Palau Guell is, in my view, a must-see Antoni Gaudi building in Barcelona. As it’s still relatively lesser known than Casa Batlo and La Sagrada Familia I don’t think it’s as crowded, which makes for an enjoyable visit. And with its location not far from the Barri Gotic, it’s a convenient add on to a walk around the old quarter of Barcelona.

Antoni Gaudi, probably the best known art-nouveau era architect in the world, has left Barcelona with a number of amazing edifices. La Sagrada Familia is world famous but there are also numerous residences that are worth visiting. One of my favourites is Palau Guell (not to be confused with Parc Guell, which also has Gaudi designs but is a park in the northern part of Barcelona).

Built in 1886-1890, this was the residence of Gaudi patron, industrialist Eusebi Guell. The family lived here until 1935, moving out ahead of the outbreak of the Spanish civil war. The house was bequeathed to the city of Barcelona in 1945 with the condition that it be for public use. I think because it had only been owned by the original family and then passed on to the city, the interior is well preserved and filled with period furniture. To see the furnishings adds more to the understanding of the style and use of the home.

There’s a decent audio guide that provides a good deal of info to accompany the visit. I think allocating 1.5 hours is ideal.

To avoid queueing up for tickets, I purchased mine online and so we only needed to show up at our allotted entry time. Friends of mine were running 30 minutes late but they were still let in with no issue.

Because Palau Guell was designed in the earlier part of Gaudi’s career, the shapes are probably less organic that in his later buildings. His style at this time was considered more “orientalist” with influences from the middle east, as was the fashion at this time. Gaudi was awarded the commission of La Sagrada Familia at around the same time although much of the church was not built until later and construction still continues today.

Palau Guell is open for visits from Tuesdays through Sundays (closed Mondays) starting at 10am. For more info and to buy tickets online, go to Palau Guell’s website: http://palauguell.cat/en.