My Escapes Spain Barcelona Exploring Gaudí's Sprawling Surreal Barcelona Hidden Architectural "Delicacies" [...]

Hidden Architectural "Delicacies" in Barcelona

If you're obsessed by architecture (like I am), then Barcelona will to you be what a fish market is for a hungry cat.
But you'll never know how Barcelona really is like if you dig beyond the top attractions. So, let's shed light upon some of the hidden artworks!

Yet, some of these are rather renowned, mainstream visitors tend to omit them.

While the Sagrada Família church gets overrun massively by crowds, fantastic attractions remain hidden - and, at some of those locations I didn't encounter a single visitor.

Casa Vicens

I spent quite a while photographing and admiring the reddish Casa Vicens designed by Antoni Gaudí.
Thankfully it wasn't far from the place where I stayed...

You can get to Casa Vicens by walking from either the Fontana or the Lesseps TMB metro stations.

In order to reach it, you either have to walk down from the Lesseps metro station or, walk up from the Fontana metro station to the Carrer de les Carolines, which is a quiet narrow street.

In fact, it was the quietness of the street that amplified the experience.

Most people don't even know it's there between the "more ordinary buildings"... so, every time I got there, very few (usually lonely) travelers passed by.

I remained there for about an hour just photographing and admiring the Casa Vicens, but the others left in only 5-10 minutes.

The masterpiece was built between 1883-1889.
This is a beautiful Art Nouveau building with a "strong Moorish accent".

Sadly, entry was not possible.
I wasn't able to see in from inside, but thankfully, I have a beautiful photo album.

The Casa Vicens was added to UNESCO's World Heritage Site under "Works of Antoni Gaudí" in 2005.

Recently I heard that the 4-story building was up for sale for a staggering 27 million euros.

The Gaudí masterpiece is in excellent good condition, well-maintained, "like new"!

Casa de les Punxes

Another stop would be at: Casa de les Punxes, an imposing towery building designed by the modernist architect - Josep Puig i Cadafalch.

You can find it at the Avenida Diagonal, 416-420 in Gràcia.

I was fascinated by this building's beauty, but I was unable to find good angles for taking photos.

Casa Calvet

Antoni Gaudí designed it for a textile manufacturer entrepreneur.

Get there by reaching Carrer de Casp 48 in the Eixample district. I came across it by accident!

The Art Nouveau building has a strong Baroque feel. Wouldn't you agree?

Palau de la Música Catalana

The Palace of Catalan Music was designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, constructed between 1905-1908.

Its auditorium is breathtaking, but they didn't allow me in.
If you want to get in, then you should attend a concert or similar cultural event.

From outside, you can admire the exceptionally beautiful building (which I personally consider the best of all Montaner works!).

The narrow street Carrer de Sant Francesc de Paula is where you'll come across it, within the La Ribera part of old Barcelona.

Do check the website for better photos and info on upcoming events!

Palau Güell

Another work created by Antoni Gaudí for tycoon Eusebi Güell.

This building too (as numerous other buildings) has landed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

As for Eusebi Güell... The top attraction linked to the name of this renowned local entrepreneur is the exotic Parc Güell located in northern (hilly) Barcelona.

Unfortunately, the Palau Güell was closed at the time of my visit. (I returned two years later after the restoration works have been finalized).

Apart from these renowned buildings, you will encounter a large number of other attractions, small and large, scattered throughout the entire city.

In Barcelona, I've found that ever many door knobs, fences, handles, doors are beautifully crafted. And many are totally unique.

I will certainly return to Barcelona and explore it further... Thank you for viewing this article!

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