In those days, at the turn of the 19th and 20th century, Barcelona was changing rapidly. The city was going through spectacular urban development. The fast industrialization resulted in giant fortunes being made in the blink of an eye. The modern city was forming, based on the new ideas fuelled by the movement of the Catalan cultural revival. It expressed itself in many fields of art: poetry, painting, sculpting and theatre, but most of all in architecture and decorative art.
Barcelona was right in the heart of the Catalan modernist movement. With the money coming from affluent families who wanted their houses decorated in the most opulent style and some of the most creative minds in the history of architecture, it was here that the greatest masterpieces of this era were created. The best known architect who made Barcelona modernism immortal was of course Antoni Gaudí.
Join us and let’s discover together the style that makes Barcelona different and unique compared to all the other cities in the world. Let us introduce you to the one and only Catalan modernism! We will visit together the famous city block often called “the apple of discord” where four of Barcelona most significant modernist architects Lluís Domènech i Montaner, Antoni Gaudí, Josep Puig i Cadafalch and Enric Sagnier were fighting for the palm of primacy and where their entirely different ways of expression clashed. We will see some of Gaudí’s masterpieces including the crazy Casa Batlló, built with almost no straight lines, bringing to mind some fantastic beast and La Pedrera, with its 33 balconies and facade looking like a cliff sculpted by nature, wind and waves, both included on the UNESCO Heritage List. We will finish the tour at the undisputed symbol of Barcelona – La Sagrada Família, Gaudí’s ingenious, unfinished creation. It’s a tour you simply can’t miss!
During this 2,5 hour free walking tour, you will see and discover:
- Plaza Cataluña
- Eixample – district with many modernist buildings
- Passeig de Gràcia – one of the most important Barcelona avenues
- Manzana de la Discordia – the Apple of Discord – famous modernist city block with Casa Amatller, Casa Lleó Morera and Casa Batlló
- La Pedrera
- Sagrada Família
- and much, much more!
