooms, in this case on the wall. You tap on your screen and as well as an audio commentary, you get to see an augmented reality version of the room on your screen that is populated by the furniture that would have been in that room.
I found this to be a great touch!
Which, on the whole, almost made up for the accompanying audio tour!
Casa Batllo Interior
The Roof of Casa Batllo is Mind Blowing!
The roof is also open to the public and gives some marvellous views of the city. In short, the roof is something out of a fairytale! This is where you can see the famous dragon back spine like the picture below and the amazing chimneys above. The chimneys follow the mosaic theme, if you love that then you’ll love Park Guell.
The symbolism of the roof has many aspects, but I won’t list them because as I mentioned earlier, I personally like looking at things myself and making up my own mind! However, Gaudi’s influences from nature and religion are easy to see!
Another point of view:
Ok, you’ve read my ramblings about our visit to Casa Batllo, but here are Tam’s, my significant other’s thoughts. I value her views as she is a design guru and a trained tailor with a very artistic eye!
“What I love most about Casa Batllo is its colour. As soon as you approach it you can tell it’s something special – it stands out on the street like the gingerbread house of Hansel and Gretel folklore.”
Inside the fairytale continues:
“The Casa Batllo interior is breathtaking. Sinuous lines curve everywhere like tree roots, emphasised by the grain of the wood. With not a straight line in sight, the stained glass windows glisten with colour too. The central lightwell is stunning, who’d have thought something so plain could be made so beautiful?
The roof is so quirky, especially the front which reminds me of a dragon languishing across the front. You wander around the house in awe, never have you seen anything like it!
If you are a fan of the unusual, Art Nouveau, architecture or design, you absolutely have to visit Casa Batllo.”
So says Tam, my significant other! To find out why I trust Tam’s artistic opinion click on her name to see her work in the Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean films!
So, to sum up, my visit to Casa Batllo
To be sure, it’s not the cheapest thing you can do in Barcelona! But, I suggest, it’s one of the best. If you like quirky, unique and downright weird, then this is for you.
Long after the memory of an afternoon in the pub has faded, the €24.50 spent on the entry fee will provide you with some long lasting memories!
Of course, there are lots of people there. It’s a tourist destination after all! But going early with a pre-booked ticket will lessen that effect and you won’t be tripping over people when viewing the Casa Batllo interior.
A link to the Casa Batllo website can be found in the key facts at the top of the page.
Have you been to Casa Batllo? What were your thoughts? Did you think Casa Batllo was worth it? Post below to help other travellers!
How to get to Casa Batllo
Click on the map for directions. The nearest Metro is Passeig de Gràcia servicing the purple, green and orange lines.
For public transport tips in Barcelona, see Your Guide to Public Transport in Barcelona – How to get around
Where is Casa Batllo?
Passeig de Gràcia 43,
08007 Barcelona,
Spain
Casa Batllo Opening Hours
9 am – 9 pm
Prices / Casa Batllo Tickets
These are the online Casa Batllo Ticket Prices. Do book online as they are cheaper. About €5 cheaper! Also booking online will help you avoid the queues!
The entry fee at the ticket office is €29.00 so by buying online the ticket discount is worth it.
Casa Batllo Website
Top Tips for Casa Batllo
- Book online – Casa Batllo online ticket discount is €5
- The light on the outside is better early morning
- The roof is amazing
- Great Architecture
- Amazing Augmented reality tour inside
For more on our Barcelona Gaudi Trail Adventures, click below
5 Top Tips for Visiting Park Guell
Casa Batllo – 5 Top tips for your visit
Casa Vicens – Gaudi’s First Building
Your Guide to Public Transport in Barcelona – How to get around
Your Guide to Public Transport in Barcelona – How to get around
Phots of the outside and the Casa batllo interior.
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