Casa Batlló is the house on Passeig de Gràcia that people stop in the street to photograph. Antoni Gaudí remodelled an existing building for the Batlló family in the early 1900s and gave it a rippling stone facade, balconies shaped like masks and a roof that looks like the scaly back of a dragon. It is one of the best places in Barcelona to understand how Gaudí thought about light, colour and shape, and it sits right above a major metro station.
Why visit Casa Batlló
From the outside, the facade alone is worth the trip. The lower floors have bone-like columns around the windows, the upper walls are covered in coloured glass and ceramic discs, and the roofline curves into a ridge of glazed tiles often read as the dragon slain by Saint George, the patron saint of Catalonia.
Inside, almost nothing is a straight line. The main floor, once the family's living quarters, has curved wooden doors, a mushroom-shaped fireplace and windows that open onto the avenue. The central light well is lined with blue tiles that get darker towards the top, so that light is spread evenly from the skylight down to the lower floors. Small details like this are why people often rate Casa Batlló as the most inventive of Gaudí's houses.
Getting to Casa Batlló by metro
The nearest station is Passeig de Gràcia, served by Lines 2, 3 and 4. Use the exits towards Passeig de Gràcia itself and walk a couple of minutes uphill along the avenue; the house is on the left-hand side heading away from Plaça de Catalunya, next to the other buildings of the so-called Block of Discord. Regional and some Rodalies trains also stop at Passeig de Gràcia, which makes it convenient if you are arriving from outside the city centre.
If you are coming from Casa Milà, it is an easy walk of around 10 minutes down the same avenue, so there is no need to take the metro between the two.
Casa Batlló tickets
Casa Batlló is privately run and entry is by paid ticket. There are several ticket types, from a standard visit to premium options with extra rooms or early access, and prices vary by day and time. Buying online in advance on the official website, casabatllo.es, usually works out cheaper than paying at the door and lets you skip the longest queue. Opening hours and evening events change through the year, so check the official site before you go.
The visit includes a smart guide on a handheld device or headset that uses augmented reality to show how rooms may once have looked. It is included in the ticket and is available in many languages.
Best time to visit and how long it takes
Most people spend around an hour to an hour and a half inside. Morning slots, especially the first ones of the day, are the least crowded. Late afternoon and early evening can also be calmer than the middle of the day, and the facade looks particularly good when it is lit up after dark.
Weekends and the summer months are the busiest times. If you are visiting in July or August, booking a few days ahead is sensible.
Highlights inside the house
The noble floor
The main living area overlooking Passeig de Gràcia, with its large curved windows, wooden doors and swirling ceiling.
The light well
The tiled shaft at the heart of the building, a clever piece of design that steps the colour of the tiles from pale to deep blue.
The loft
A series of white catenary arches that once housed laundry and storage, and which feel almost like the inside of a skeleton.
The rooftop
The dragon-back roof and the clusters of chimneys covered in mosaic, with views along the avenue.
Nearby on the same metro stop
Passeig de Gràcia station is one of the best-connected stops in the city, and several sights are within a short walk:
- Casa Amatller and Casa Lleó Morera: two other modernista houses on the same block, by Josep Puig i Cadafalch and Lluís Domènech i Montaner.
- Casa Milà (La Pedrera): Gaudí's other house on the avenue, about 10 minutes north on foot.
- Plaça de Catalunya and the top of La Rambla, a short walk downhill.
- The shops and cafés of the Eixample grid on either side of the avenue.
See what else is close by on Casa Batlló on Around the Metro, or explore more stations on the Barcelona metro map.