Bottom Line: Is Casa Batlló Worth It? What to Know (2023)
With its vibrant colors and distinct whimsical architecture, Casa Batlló is easily one of the most popular recommendations for anyone visiting Barcelona. But is Casa Batlló worth the high price of admission? Is there enough to see inside the building to make the money worthwhile?
In this post, I’ll give you my complete and brutally honest review of Casa Batlló based on my visit in November 2022. And by the end, you’ll hopefully have a better idea of what to expect so you can make the most of your time in Barcelona!
Table of Contents
- Is Casa Batlló Worth it?
- What Is Special About Casa Batlló?
- Is Entering Casa Batlló Worth it?
- What to Expect Inside Casa Batlló
- How Long Do People Spend at Casa Batlló?
- Casa Batlló Price
- Casa Batlló: Blue, Silver, or Gold
- 3 Tips for Visiting Casa Batlló
- Places to Stay Near Casa Batlló
- Wrap-Up: Is Casa Batlló in Barcelona Worth Visiting? (2023)
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Is Casa Batlló Worth it?
I’ll be blunt. Personally, I didn’t think paying the hefty price of €35 to go on a self-guided tour of Casa Batlló was worth it. In fact, my friend and I left feeling disappointed and a bit shafted.
This is because when you look at what you pay versus what you actually get to experience and see, there isn’t a high return on investment.
But, of course, this is all said with 20/20 hindsight…
And I don’t want you to not go just because of my experiences. I mean chances are we have completely different interests.
Instead, I’ll give you tell you a few scenarios in which it may be worth seeing Casa Batlló and some cases where you might be better off skipping it.
Afterward, I’ll explain everything that you can expect during your visit. This way, you can make an educated decision and temper your expectations to avoid unnecessary disappointment if you do end up going!
Casa Batlló Is Worth Visiting If…
You are interested in the history and backstory of one of Gaudí’s most famous works. With the audioguide, the tour offers an inside look at how the building was designed and constructed and provides a deep dive into Gaudí’s thought process.
Thus, for those interested in learning about the more historical side of the building, Casa Batlló is probably worth visiting.
Similarly, I recommend touring if you’re a big fan of Gaudí‘s work and can appreciate the smaller details in the architecture.
I won’t deny that some parts of the house are truly stunning and beautiful. But I think it takes a certain type of person to make spending €35 to admire an unfurnished house worth it.
Instead, I’d use the money to go on a tour around Barcelona that covers a bunch of Gaudí’s works. For instance, this highly-rates e-bike tour goes all over Barcelona, covering other works by Gaudí, Barcelona’s historic Gothic Quarter, Parc de la Cuitadella, and so much more! Not to mention, it’s almost the same price as entrance into Casa Batllo. 🙂
✅🚴♀️Check rates & availability for this popular & affordable e-bike tour around Barcelona
Casa Batlló is NOT Worth Visiting If…
Aside from not falling into any of the categories mentioned above, here are a few other scenarios where I would skip visiting Casa Batlló.
If you’re working on a tight budget or schedule, I would definitely skip Casa Batlló. From a budget traveler’s perspective, it’s pretty expensive, and there are so many other attractions or works by Gaudí that would likely give you a better bang for your buck.
Plus, it’s the worst feeling when you allow yourself to splurge on a travel experience, and then it doesn’t meet your expectations. Instead, consider visiting Casa Batlló when you have a more lenient budget if you’re still interested after reading this post.
Another case where you should skip the colorful house is if you want a really immersive experience.
Personally, I like exploring places that have original furniture or at least staged with replicas of the furniture. This helps me visualize what it was like living in that home or palace during that time period.
With most of the rooms in the house being empty, there isn’t much to see other than the incredible architecture. You’re mostly relying on your imagination to get anything out of the visit.
Lastly, the crowds definitely take away from the experience. Even with tickets for set rigid timeslots, the queues are often endless, and the house is usually jam-packed with tourists. It can be difficult to properly enjoy your visit when you’re constantly surrounded by other people.
Ultimately though, these are just my observations based on my experiences and those of my friends from my hostel.
I highly recommend you continue reading to make the best decision and of course, take everything with a grain of salt! 😉
What Is Special About Casa Batlló?
Casa Batlló is a majestic building positioned on one of the most famous streets in Barcelona, Passeig de Gràcia, but what exactly makes it so special?
For context, Casa Batlló is one of a few architecturally stunning houses that make up the well-known block, Illa de la Discòdia, which translates to the “Block of Discord.” And what makes Casa Batlló stand out compared to the other Modernist houses on the block is its unique architectural design and the symbolism behind the house.
But to really understand the significance and symbolism behind Casa Batlló, we have to take a glance back in time.
Why Was Casa Batlló Built?
Casa Batlló was originally built in 1877 for no special reason. It was just like all the other houses on the block. There was nothing remarkably special about it.
Nevertheless, the house was still purchased by the Batlló family in 1903 because it was located in the heart of Barcelona, in one of the most upscale areas.
And like most people who choose to live in the wealthiest parts of town, the Batlló family wanted a house that would match their high social and financial status.
But they didn’t just want to flaunt their wealth, they wanted a house that was extraordinarily bold, full of imagination, and looked like no other.
Thus, the Batlló family commissioned Antoni Gaudí in 1904 to redesign the home. And while massive changes were made to the interior of the home, the most impressive renovations were done to the exterior façade.
What Is the Symbolism in Gaudí’s Casa Batlló?
When you walk up to Casa Batlló, the first thing you’ll probably notice is the incredible explosion of color on the façade. And while it’s certainly a beautiful sight to see, there’s more to it than meets the eye.
Gaudí designed the house to be a physical embodiment of the famous Catalan Legend of Saint George, who is the patron saint of Catalonia.
According to the Legend of Saint George and the Dragon, a dragon threatened to terrorize and kill people in a village unless a human sacrifice was made. Thus, the villagers always gave someone up as tribute.
However, one year, the dragon demanded that the princess be sacrificed, much to the horror of the local people. To save the princess and the people, Saint George killed the dragon by plunging his sword into the dragon.
And with this knowledge, you’ll start to understand and see the symbolism behind the facade. Casa Batlló is the dragon from the Legend of Saint George and is even referred to as, “the House of the Dragon.”
How is Casa Batlló the Legend of Saint George?
If you look at the front, one of the features you’ll immediately notice are the bone-white balconies that starkly contrast the bright colors of the rest of the façade. These balconies are typically interpreted as representing the skulls of the dragon’s past victims.
Meanwhile, the mesmerizing rooftop directly resembles a dragon. The colorful ceramic tiles are the dragon’s scales, and the arched nature of the structure creates a realistic depiction of the dragon’s back.
You’ll also notice that there’s a clear gradient in terms of color. The left side of the rooftop consists of reds, pinks, and purples, while the right side is composed of various shades of green and blue.
This is because the four-armed cross that makes the peak of the bulb structure symbolizes the sword that Saint George plunged into the dragon. Thus, the pink, red, and purple tiles are supposed to represent the blood that is pouring out of the slain dragon.
These are just some of the many ways that Casa Batlló represents the Legend of Saint George. There are tons of more references inside the house, but I’ll discuss those in a later section.
🐉 Fun Fact: In 2005 Casa Batlló was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the 9 that exists in Barcelona.
Is Entering Casa Batlló Worth it?
Now that you have a pretty good idea of the background and history of the house, it’s time to decide whether Casa Batlló is worth entering.
Personally, after seeing everything on the inside, I don’t think it’s worth paying to enter Casa Batlló. This is because the most beautiful and impressive part of the building is the exterior façade, which is…✨completely free✨
Why pay to enter when you can get the best part for free?
My advice is to instead spend a few minutes admiring Casa Batlló from across the street — this will allow you to get a nice view of the rooftop.
Then, cross the street and spend another few moments admiring the exterior from up close. You’ll be able to take in all the best parts of Gaudí’s iconic masterpiece without paying a dime!
As I mentioned earlier, entering the house is more valuable for those who are really curious about learning the architectural and historical details of Casa Batlló. For example, what the purpose of each room was, or what the room was inspired after.
But if you’re still unsure what to do, here’s what you can expect inside Casa Batlló.
🐉 NOTE: These are my experiences with a Blue tier general visit ticket.
If you purchase a different experience ticket or different tier, you’ll have added bits and pieces.
What to Expect Inside Casa Batlló
When you first enter the house, you’ll receive your audioguide device and walk up a winding staircase. There’s not much to see on this ground floor other than two ceramic vases and a couple of irregularly shaped windows.
But, you’ll notice the various shades of blue mosaic tiles that line the stairway — a recurring theme.
The Noble Floor
At the top of the staircase, you’ll arrive at the Noble floor, which is easily the shining star inside Casa Batlló. Everything feels so whimsical, and you can clearly see how Gaudí was inspired by aquatic life.
For example, the stucco ceiling features several opulent chandeliers that beautifully highlight the pink, blue, brown, and gold tones of the room.
It’s honestly mesmerizing to look at, and you feel as if you’re inside a turtle’s shell.
You’ll also pass through Mr. Batlló’s study and can marvel at the mushroom fireplace alcove that was used for courting couples. Then, you’ll step into the main living room which has lots of sinuous lines curving towards the center of the ceiling.
And on the Passeig de Gràcia side of the room, there are lovely floor-to-ceiling windows with gorgeous gem-colored stained glass. You’ll notice the stained glass windows mimic mollusks and snails, adding to the aquatic theme.
Again, this is one of the best parts of the house, so take your time walking through if you visit.
The rest of the noble floor is less noteworthy and impressive. You walk through the empty dining room and then step out onto the rear courtyard.
Although there are nice elements in the courtyard, it’s quite underwhelming compared to the living room and front exterior façade. The best part is definitely the back wall, which has a bunch of flower pots made out of recycled glass and tile.
The Lightwell
When you re-enter the house, you’ll slowly ascend the staircase next to the lightwell.
The lightwell is essentially an open-air patio that brings in natural light and air from the skylight to the rest of the house. And when you really examine the design, it’s pretty impressive, both architecturally and engineering-wise.
There’s a distinct color gradient — the lightwell transitions from shades of light blue tiles to shades of dark blue tiles as you go up. This is to create a uniform distribution of light across all floors.
Similarly, the windows are largest on the bottom floor and become progressively smaller higher up. This is because more light is needed at the bottom floors to illuminate the spaces.
You’ll also see wooden slits underneath the bottom windows that were used to help regulate temperature and airflow.
And while all of this is fascinating, the downside is that it’s next to impossible to stop and admire the beauty. You’ll discover there’s a massive queue of tourists, and you have to keep walking up to avoid jamming everyone up.
Once you reach the top, you’ll quickly pass by the laundry and servent’s rooms before reaching the roof terrace.
The Roof Terrace & Descent Down
On the roof terrace, you can pay to drink at the rooftop bar. However, I would advise against this as you’ll have no personal space with the number of tourists swarming around.
Plus, the drinks are overpriced, much like the admission ticket. Thus, you’d be better off drinking at another rooftop bar where you can fully enjoy the view.
I will say that the one good thing about the roof terrace is that you can appreciate Gaudí’s architecture up close. You can really see his allusion to the dragon come to life.
Most notably, you’ll see the numerous towering chimney stacks, which evoke the image of the spines on a dragon’s back.
Right: A closer view of the rooftop of Casa Batllò. See the red and purple tiles, which represent blood from the dragon from when Saint George’s thrust his sword into the dragon
On your way back down, you’ll pass through the loft, a space with 60 bone-white catenary arches. It’s often said that the arches represent the ribcage or belly of the dragon.
In the loft, guests also have the opportunity to have a great photo taken from the princess balcony. This is the tiny balcony that sits highest up on the exterior façade.
My friend and I had our picture taken and were disappointed but not surprised to discover that a single print costs $12 USD. 🙃 Thus, we walked away empty-handed.
Then, you’ll walk down the “majestic stairs,” which is an art creation by world-famous architect Kengo Kuma. The surrounding walls of the staircase are adorned with lots of neat lines of chain mail, meant to form the illusion of dragon scales.
Gaudí Cube
Lastly, you’ll experience the Gaudí Cube, which is a quick, extremely colorful light show in the world’s first six-sided LED light cube. It lasts about 3 – 5 minutes (I didn’t time it lol) and is meant to give you an inside look into Gaudí’s mind.
Everything shown is AI-generated and it’s cool, but definitely something I could have easily forgone experiencing. And certainly not so enjoyable or incredible to justify Casa Batlló increasing the general price of admission from €29 to €35. At least, not for me personally.
My Honest Review of Casa Batlló
To put it into one sentence — Casa Batlló is a beautiful display of Gaudí’s genius and creative mind, but everything you need to see is free.
Casa Batlló Price
If you decide to visit Casa Batlló, there are several different visit “experiences” to choose from.
General Visit:
- €35 – €45, depending on tier.
- Entry is from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Night Visit:
- €39 – €49, depending on tier.
- Entry is from 6:30 PM to 8:45 PM
- See the new projections and lighting
Be the First Visit:
- Fixed cost of €45.
- Entry only at 8:30 AM & 8:45 AM.
- Super limited number of tickets available.
- This is best for visiting with almost no crowds and taking the best pictures.
Family Visit:
- €39, Pay an extra €39 per additional person 13+
- Good for 1 adult + children 12 and under
- All-inclusive gold tier ticket
- Entry is from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Casa Batlló Blue, Silver, or Gold
Along with different visit “experiences,” you can also select different ticket tiers. For both the general visit and the night visit, you can select from three tiers: Blue, Silver, and Gold.
Below are the tier options for a general visit ticket. These differ from the tier options available for a night visit.
The Blue tier is the base level package and costs a whooping €35… *bank account cries* With this ticket, you’ll receive…
- An audioguide device that tells you information and stories
- A 360° immersive light show experience in the Gaudí Cube
This is the cheapest option if you aren’t traveling as a family with little ones.
✅ Purchase your Blue tier ticket for Casa Batlló here🇪🇸
The Silver tier is priced at €43. It includes everything in the blue tier and…
- An immersive experience in the Gaudí Dôme
- A virtual reality tablet
- Access to the original concierge room.
🐉 NOTE: The virtual reality tablet allows you to see what the rooms would’ve looked like when they were furnished. It’s all AI-generated and done by pointing the device’s camera at various places around the rooms.
Finally, the Gold tier costs €45. It includes everything in the Silver tier and…
- Entrance to the private residence of the Batllós
- A fast pass
- Flexible date change
- Free cancellation
My Recommendation
If you decide you want to go, and there’s no shame in that, I recommend getting the blue ticket or the gold ticket.
You’re already paying more than €35, and the value you get from the Gold tier is worth the extra €2.
For the most updated information on the different tickets, please check the official website.
How Long Do People Spend at Casa Batlló?
According to the official website, visitors should expect to spend an hour and 15 minutes touring through Casa Batlló. This is based on the length of the recordings on the audioguide.
That said, depending on the amount of foot traffic, it may take a bit longer. This especially applies if you’re trying to take some aesthetic pictures with no one else in the shot.
Just know that while there is no official time limit on how long you can spend inside, there is staff all throughout that tries to keep the line flowing. And I mean, literal non-stop line filtering through the entire house.
So, if you’re trying to gauge how long it takes to go through Casa Batlló, I would say 1.5 hours. Give or take about 15 minutes.
3 Tips for Visiting Casa Batlló
And lastly, to ensure you have the smoothest experience possible on your visit to Casa Batlló, here are a few tips.
- Purchase your ticket online.
It costs an additional €4 for all tickets if you wait to buy them on-site, in person. Plus, the line to purchase a ticket on-site can be quite long, especially around 11 am – 2 pm. Save yourself money and time!
✅ Purchase a general visit ticket here. - Purchase your ticket at least 24 hours in advance.
With a limited number of tickets available per time slot, I recommend purchasing tickets at least 24 hours in advance. This will ensure you get the time slot you want.
I even suggest purchasing them 48 hours in advance during the summertime peak travel season. - Don’t bother arriving before your designated time.
Unless you’re purchasing a ticket specifically for the morning or trying to get that perfect picture, there’s no point in arriving super early. Staff won’t let you into the official entrance line until your ticketed time slot.
My friend and I spent 20 minutes just standing around in a flurry of tourists. And when we tried to get a decent picture, there were always a bunch of tourists in the shot. 🥲
Places to Stay Near Casa Batlló
Even if you’re not planning on going inside Casa Batlló, the area that the famous house is located in is one of the best areas in Barcelona…so if you’re to be centrally located with the city, here are a few places to check out!
Fantastic Hostels
- Unite Hostel — 15 mins from the beach & very clean, I loved it here! | ⭐️ 8.8 / 10
- Hostel One Paralelo — Lovely & clean hostel w/ friendly staff! | ⭐️ 9.8 / 10
Low-Cost Stay
- Aparthotel Silver Barcelona — 3-star hotel near beach | ⭐️ 9 /10
- HG City Suites Barcelona — 4-star hotel near Casa Vicens | ⭐️ 9.2 / 10
Mid-Range Stay
- Hotel Condes de Barcelona — 4-star hotel near Casa Batlló | ⭐️ 9.2 / 10
- Iberostar Selection paseo de Gràcia — gorgeous 4-star hotel | ⭐️ 9.2 / 10
Fancy Stays
- Cotton House Hotel — lovely 5-star hotel w/ pool & restaurant | ⭐️ 8.4 / 10
- Mandarin Oriental — 5-star hotel on Passeig de Gràcia | ⭐️ 9.2 / 10
Feel free to click these buttons to head to your favorite booking platform and see additional housing options there.
Or, feel free to use the interactive map below to explore different housing options! You can drag around to see more options and input your travel dates for even more accurate prices.
Wrap-Up: Is Casa Batlló in Barcelona Worth Visiting? (2023)
Ultimately, I think it’s definitely worth paying a visit to Casa Batlló to admire the colorful exterior façade.
However, I didn’t think it was worth paying €35 to spend an hour and a half walking through an overly crowded, unfurnished house.
That said, these are just my brutally honest opinions. You should decide based on your interests whether it’s worth paying the hefty fee of €35 (or more) to see the interior.
Either way, I hope this has helped temper your expectations and wish you a wonderful time exploring and eating your way through the beautiful city of Barcelona! And as always, feel free to contact me with any questions or to just say hello! 🤠
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