This self-guided walking tour follows that mosaic trail, from whimsical townhouses to noble palaces, from ornate lampposts to tiled storefronts still open for business. Some of these buildings are famous, postcard-familiar. Others are quietly tucked away, waiting for someone curious enough to notice. As you walk and explore, be sure to pop your head into the myriad peaceful coffee shops and tapas bars that catch your eye, it’s worth a look-see!

Table Of Contents

1. History of the Eixample
2. Design & Layout of Eixample
3. Catalan Modernisme
4. Map of Walking Tour
5. Palau Macaya
6. Casa Manuel Llopis Bofill
7. Casa Jeroni Francesc Granell
8. Casa Lamadrid
9. Casa Josefa Villanueva
10. Casa Jaume Forn
11. Queviures Múrria
12. Palau Ramon Montaner
13. Casa Thomas
14. Casa de les Punxes
15. Casa Comalat
16. Palau del Baró de Quadras
17. Hotel Casa Fuster
18. Block of Discord
19. Casa Ramon Casas
20. La Pedrera (Casa Milà)
21. Casa Vídua Marfà
22. Casa Batlló
23. Casa Amatller
24. Casa Lleó Morera
25. Bancs-Fanals
26. Casa Fargas
27. Casa Dolors Calm
28. Fundació Antoni Tàpies
29. Farmàcia Jordi Bolòs Giralt
30. Casa Queraltó

History of the Eixample

Back in the mid-1800s, Barcelona was suffocating. The whole city was still trapped inside its medieval stone walls, and by 1850, nearly 200,000 people were crammed into that tight space. That meant extreme overcrowding, worse than Paris or London at the time. With barely any air or sanitation, disease spread quickly and life expectancy dropped hard: down to just 36 years for the wealthy, and only 23 for workers! People were desperate for space to breathe, and in 1854, the government finally tore down the old fortifications.

That decision opened the door, literally, for the city to stretch out onto the empty plains beyond. A few years later, in 1859, a Catalan engineer named Ildefons Cerdà stepped in with a bold new vision. He proposed a completely different kind of city: open, geometric, and grounded in ideas about hygiene, equality, and sunlight. Not everyone loved his plan, especially since it was pushed through by the Spanish state, overruling a more decorative design that locals had voted for. But Cerdà’s vision stuck. He called it “urbanization,” and it laid the groundwork for the modern Barcelona we know today. Gridded streets, airy courtyards, big leafy boulevards, it all began with this radical idea to reform the city, one square block at a time.

Design & Layout of Eixample

What made Cerdà’s Eixample so distinctive is its signature grid, clean, rational, and almost obsessively thought-out. The blocks were originally designed as perfect squares, each about 113 meters on each side, separated by broad streets that were 20, 30, or even 60 meters wide. But the real twist? Cerdà shaved off the corners. Every block has a 45-degree chamfer, turning intersections into soft octagons. It wasn’t just for looks. These angled corners let more light and air flow through the city, made it easier for horse-drawn carriages (and later cars) to turn, and opened up visibility at crossings.

At the heart of his plan were two simple but radical ideas: equality and hygiene. He imagined each block as its own little ecosystem, where homes, shops, workshops, and green space all coexisted. No towering elites on one end and cramped slums on the other. Every block would have a central garden or courtyard open to the sky, bringing in fresh air, natural light, and a place for residents to gather. He even got specific about the trees, one every 8 meters, and preferably the hardy plane tree, which could handle the dusty city air. Buildings were originally capped at just 3 or 4 stories, and only meant to line two sides of each block. The rest was meant to breathe. Wide boulevards, open courtyards, and plenty of daylight, his dream was a city that felt equal, spacious, and full of life.

Catalan Modernisme

Cerdà gave Barcelona the bones. But it was the artists and architects of Catalan Modernisme who gave the city its unmistakable flair. Emerging in the late 19th century, right around the time Barcelona’s factories were booming and its bourgeoisie was growing bolder, Modernisme was Catalonia’s answer to Art Nouveau.These architects weren’t interested in following the old academic rulebooks. They wanted to create something original, a new art for a modern Catalonia. Their designs were alive with nature: twisted iron vines, stone flowers frozen mid-bloom, colourful tiles shimmering like butterfly wings. Curves replaced corners. Symmetry gave way to flow. And materials, iron, glass, ceramic, brick, were used not just structurally, but joyfully.

Map of Walking Tour

Palau Macaya

We start our tour at the far eastern quarter of the Exiample, at the Palau Macaya. At first glance, Palau Macaya‘s façade greets you with quiet elegance, soft Montjuïc limestone draped in delicately carved sgraffito, arabesques, and allegorical figures that seem to dance above the windows. It’s a palace wrapped in medieval reverie, yet there’s something so modern about its symmetry and crisp lines. You’ll probably notice the whimsical knight on a bicycle, a small delight hidden in plain sight that somehow captures both nostalgia and a forward-thinking spirit. The façade gently curves with the street, almost bowing to pedestrians, while elegant pilasters and balustrades guide your gaze upward to that graceful roofline.

As you stroll around the block, you start to appreciate how the building plays with light and shadow, the shallow reliefs catching the sunshine just so, creating a tapestry of texture that moves with the day. The wrought-iron balconies peek out like delicate balconies of lace, offering glimpses of the private world within. Even without going inside, you feel the building’s warmth and intelligence: a blend of refinement and innovation, anchored in Catalan identity but open and inviting to the world.

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Casa Manuel Llopis Bofill

Make your way west along the Avenue Diagonal, but make a quick turn down the quiet Carrer de Bailèn towards #113, where you’ll see Casa Manuel Llopis Bofill. One of the most quietly striking aspects of Casa Manuel Llopis Bofill is how it leans, gracefully and unmistakably, into an aesthetic that feels almost distinctly Arabic. Moorish, even. You see it in the arches above the windows, the tiled turrets that crown the corner towers, and the way the whole structure seems more like something from Granada or Córdoba than the heart of Barcelona’s Eixample. There’s something softer, more ornamental at play here. Designed in 1902 by Antoni Maria Gallissà, he was drawing on Islamic art and architecture, not copying, but weaving those influences into the local fabric in a way that feels respectful and original. Despite being damaged during the Spanish Civil War, much of the original detail has been carefully restored.

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Casa Jeroni Francesc Granell

Head over one street, to the Carrer de Girona, where you’ll find two of the most fabulous homes in the Eixample, the first being the Casa Jeroni Francesc Granell. This is the home of architect and stained-glass artist Jeroni Granell and it’s every bit as theatrical as you’d expect. Passing by you might not even notice the details right away, but take a moment to look closely and you’ll be amazed at what you see. A wide central bay window that gently bows out toward the street, draped in floral stucco, framed by soft green sgraffito, and topped with glasswork that seems to glow even on overcast days. Sgraffito is a decorative technique that’s all about revealing beauty through layers, literally. The name comes from the Italian “sgraffiare”, meaning to scratch.

The overall effect is delicate, romantic, almost a little wistful. The curved iron balconies feel like jewelry against the soft exterior, while the vines and blossoms carved into the plaster give it a kind of tender movement, as if the whole building is mid-exhale.

Casa Lamadrid

Just a few doors down, you’ll find the Casa Lamadrid. Casa Lamadrid, built in 1902 by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, is a perfect example of how a building doesn’t need to shout to be heard. Compared to some of Domènech’s more theatrical works, like the Palau de la Música or the Hospital de Sant Pau, this house might seem modest at first. But spend a little time with it, and it begins to reveal its layers. The façade, while relatively restrained, brings together many of the elements that defined the architect’s signature style: sculpted stonework, floral symbolism, and a deep sense of proportion and rhythm.

What makes this building truly sing is the ornamental crown that rises above it al, a sculptural flourish that seems to grow from the structure like ivy from a garden wall. It’s decorated with plant motifs that soften the building’s silhouette and connect it back to the organic inspiration that defines so much of Catalan Modernisme. Right in the center, nestled among the curling foliage, is a Gothic-style coat of arms, adding a heraldic, almost medieval touch. It’s a detail that speaks volumes, not just about the architect’s style, but about the era’s fascination with history, nature, and identity.

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Casa Josefa Villanueva

Take a walk along the Carrer de Valencia, towards Casa Josefa Villanueva, designed by Juli M. Fossas and constructed between 1904 and 1909. A bay window, elegant and slightly theatrical, curves around the chamfered edge of the building like a balcony wrapped in stone lace. It’s one of those features that feels both sculptural and structural at once, like it grew out of the façade rather than being placed on it. What’s especially striking is the way the slender columns beneath the bay seem to echo organic forms. They don’t read like classical pillars. They’re more sinuous, more anatomical. There’s something vaguely skeletal about them, as if they were ribs or bones holding up a delicate skin of glass and stone. It’s subtle, but it gives the whole corner a slightly surreal edge, like nature and architecture are quietly negotiating with each other. In a neighbourhood known for its florid façades and showpiece balconies, this one stands apart, more introspective, more tactile.

Casa Jaume Forn

Tucked into a sunny corner between Carrer de València and Carrer de Roger de Llúria, Casa Jaume Forn is one of those buildings that stops you mid-step, less for its size (though it’s a big one) and more for its presence. Designed originally by Jeroni F. Granell i Manresa and completed later by Domènech i Boada when Jaume Forn became the owner, it stands today as a quiet icon of the Quadrat d’Or, the Eixample’s golden grid of Modernista marvels.

What draws the eye instantly are the stained glass bay windows that wrap around the building’s chamfered corners. They glow with colour and fine detail, even on overcast days, catching the light like jewelry strung across the façade. The leaded panels, most likely crafted by the legendary Taller Rigalt i Granell, are intricate and organic, full of floral flourishes and delicate patterning. They don’t just decorate the building; they transform it. From the street, the glass gives off the feeling of a living canvas, as if the building is watching the city through a lens tinted by art.

Queviures Múrria

Tucked into a busy corner of Carrer de Roger de Llúria, Queviures Múrria looks more like a perfectly preserved film set than a functioning shop. But step inside, and you’ll discover that it’s both. Originally opened in 1898 as a coffee roaster and rolled-wafer maker, this gem of a colmado (traditional grocery) still holds fast to its Modernista soul. The exterior is a feast for the eyes, fire-glazed stained glass signs from the 1920s shimmer above the windows, proudly advertising Anís del Mono and Codorníu in bold, romantic fonts. They’re reproductions of original poster designs by Ramon Casas, and they lend the storefront a theatrical quality, as if time stopped mid-scene.

Inside, the time-travel sensation deepens. The original mahogany cabinetry, old mechanical clock, marble counters, and delicate glass shelving all remain intact, lovingly preserved through generations. Even more special? You might still find Joan Múrria himself behind the counter, offering curated selections of cheeses, smoked fish, conserves, and wine with the kind of pride and care you rarely see in modern retail.

Palau Ramon Montaner

Just off Passeig de Gràcia, where Carrer de Mallorca meets Roger de Llúria, you’ll find one of the few surviving mansions from the Eixample’s early golden age: Palau Ramon de Montaner. It’s a grand, eclectic building with Modernista bones and a distinctly Italianate flair, a rare hybrid that sets it apart from the more organic, nature-drunk facades found elsewhere in the district. Construction began in 1889, shortly after the Universal Exhibition, under the architect Josep Domènech i Estapà, who was originally tasked with designing twin homes for the founders of the Montaner i Simón publishing house. But due to creative disagreements, Estapà left the project midway, and the commission was handed off to his nephew, none other than Lluís Domènech i Montaner, a rising star in the world of Catalan Modernisme. Rather than demolish what his uncle had started, Domènech i Montaner kept the structure intact and turned his attention to reimagining the decoration, both inside and out.

From the outside, it’s the richly adorned ceramic frieze that first catches the eye: a tapestry of glazed tiles, heraldic symbols, and botanical motifs, all shimmering in metallic tones under the deep eaves. The upper façade also bears a mosaic date, 1895, the year the work was completed, surrounded by sculpted flourishes that hint at the sumptuousness waiting behind the doors.

Casa Thomas

Casa Thomas, tucked along Carrer de Mallorca, is one of those buildings that catches your eye slowly, then refuses to let go. Designed in 1895 by Lluís Domènech i Montaner for the printer Josep Thomas, the house originally had just two storeys: a printing workshop on the ground floor and the Thomas family’s residence above. The façade is a symphony of detail. Cool, bluish tones ripple through floral stonework, neo-Gothic arches lift the windows, and if you look closely at the entrance, you’ll find carved reptilian figures crawling through the stone, one of Domènech i Montaner’s signature eccentric touches. His language of architecture is never just form, it’s narrative. Here, nature coils and blooms across the façade like it’s part of a larger, slower story unfolding in stone. Even after Francesc Guàrdia (his son-in-law) added three upper floors in 1912, raising the towers, extending balconies, and threading a gallery across the top, the overall composition holds together in a way that feels balanced, intentional, and still very much in tune with its original soul.

Casa Thomas is often called a compendium of Modernisme, and for good reason: sculpted stone galleries, wrought-iron balconies, delicate floral motifs, neo-Gothic flourishes, it’s all here, coexisting in quiet harmony. Though altered and restored over time (most notably in 1980 by architect Cristian Cirici, who won a National Restoration Award for his work), the spirit of the original design remains. It’s not just a pretty façade. It’s a record of ambition, imagination, and the lasting power of beauty.

Casa de les Punxes

Casa de les Punxes (also known as Casa Terradas) looks like it was plucked from a medieval storybook and dropped right onto Avinguda Diagonal, where it meets Carrer Rosselló and Carrer Bruc. Six sharp towers rise from the brick façade, giving it the nickname “House of Spikes”, and it lives up to the drama. In 1905, Josep Puig i Cadafalch, one of Catalan Modernisme’s greats, was commissioned to build a home for the three Terradas sisters: Àngela, Josefa, and Rosa. Rather than design three separate houses, he created a single structure with a unified façade and individual wings. The result is a Neo-Gothic fortress full of symbolism, invention, and flair.

Look closely and you’ll find more than beauty. Ceramic panels show Saint George slaying the dragon beneath the words, “Patron Saint of Catalonia, give us back our freedom.” Anagrams of the sisters’ initials circle the towers, and zodiac signs appear alongside floral carvings, pomegranates, and grapes. Every detail feels deliberate. Puig i Cadafalch didn’t work alone. He enlisted master artisans, Enric Monserdà, Ballarín, Amigó, and more, to bring the sculpted stone, stained glass, and wrought iron to life. Structurally, it was ahead of its time too: he replaced load-bearing walls with iron columns, creating wide open interiors, a radical move for 1905.

Casa Comalat

Further down the Avenue Diagonal, you’ll come upon the Casa Comalat. A building that feels like a hidden love letter to Gaudí. Designed by Salvador Valeri i Pupurull between 1909 and 1911, it’s one of the most original and playful examples of late Catalan Modernisme. While Gaudí himself had no hand in it, his influence is all over this place, from the flowing lines to the floral motifs to the fantastical surfaces that make the building feel alive. There are two façades, and they couldn’t be more different. The main face, on Avinguda Diagonal, is elegant and symmetrical. Sculpted stone, floral garlands, and a grand wrought iron doorway hint at Valeri’s careful eye for detail. At the top, a green-glazed ceramic turret shaped like a harlequin’s hat peeks out over a crown of sculpted balconies.

But swing around to Carrer de Còrsega, and the building suddenly lets loose. The back façade bulges outward like it’s exhaling, wrapped in undulating wooden galleries and covered in vibrant ceramic mosaics by Lluís Bru i Salelles. The curves here feel less refined and more rebellious, wild parabolic arches, warped lines, and organic forms that call to mind Gaudí’s Casa Batlló or La Pedrera, but with a slightly surreal twist. Commissioned by financier Joan Comalat Aleñà as a private residence, this was Valeri’s attempt to create a home where straight lines barely existed.

Palau del Baró de Quadras

Architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch was commissioned in 1900 to transform a simple residential block on Carrer Rosselló into something spectacular for the Baron of Quadras, now dubbed Palau Baró de Quadras. And wow, did he deliver. He reoriented the entrance toward Avinguda Diagonal, which was quickly becoming one of the city’s most prestigious boulevards. The façade here is a love letter to Northern European palaces: intricately carved stonework, sculpted busts of medieval figures, heraldic shields, and balconies that practically whisper of nobility. Sculptors Eusebi Arnau and Alfons Juyol brought the stone to life.

Since 2013, the palace has housed the Institut Ramon Llull, an organization dedicated to promoting the Catalan language and culture around the world. A point made clear by the large Catalan flag fluttering outside the windows, a bold, unmistakable marker of identity, pride, and purpose in the heart of the Eixample.

Hotel Casa Fuster

At the very top of Passeig de Gràcia, where the avenue opens into the Jardinets de Gràcia, stands a building that whispers instead of shouts. Casa Fuster, built between 1908 and 1911 by the celebrated Lluís Domènech i Montaner, is a masterclass in elegance and restraint. A more subtle take on modernisme. Pale. Poised. And profoundly detailed. It was commissioned by Mariano Fuster, a Mallorcan lawyer, as a gift for his wife, Consol Fabra i Puig. Her initials still appear carved into one of the facades. But this wasn’t some modest love letter. At the time, it was the most expensive private residence in Barcelona, thanks in large part to the lavish use of white marble and other rare materials.

Domènech i Montaner’s trademark elements are easy to spot: nature-inspired floral motifs, trilobed arches, robust columns set on red stone bases, and a central tower-like oriel window that anchors both façades. At the top, a line of French-style garrets adds a surprising and somewhat whimsical finish, something rarely seen in Catalan modernista buildings. For years, the building served a more practical purpose, housing the offices of ENHER, the city’s electric company. Poet Salvador Espriu once lived here too, and today the garden across the street bears his name. In the 1960s, the building nearly disappeared, slated for demolition to make way for a skyscraper. It was only after public outcry that Casa Fuster was saved, restored instead of erased. Today, Hotel Casa Fuster blends modern luxury with the soul of its historic design.

One of its most iconic spaces, the Café Vienès, has been brought back to life, formerly a gathering place for artists and thinkers, now hosting atmospheric jazz nights under original stained glass and carved ceilings.

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Block of Discord

As we make our way down along Passasge de Gràcia, we are entering the Block of Discord (Illa de la Discòrdia in Catalan). It’s one of the most famous and eccentric stretches of architecture in the city. Why the name “Block of Discord”? It’s not about arguments. It’s about artistic rivalry. The name is a playful jab at the visual discord between the wildly different styles of three side-by-side Modernista masterpieces, each designed by a different prominent architect. Think of it like a flamboyant architectural face-off.

Casa Ramon Casas

Ramon Casas, painter, illustrator, and central figure of Catalan Modernisme, wasn’t just a celebrated artist. He was also part of Barcelona’s upper class, and like many of his contemporaries, he wanted to leave a mark on Passeig de Gràcia. In 1898, he commissioned architect Antoni Rovira i Rabassa, son of the notable urban planner Antoni Rovira i Trias, to design a home that would serve both as a residence and a working studio.

Located at number 96 on the promenade, just one building away from Gaudí’s La Pedrera, the Casa Casas-Carbó is a refined example of early Modernista architecture. With a carved stone façade, elegant sculptural details, and distinctive grandstands on the main floor, the building exudes a quiet sophistication. The iron-and-wood entrance door is particularly remarkable, and the decorative elements, ceramic, wrought iron, and sculpted stone, capture the essence of the movement’s love for craftsmanship and nature.

Today, the space has been transformed into the flagship store of Massimo Dutti, but its artistic legacy hasn’t been erased. The renovation carefully respected the building’s heritage, restoring mosaic floors, coffered ceilings, carved woodwork, and the magnificent marble staircase.

La Pedrera (Casa Milà)

La Pedrera, meaning “The Stone Quarry,” officially known as Casa Milà, sits at the corner of Passeig de Gràcia and Carrer de Provença. From the moment you see it, you realize this isn’t just another building. It’s a wave of undulating stone. A living, breathing sculpture that feels more like a mountain than a home. The facade is made entirely of rough, pale limestone. No flat surfaces. No right angles. It moves like fabric caught in a breeze. Windows are scattered irregularly across the stone, each framed with intricate wrought iron that twists and curls like seaweed or vines. These iron balconies, designed by Josep Maria Jujol, feel like nature gone wild in metal.

At street level, the grand entrance arches are massive and organic, almost like the hollowed trunks of ancient trees. Step back and look up, the building doesn’t rise so much as ripple. It looks alive. Like it was carved by water or grown from the earth rather than designed. On the roof, a forest of surreal chimneys and ventilation towers crowns the structure. They look like warriors or guardians sculpted in stone, frozen mid-step. Even from the sidewalk, you can see their otherworldly silhouettes.

Casa Vídua Marfà

One of the architectural highlights along Passeig de Gràcia is Casa Vídua Marfà, designed by architect Manuel Comas i Thos in 1901 and completed in 1905. This richly layered building stands at the corner of Passeig de Gràcia 66 and Carrer València, making the most of the chamfered intersection. Originally built as a residence, it rises five stories high and blends several historical styles, especially Romanesque and Gothic, while incorporating touches of Modernisme on the ground floor and within the staircase.

The building is now protected as a Cultural Asset of Local Interest. Its most eye-catching features include two decorative towers, balconies with vegetal capital columns, and a graceful Gothic-inspired loggia. On the ground level, arches carved in stone hint at Modernista influence, and inside, a grand staircase with stained glass and ironwork leads to what was once the main living space.

The old carriage entrance, accessed via the chamfered corner, is considered one of the most elegant in the area. Above it, a medieval-style gallery with semicircular arches and stained glass lends further distinction to the upper floor.

Commissioned by Emili Marfà i Martigas and his wife Isabel Palau i Vera, the building remained in the family before being repurposed. Today, it houses the Formatic Barna University School of Public Relations and Marketing, along with the School of Communication, Tourism and Business. Visitors are welcome inside, free of charge.

Casa Batlló

The exterior of Casa Batlló is pure fantasy in stone, glass, and ceramic. Designed by Antoni Gaudí and completed in 1906, it stands out even among the showiest buildings of Passeig de Gràcia. The façade ripples like water, undulating across five floors with a skin of colorful trencadís mosaic that shifts from blues to greens to gold, catching the light at different times of day like a living thing.

Its balconies resemble masks or bones, depending on how you look at them. Some say they look like the jaws of sea creatures or fragments of skulls. Others see Venetian masks, with their hollowed eyes and delicate iron railings. The windows on the main floor are especially striking, massive ovals framed in carved stone that curves like melted wax, supported by bone-like columns that seem more organic than architectural.

At the top, the roofline mimics the spine of a dragon, its arched back covered in iridescent ceramic tiles like scales. A small tower rises near one end, capped with a four-armed cross, perhaps the lance that slayed the dragon in the legend of Sant Jordi. This fairytale symbolism is intentional. The entire façade feels like a living storybook, somewhere between a coral reef and a dream.

Casa Amatller

Puig i Cadafalch drew from a mix of architectural traditions to create something deeply personal and symbolic. He reinterpreted Romanesque and Catalan Gothic styles and added a stepped gable that recalls the medieval townhouses of northern Europe. The entire façade is a visual narrative, filled with sculpted details that reference Amatller’s life and passions, from almond branches (a nod to the family name) to figures representing industry, collecting, and the arts.

The building’s uppermost floor, with its unusual and eye-catching gable, was designed to house Amatller’s photography studio. It sits slightly set apart from the rest of the structure due to the chemicals used at the time, but it was also an artistic centerpiece. The staggered cornice, ornate windows, and sculptural frames all reflect Puig i Cadafalch’s attention to asymmetry, texture, and storytelling.

Casa Lleó Morera

Casa Lleó i Morera is one of the great landmarks of Barcelona’s Modernisme movement. Designed by the celebrated architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, it sits at number 35 on Passeig de Gràcia, right on the corner with Carrer del Consell de Cent. Together with Casa Amatller by Puig i Cadafalch and Casa Batlló by Gaudí, it forms part of the Illa de la Discòrdia, a block known for its clashing architectural styles. Of the three, Casa Lleó i Morera is the only one that received the City of Barcelona’s artistic building award in 1906.

Casa Lleó i Morera represents a collaboration between many of the finest artists and artisans of the era. Sculptor Eusebi Arnau created the expressive stone figures, mosaicists Mario Maragliano and Lluís Brú laid intricate tilework, Antoni Rigalt designed the stained-glass windows, and Gaspar Homar contributed furniture and wood carvings. The result is a unified artistic vision, rich in detail and craftsmanship.

The façade is particularly elaborate. At the corner, a rounded grandstand rises vertically and culminates in a small domed shrine. The ground floor was originally adorned with graceful feminine sculptures that referenced modern technologies of the time, including the telephone and electricity. Some of these elements were lost during mid-century renovations, although a few were salvaged and now appear in the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres.

Bancs-Fanals

Pere Falqués i Urpí, the municipal architect at the time, designed thirty-one of the now-iconic lamp-benches in 1906 to bring both light and artistic flair to the Passeig de Gràcia. Their ornate design was meant to reflect the grandeur and luxury of the surrounding architecture. Made from masonry and decorated in the trencadís mosaic technique so closely tied to Catalan modernism, these benches are topped by elegant wrought iron lampposts crafted by the Ballarín ironworks. With sweeping, whiplike curves, the lamps embody the fluid lines of Art Nouveau.

Though long attributed to Falqués, some still credit Gaudí with their design—likely a reflection of just how seamlessly they blend into the spirit of Modernisme. By the 1980s, many of the original benches had fallen into disrepair and were carefully restored by the city.

Casa Fargas

Casa Fargas, designed by architect Enric Sagnier in 1904, is a refined example of Catalan modernism that stands out for its elegant restraint. Located on Rambla de Catalunya, this residential building was commissioned by Dr. Miquel Fargas, a figure linked to the city’s wood trade, and reflects both the material and cultural richness of the era.

Unlike many of Sagnier’s more ornate creations, Casa Fargas embraces a more subdued style. Its most striking exterior features are the undulating bay windows framed in stone, which evoke a soft French Art Nouveau aesthetic. These windows, especially those on the main floor, are decorated with floral and symbolic carvings that echo the decorative language of Catalan modernism.

Casa Dolors Calm

Located on Rambla de Catalunya, Casa Dolors Calm was originally an existing building that got its full Modernista makeover from the architect Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas, the same mind behind the Arc de Triomf and the vibrant Casa Bruno Cuadros on La Rambla. His redesign gave the building not only its signature façade, but also an artistic flair that once extended to its interiors.

The centerpiece of Casa Dolors Calm is impossible to miss: a dramatic stretch of bay windows framed in exquisite wooden marquetry that dominates the entire main façade. This grandstand runs across five floors and is crafted with intricate cabinetmaking and polychrome stained glass, making it one of the building’s most prized features.

In contrast, the side sections of the façade feel almost secondary, flat in comparison and visually receding behind the vivid central projection. But look again and you’ll notice the scarlet red and sky blue sgraffito work that brightens these surfaces, each floor accented with a wrought iron balcony.

Fundació Antoni Tàpies

The Fundació Antoni Tàpies sits inside one of the earliest Modernista buildings in the Eixample, originally designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner in the 1880s for the Montaner i Simón publishing house. The façade is a beautiful blend of red brick and iron, marked by graceful arches and narrow windows that stretch vertically across the structure. There’s something both industrial and ornate about it—functional yet undeniably decorative. This balance between practicality and artistic flourish reflects the spirit of Modernisme before Gaudí’s more flamboyant touch took over the city’s architectural scene.

Farmàcia Jordi Bolòs Giralt

The Farmàcia Jordi Bolòs Giralt is a charming example of Catalan Modernisme tucked into a quieter stretch of the Eixample. Its exterior features gracefully curved woodwork, stained glass signage, and a warm, earthy color palette that immediately sets it apart from more utilitarian storefronts. The name of the pharmacy appears not just on a sign but embedded in artistic glass panels above the door, blending beauty with purpose.

Inside, it still functions as a real pharmacy, but it feels more like stepping into a perfectly preserved piece of history. Wooden cabinets with glass-fronted drawers line the walls, filled with classic apothecary jars. A brass-trimmed counter and mirrored shelving reflect soft light, giving the whole space a warm, nostalgic glow. It’s a living museum of everyday life from over a century ago, where the artistry of the past still quietly shapes the present.

Casa Queraltó

Our final stop is Casa Queraltó, and one of those buildings that quietly stops you in your tracks. A grand corner residence, it stretches confidently across the junction of Rambla de Catalunya and Carrer de Mallorca, dressed in a soft pink sgraffito that gives the entire facade a gentle glow. Designed by Josep Plantada Artigas between 1906 and 1907, it channels the spirit of Modernisme with an elegant, restrained hand.

While some of its original flourishes, like the small rooftop temple and decorative pinnacles, have disappeared, the building still holds its own with striking semicircular bay windows framed by delicate arches and slender columns. There’s a lovely rhythm to its facade, a balance of boldness and detail. And for those who enjoy a bit of historical serendipity, this is also the birthplace of Teodoro Moscoso, the future U.S. ambassador and key figure in Puerto Rico’s mid-20th-century economic transformation.

Wandering through the Eixample, it’s easy to get lost in the big names and grand gestures. But it’s buildings like Casa Queraltó that remind you why Modernisme still stirs something in us. The curve of a window, the warmth of pink sgraffito catching the afternoon sun, the way ornament and architecture dance together, none of it shouts, yet all of it lingers. These streets hold more than history; they hold personality, memory, and quiet flair. Keep looking up!

Happy Travels, Adventurers!

The post The Ultimate Self-Guided Walking Tour of Barcelona’s Eixample District first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

You might be thinking, “A hospital you say? That doesn’t sound too exciting.” Well, this is a hospital unlike any other and nothing like you’ve ever seen before. The Hospital is no longer in use but has been transformed into a tourist destination called the Sant Pau Modernista Precinct. The building has been classified as a World Heritage Site. The reason? This is one of the best examples of Barcelona’s incredible Art Nouveau or Modernisme movement in the city.

Table Of Contents

1. Access & Admission
2. Architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner 
3. Catalan Modernisme
4. History of the Building
5. Gates
6. Facade
7. Admission Gate
8. Hypostyle Hall
9. Tunnels
10. Courtyard
11. Gardens
12. The Administration Pavilion 
13. Principal Stairway
14. Domènech i Montaner Hall
15. Old Cambó Library
16. The Archive Space
17. Pavilions
18. San Salvador Pavilion
19. Operations House
20. San Rafael
21. Restaurant

Access & Admission

Although the Hospital is a little out of the way from the main tourist area, it is still easily accessible. The Blue Line Metro stops at Sant Pau/Dos de Maig station which is located 5-minutes walk away from the entrance. The #47 bus route also stops at the station. So if you happen to be near a bus route, it might be easier than the transfers required to get to the blue line. If you’re visiting the Sagrada Familia, one of the best ways to access the Hospital is along the scenic Avinguda de Gaudí. This pedestrian route was actually designed to connect the two significant landmarks.

Accessibility

The Sant Pau Modernista Precinct has no architectural barriers and is entirely wheelchair accessible. There are lifts to service the second level for those in wheelchairs and those with reduced mobility. Staff are on hand should you require an alternative route or help with access. Entrances to the outbuilding all have sloping ramps to get inside. If you are travelling with a service dog, they are allowed inside so long as you have their identification cards. Remember, disabled visitors are entitled to reduced admission. All in all it is one of the best laid out places in terms of accessibility and I found that to be wonderfully inclusive.

Tickets

Self-Guided visits are open Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 2:30 pm. On the weekends and holidays, the buildings are open a bit longer, from 10 am to 5 pm. The site is closed on December 25th, 26th and January 1st and 6th. Buying Tickets in advance is ALWAYS recommended in Barcelona, especially if you’re travelling during the high season. Ticket Prices for a Self-guided visit are 15 € for adults, but there are discounts for students and seniors.

COVID Considerations

Since the building complex is so spacious and a lot of it is outdoors, it is a great place to feel safe when visiting. The staff on-site have also taken many precautions for visitors. For more information on those measures and what protocol you must follow over on their site go directly to their website.

Architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner 

While today Gaudi might be the most famous architect out of Barcelona, it was actually Lluís Domènech I Montaner who is considered to be the father of the Catalan Art Nouveau style. Catalan Art Nouveau, better known as “Modernisme” was popularized by Gaudi’s loud designs but it all started with Domènech who designed the place we are visiting today.

Lluís Domènech I Montaner was born in Barcelona in 1850. His mother came from a wealthy family and his father was already a working artist. This all lent itself to Domènech being a creative from an early age and having the finances to pursue his studies. After studying physics and mathematics in school, he enrolled in the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid. With a background in the science, he went on to learn more about art to become an architect. In addition to the typical studies, he also had a focus in historical heraldry. These heraldric designs are prominent symbols seen throughout the hospital. After finishing his studies, he travelled the world. He wanted to learn as much as possible about the most famous architectural structures in places like Italy, Austria and Germany.

Catalan Nationalism

When he finally returned to Barcelona, he took on a teaching position at the Barcelona School of Architecture. It was there that he taught none other than Antoni Gaudí himself. While inspired by these great international buildings, he also embraced his rich Catalan culture and history in his projects. Domènech was politically committed to Catalan Nationalism. Catalan nationalism is the ideology asserting that the Catalans are a distinct nation. This fight for independence is an issue the region is still struggling with today.

Catalan Modernisme

This belief in Catalan Nationalism drove Domènech to the creation of Catalan Modernisme. He believed that the very best moments from art history could be found in Medieval Catalonia. It was during his time teachings that he developed the ideologies and element which created the Modernisme style.

Many of the elemental decorations in his work were inspired by the Hispano-Arabic architectural traditions that existed in medieval Catalonia. This included mosaics, ceramics and stained glass all arranged together in exquisite harmony. Modernisme rejected bourgeois values and adopted a bohemian style. The characteristics of Modernisme included rich decoration, asymmetry, vegetal and organic motifs, curving and undulating lines, and the use of new dynamic shapes. In addition to the Sant Pau Modernist Precinct, Domènech designed other landmarks in Barcelona such as Fonda Espanya, Lleó Morera House, Fuster House and my favourite, the Palau de la Música Catalana.

History of the Building

Walking up to this building, you can’t imagine that the foundations of it date back to 1401! During the great plague of 1348 that swept through Barcelona, about one-third of their population died. Many of these deaths were thought to have been preventable and due to the fact that people simply didn’t have access to public health care. After the plague, the city decided to join together six smaller hospitals to form what would become the “Hospital de la Santa Cruz.” The new hospital was very simple but all the remains of that structure were destroyed in 1588 when a great fire broke out.

Paul Gil

The renovations we see today didn’t take place until the 20th century after the patronage of rich banker Paul Gil. Construction on the new hospital began in 1902. To finish the magnum opus Domènech had envisioned it took over 18 years to complete. During the later half of its construction, work was carried out by architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner’s son Joan Domènech i Montaner.

After almost 80 years in operation, the hospital finally outgrew its current space. Plus, despite all the modern architectural inventions the building was past its prime. A new building was required to house all the 21st-century technology that hospitals now require. So the ‘Nou Hospital De La Santa Creu i Sant Paul‘ was built next door to make for an easy transition. The old Hospital was still as beautiful as ever and it was named a World Heritage Site in 1997. New renovations took place to turn the space into a mixture of a tourist site and historical archive.

Layout of the Hospital

The Hospital complex covers more than 9 city blocks and consists of over 30 buildings. The Hospital was designed to operate as an autonomous city. The pavilions looked like separate apartment buildings divided by internal “streets” and opulent gardens. The complex contained its own church, convent, kitchens and pharmacy in addition to all the hospital facilities. This meant the sick patient could feel like they were still living their “normal” city lives but always within the safety of the hospital staff and medical offices.

Before entering into the grounds of the hospital take a minute to admire the entirety of the building from afar. It is such a spectacular sight, and if you didn’t know already that it was a hospital, one would only imagine that it would have to be a church or some kind of regal palace.

Gates

The gates that welcome you into the complex are brilliant gothic wrought iron design. The swirling bars climb up the gates which are capped with a large iron Saint George cross. Although most commonly associated with England, Saint George is actually the patron saint of Catalonia, where they call him “Sant Jordi.” Since the 8th century, Sant Jordi has been adorned with churches and chapels dedicated in his name and every year, they celebrated Sant Jordi Day on April 23rd. Their Sant Jordi day is similar to Valentine’s Day, with a focus on romantic festivities, including the giving and receiving of roses. The rose is significant for Sant Jordi as the legend goes that when he killed the village dragon, roses spilled from the wound. Domènech was passionate about religious iconography and so many elements of the Hospital possess these hidden secrets.

The fence surrounding the hospital’s perimeter is laid out on a gradual incline, giving the building the appearance of being set on a raised pedestal. In the rest of the enclosure, set into the stone posts are icons of Catalan heraldry as well as the “Cross pattée.” The “Cross pattée” is a type of Christian cross with arms that are narrow at the centre and flare out in a curve. The design is very reminiscent of crosses in medieval art. It was a symbol used by the Teutonic Knights (or Knights Templar) as their emblem.

Saint Paul

On either side of the gates are brick columns, topped with stone blooming flowers, organic motifs, rosettes and more heraldric symbols. On the west side of the gates, under a stone canopy is the image of St. Paul, the patron saint of the Hospital. He stands proudly with his sword in hand.

Facade

Passing through the front gates, step up onto the first tier of stairs. Take a look at the unique design of the front façade. It is oriented on a forty-five-degree angle as if staring straight down at the incredible Sagrada Familia. Although the view is to die for, the reason that Domènech positioned the entrance like this was actually for function over form. Facing this way, the building could take better advantage of the fresh sea air which flowed in. Fresh air was essential for ventilating the Hospital. Fresh air, as we well know after Covid, is necessary to protect from diseases. This kind of facade is called a “chamfered” design. These cut away angeled buildings were a popular design feature in the Eixample district in Barcelona during the art nouveau era. If you’ve toured this neighbourhood you’ll have seen many of them usually surrounding large cross-streets.

Paul Gil Sculpture

In the center of the wide-stepped entrance is a giant stone statue dedicated to the memory of Pau Gil. Aristocratic banker Pau Gil was born in Barcelona but spent much of his life in Paris. But his love for the city never waned. When he died in 1898 he had no wife or children. Instead, he willed his money to be given to the hospital to build a new modern complex. Gil wanted to see the hospital transformed not only in its technology but also in its artful architecture. Gil’s image is carved atop a stone plinth. Below him is a group of three figures. In the centre, a gentle nurse embraces a child on her left and an old gentleman on her right. Representing the poor and sick who are all welcomed with open arms here in the hospital.

Lower Level Facade

The main facade of the hospital is divided into four main spaces. On the lower level are three large access doors surrounded by raised arches. Floral decorated columns support these arches. Each of the archivolts is decorated with blue and white tiles with the initials “P” and “G” set into the tiles. These initials allude of course to the hospital’s patron Paul Gil. Set amongst the initials are a series of iconographic elements which repeat throughout the entire building like the Saint Geroge Cross and Catalan emblem.

Four stone sculptures peer out of the columns. These were made by sculptor Pablo Gargallo. They represent three theological virtues (faith, hope and charity). The fourth sculpture is “man” also called “the work.” Work, or in this case the architecture, is thought to be the vessel in which man can help communicate these values.

Mosaics

Along the facade of the building are a series of decorative mosaics made by Francesc Lavarta and Mario Maragliano. Barons, saints and doctors are all presented together to tell the story of the hospital’s history. The images are so rich and illustrative they feel like a storybook embedded into the bricks. The history wraps around the entirety of the building, so what you see on the front is continue on the other side’s inner courtyard.

Second Level

The second level comprising a series of Trefoil windows with rich neo-Gothic designs. The middle section of the trefoil is much taller than the rest, differing from most traditional trefoil windows. These kinds of windows are also known as lobed windows. The wooden frames are painted in a pale pastel green which feels so iconically art nouveau. Set inside are bright coloured stained glass which we will study in more detail when we enter inside.

Third Level

The third floor is dominated by a large blind arch with the coats of arms of the Hospital of Sant Pau embedded within. It is a slight evolution from the original coat of arms of the Hospital of the Holy Cross. This newer version features the royal crown atop the shield and instead of two kneeling angels, are two triumphant angels standing guard. The sculpture was designed by Eusebi Arnau. The angels on either side of the shield represent two versions of Aesculapius. Aesculapius was the Greek god of medicine, aptly featured in the hospital. The one on the left holds the book of life in his hands, whereas the one on the right carries a staff with a coiled serpent. This symbol is called a Caduceus and is often seen in pharmacies as their symbol.

Hospital of the Holy Cross Shield

The shield in the center depicts the emblem of the Hospital of the Holy Cross. This coat of arms contains the Saint George’s cross on the left combined with the coat of arms of Barcelona on the right. Behind the circular iconography, there is a celestial sphere decorated with blue and yellow mosaic. The crown atop the shield is also part of the Barcelona emblem.

Protective Saints

On either side of the central shield are two sets of saints set against a golden yellow mosaic background. The east and west side are divided by the sexes of the saint, with St. Joseph, St. James and St. John on the right and St. Teresa, St. Anna and St. Catherine of Siena on the left. Each one of these saints has an element of protection given to their patronage.

Although difficult to see from below, these saints are more realistically carved than the angular designs of the saint on the lower level. Perhaps because these saints were based on real people rather than virtues, their visages are given a more authentic depiction by artist Gargallo. Ornately carved canopies protect the sculptures from the elements.

Clock Tower

The crowning glory of the facade is the 32 meter-tall clock tower. One of the facts I love most about the tower is the fact that it is hollow. To support this lace-like tracery design there are buttresses made of stone that sprout from the sides of the quadrangular brick base. The design of the tower is also angeled out slightly to give it that slightly unique appearance. The supporting tower is decorated with a tracery railing that blends shields with alternating crosses and bars. At the pinnacle of the facade is one singular angel, her hands placed together softly to the side of her face.

Admission Gate

Enter the building through the lower left-hand entrance to where you’ll find the ticket office. Once entering you’ll head off to the left to explore a few small exhibition rooms which give you a detailed history and lots more information about the building. There are also a few scale models of the complex on display too. These really give you an idea of the scope and size of the hospital. Looking at the model, you can see how the floorplan and pattern of the streets is designed to look like a human being. The admission pavilion is the person’s arms spread wide to receive the incoming patients. The pavilions inside are the ribs that hold the place together.

Hypostyle Hall

One of the first rooms you’ll pass through is the underground Hypostyle Hall. This room has some of the most beautiful brick arches with brilliant green ceramic decorations inlaid. These arches are mainly structural, yet they are beautifully decorated. This idea of adding decoration to even the most minute details is what the architecture of the hospital is all about. Originally this space was designed to be used as a communication and distribution office. In later years, it actually went on to house the emergency service department. The hall provides access to the staff to the underground galleries that connected the outdoor pavilions. In total, there is over one kilometre of underground hallways that connect all these seemingly separate outdoor buildings together.

Tunnels

All 27 of the various outdoor pavilions were connected together through these unseen underground passages. These were used to transfer patients to different hospital areas without other patients seeing them. This allowed the outdoors to be a more peaceful environment and the medical aspect of the complex was almost hidden away. These tunnels acted like the arteries of the hospital. Once more lending itself to the idea that the hospital itself is a living being. Functionally, these tunnels also hid away all the wires and pipes for the gas, electricity, water and steam.

Courtyard

Exiting the tunnels you will come out in the open-air courtyard and surrounding pavilions. While the street-facing facade has a much European art nouveau style, the interior pavillions are clearly inspired by Moorish architecture. Much of Catalonia’s most iconic architecture was inspired by Moorish architecture. Domènech was obsessed with including these types of references into his buildings.

Gardens

The gardens that surround the building are not just decorative but highly functional. Specific plants were selected to help purify the air. These plants helped protect the patients from bacteria, shielded them from the wind, conserved the humidity and even were thought to influence the climate. The plants dotted around the gardens include horse chestnuts, American maples, cedars, cypresses, and white firs. Lime and orange trees also pop up around the entrances to the pavilions. There is also a large medicine garden where laurel, lavender, rosemary and lemon bushes grow. These plants once would have been harvested by the nurses and turned into medicine in the nearby pharmacy.

The Administration Pavilion 

Behind the courtyard is the domineering Administration Pavilion. When the hospital was in operation, this would have been the first place the infirm would be brought. It was meant to be the most spectacular part of the complex. As if wrapping the patients up in a comforting blanket of beauty from the minute they arrived. As soon as you walk in the doors your eyes are immediately drawn to the bright pink tiled dome on the ceiling. Pink is such a thematic colour for this space as can be seen in the domes as well as in the pink marble columns, and pink-hued tiled floor. Pink is a popular colour to paint hospital as it is thought to induce calm. The column’s capitals sprout various plants and leaves around the top. These flowers are each representative of medicinal plants and herbs cultivated to make medicine.

Symbolic Emblems

House of Barcelona

One of the most important parts of the entry is the emblems emblazoned on the tiled ceiling. The emblems are located in the corner of the vaults. Each one symbolizes a variety of different aspects of the hospital’s history.

Barcelona Coat of Arms

One of the most repetitive images that you should learn to identify is the Coat of Arms of Barcelona. This emblem contains four red bars in either corner paired with two red Saint George’s Crosses on the opposite sides. The House of Barcelona was a medieval dynasty that ruled Barcelona’s County continuously from 878 until 1410.

Holy Cross Hospital

One of the more complex emblems is that of the Holy Cross Hospital. You can find this symbolized with the sword of Saint Paul struck across an open book. The name of the saint imprinted upon the pages of the book. On either corner of the shield are more images of the cross of Saint George and the red bars of the House of Barcelona.

Banca Gil

The blue lion was the symbol of Banca Gil (The Bank of Gil). This was the institution that founder Pau Gil helped operate with his brother. Their motto can be seen around the lion, it states “Happiness in honesty,” a truly great motto to live by.

Coat of arms of Paris

Curious to find in a Catalan building is the image of a ship behind a series of Fleur de Lys. The Fleur is de Lys is typically associated with France. And in fact, this is the ancient symbol of the Coat of arms of Paris. The ship represented is the symbol of the powerful corporation of Nautes or the water merchants. The reason for the emblem of Paris is because it was the primary residence of Pau Gil.

Alpha & Omega

The dates 1905 and 1910 are numbers that pop up all over the place that the Admission Pavillion. The date 1905 is often accompanied by the Greek letter alpha to symbolize the beginning of construction. 1910 is accompanied by the letter omega to indicate the end.

Toisó d’Or

Similar to the House of Barcelona is the Toisó d’Or. The Toisó d’Or is made of the same four red bars on their own. It is a symbol that dates back to 1445 with the appointment of the counts of Barcelona as members of the order.

Principal Stairway

The east side of the building is the ornately embellished Principle Stairway. The large stone sculpture that sits at the front of the staircase depicts the order of the Brothers of the Charity of the Holy Cross and the Hospital Sisters of the Holy Cross. Standing atop a rosette capital on the left column is a nun and a priest on the right. These figures represent the religious orders that have run the hospital over the years.

The image in the center depicts Martin of Tours on horseback in cutting his cloak in two. He gave half of his cloak to a beggar he saw on the street to keep the man warm in the cold winter. This act of kindness towards his fellow man makes him a famous French saint seem in many public institutions. He represents the idea of giving a part of yourself to the community. Surrounding the saint, inside the ogival frame, are two monstrous gargoyles who seem to be screaming. Perhaps these little devils are angry at the saintly actions of Martin.

The steps up the stairs are made of rich Macael marble. The best part is the stone railings are the unique perforated icons of “G” and the hospital cross embedded inside. It is such an interesting detail and one I haven’t seen almost anywhere else in the world.

Vaulting

Arm-like columns project into the ceiling, curving upwards to brace the elaborate ceiling vaults. Above your head are rich the ribbed vaults that are fantastically glazed in caramel-coloured paint. The scene looks more like a bee’s honeycomb than a rooftop. Ceramic floral reliefs bloom at the joining point in the vault. Behind the vaults are a large sprawling mosaic of white and yellow botanic motifs bfilling the entire ceiling.

But the crowning glory is the multi-coloured octagonal stained glass window by Rigalt I Granell. The domed window is very reminiscent of the large octagonal stained glass inside the Palau de la Música, also designed by Domènech. The yellow theme of the area continues onto the glass and beautifully bright blues seem to bleed in from the centre adding a wonderfully contrasting element to the design.

Domènech i Montaner Hall

Hidden away, on the second floor of the Admission Pavillion is one of the most unbelievable rooms in the entire complex. Named after the architect, the Domènech I Montaner Hall is now used as an event space. The hall is so bright, with a huge four-meter-tall stained glass window flanking the outer edge of the room. Through the brightly coloured designs, you can make out the courtyard and pavilions inside the hospital. Unlike some areas of the hospital, this room has undergone almost no renovations over the years.

Stone Carvings

The balcony gallery which runs around the room has a beautifully carved railing with inscriptions in Catalan which reads, “Succour Lord, the benefactors and the inmates of this Holy House both here on earth and in Heaven inspire feelings of charity towards it. Amen.”

The stone tympanum above the entrance, called the Porta Sant Esteve, was sculpted by Gargallo. It was inspired by portals inside Gothic Palaces and churches that were adorned with symbolic depictions like this. Once more, we see the image of St. George defeating the dragon. Just above St. George is the emblem of Barcelona, as you can just make out those four bars etched onto the shield. On either side of the scene, under a small canopy, are depictions of “maceros.” Maceros were municipal officials, armed initially guards, who protected royal residences with their weapon of choice, the great mace.

Polychrome Mosaics

The room is a sensation as decorative features seem to explode from every corner. Everything from pottery, ceramics, glass and mosaics have been added to the walls, floor and ceiling to make the room appear as opulent as possible. The ceramic tiles and mosaics are one of the best parts of the room. The floral motif surrounds the columns climb like ivy to the ceiling where they bloom. Like the ocean waves, the roof has an interesting shape, supported by substantial spherical arched vaults, all covered in that pale yellow, orange and blue mosaic work. The warm tones of the tiles blend in perfectly with the red hue of the bricks, making the entire space feel cozy despite being so open and grand.

Trencadis

There is a beautiful frame of chromatic mosaics on the east wall, which is designed to look like a curtain of peacock feathers. In Christianity, the spiritual meaning of peacock feathers is virtues. On the lower part of the wall is a band of broken tiles forming a pattern of blue flowers topped with large white ceramic roses. This style of design is called “Trencadís” or “broken tile shards.” The use of broken ceramics throughout the hospital was an example of the resurgence of traditional craftsmanship made famous in Catalan Art Nouveau architecture. The trend of using Trencadís can be found inside this building and in the more popular Art Nouveau Park Güell.

Stained Glass

Stained glasses windows that adorned this room and the hallways inside the Admission Pavilion make the space feel more like a church than the hospital. All of the stained glass windows were made by Casa Rigalt i Granell. Rigalt and Granell were two families in Barcelona who came together to form one of the best-stained glass workshops in Europe. The largest window in the room that stretches to the ceiling has floral motifs in the shape of a Christian cross. But where you’d usually find the top of the cross, we see once more the coat of arms of the Hospital. The rest of the windows are decorated with blue and yellow flowers.

Wall Painting

On the west wall, there is a large painting by Aleix Clapés. Alex Clapés was a Catalan modernist artist who was great friends with Antoni Gaudí. Although today he is much less known than his good friend, he remains one of Barcelona’s most prolific art nouveau artists. Clapés’ art aimed to bring individuals closer to spirituality and mysticism. The painting on display here depicts the Transfer of the remains of Saint Eulalia. Saint Eulalia is the patron saint of the nearby Barcelona Cathedral, where inside a lavish crypt, her remains are protected. Clapés’ almost blurry painting makes us feel like the entire scene is moving and alive. The colours are brilliant, and it has a genuinely heavenly, almost celestial, quality to it.

Opposite the hall, there is a beautiful view across to the Sagrada Familia that you should take in before you head out.

Stained Glass Corridor

Back on the first floor, take a walk down the east corridors. These corridors will lead you to the old library and the various event spaces. The gallery is one of my favourite parts of the building, yet I feel like many people gloss right over it. The stained glass windows and tiled ceiling all contain more symbolic emblems continued in from the main lobby. It’s beautiful to see how much ornamentation is given to what could be just a simple walkway.

Old Cambó Library

Originally designed as a library, the Old Cambó Library is today used for events. This room contains one of the most impressive ceiling features. The rest of the room has been modernized, but the star of the show is the roof. The vaults are covered in tile inspired by Mudéjar art. Mudéjar art, also known as Mudéjar style, refers to a type of ornamentation and decoration used in the Iberian Christian kingdoms, primarily between the 13th and 16th centuries. It combines both brick and ceramics to achieve this beautifully soft and rough texture.

Inside the ceramic details, we can once more see the “P” and “Gil” details referring to Paul Gil in addition to the St Geroge Cross, a shelf of Paris and shield of the Holy Cross. Just behind the vaults, you can see ceramic shell designs descending from the ceiling. It indeed looks like an organic piece of matter that simply grew on the top.

The Archive Space

If you head back along the opposite side of the building to the west wing, you can see the Archive Space. This part of the building is also used as an event room and concert hall. The most impressive part of this room is the elaborately painted ceramic ceiling. The vaults holding the roof up are made of thick ceramic ribs with floral finials at the tips. In between the vaults are rays of sunlight and blue clouds in the background. In the sun’s center is the coat of arms of the apostle Saint Paul for whom the hospital is named.

Pavilions

Walking back into the interior courtyard, take a look at all the different pavilions. Each of the Pavillions was specifically designed to house a different department of the hospital. Everything from obstetrics to major surgery. While they might look like carbon copies of each other from afar, they each have their own unique character and symbolism woven into the architecture. The buildings on the right were designated for men. They were named after protective male saints and each one has a sculpture of the saint above the entrance. In contrast, the pavilions on the left were named after female saints or invocations of the Virgin.

The pavillions located closest to the admissions building are actually much smaller than the other ones in succession. Each one is slightly larger than the next, creating an optical illusion with perspective. This method of using perspective to create the idea of larger space was a modern method and one which felt more like magic than science. The reason for separating so many buildings was so that the contagious or infectious diseases wards were sure to be far away from the other patients.

All the outdoor pavilions are covered in that iconic bright red brick. The juxtaposition of the red bricks and lush greenery makes the visual impact of the courtyard even more prolific. All of the roofs are covered in a rainbow of Arabic-inspired tiles. The ceramic tiles were used both inside and out. Both for aesthetic purposes but also for sanitary ones, as they could easily be cleaned compared to more porous materials like paint or wallpaper.

San Salvador Pavilion

Only three of the pavilions are open to the public these days. Others have been transformed into study spaces and government offices. The first building on the east side of the complex is the San Salvador Pavillion. This was the first pavilion to take in patients in 1916.

Above the doorway to the Pavillion is the large stone sculpture of San Salvador himself. Salvador of Horta was a Spanish Franciscan brother from Catalonia. He was a miracle worker known for curing the sick with his mystical powers. But like anything that cannot be understood, it is seen by the higher up as suspicious. Salvador was arrested by the Spanish inquisition in 1560. But unlike many others who faced the inquiry, Salvador managed to walk away unscathed.

Interior

Domènech I Montaner felt that beauty contributed to the well-being of his patient. So unlike the white-washed walls of hospitals today, the interiors of these buildings were like a secret garden. They were decorated in high art nouveau stylings with soft and calming nuances. Pastel in green, yellow, blue, lilac and pink are the most prevalent coloured. These soft tones were thought to help the sick relax and feel at peace.

In the wards, Domènech designed a small circular room at the front. This room was surrounded by windows making it feel bright and airy. It was thought up as the “day room” for the sick and their relatives to gather. This space felt less clinical than their bedrooms and was thought to help the patients feel like they were outside. This was especially important for any patient too weak to actually walk out into the gardens.

Today, the building is used as an exhibition space detailing the history of the institution and Domènech I Montaner. Many different vintage medical instruments, pharmacy and apothecary items and ephemera from the hospital are displayed like a mini-museum.

Operations House

The Operations House is named after exactly what went on here; operations. The primary area of the building was the second floor where actual operations took place. But the building also contained a disinfection area in the basement, anesthesia and postoperative room on the first floor and an X-ray department on the third floor. Patients would be brought into the operation room from their wards through the underground tunnels which connected all the buildings.

Mosaics

Unlike the other pavilions, which were mainly run by the nurses, this one was dedicated to doctors. Therefore the devotions of the building are to Saints Cosme and Damian, who were patron saints of medicine. On the windows on either side of the entrance, you can spot splendidly colourful mosaics of the saints. A series of mosaic panels are located on the side and rear windows depicting invocations of the Virgin of the Forsaken, of Mercy and of the Assumption.

Above the window pediments on the second floor are a series of blue and white mosaic designs in art nouveau floral motifs. On the third floor, also above the pediments, are ceramic panels with mosaic eagles with wings spread against a blue backdrop and golden yellow sun. Above the eagle’s head is a laurel wreath surrounding the names of the various distinguished Catalan and Spanish doctors.

Facade

The stonework and decorations which cover the rest of the facade are full of iconographic elements. Gargoyles peer down from the balcony, angels hold up the sides of the arched portico, lions protect the balcony above and tiny angels holding their hands in prayer dot the upper balustrade. At the top of the building stands a large angel with her wings opened wing matching her spread open arms. Below her are the coats of arms of Barcelona flanked by another two lions, this time wearing royal crowns.

You can still enter the Operations Pavillion and explore the first floor. One of the most incredible aspects of this building is the huge glass windows located inside the operating theatre. This allowed natural light into the theatre to aid the doctor in their work.

San Rafael

Just behind the Operations House, on the left side, is the San Rafael Pavillion built in 1914. This Pavillion was constructed with funds donated by Rafael Rabell, for whom the building is named. On all the little turrets which jut out from the northern side of the building are a band of mosaics in a floral motif. Four golden emblems encircle the design with the icons of the hospital, Barcelona and St. George and Paul Gil’s initials. But unlike the rest, San Rafael Pavillion‘s is not decorated with the “P” and “G” like the others and instead contains the letter “R” embedded in mosaics.

Raphael was actually one of god’s archangels and is traditionally associated with healing. He was the angel who stirred the waters of the pool of Bethesda where Jesus was able to miraculously heal a paralyzed man.

Interior

The interior space of the San Rafael nursing pavilions is a wonder to explore, and it has been transformed to appear exactly as it once looked when the hospital was in operation. As you enter the doors, you are greeted by a series of floral tiles with pink and red roses, blue daisies surrounded by green laurel, acanthus and chestnut leaves.

While the bed themselves are relatively plain, the walls behind them are decorated with coral-coloured flowers and lush green leaves. Above each of the windows are ceramic mosaic tympanums with various emblems placed upon them, surrounded by a bed of flora.

Stretching up to the ceiling are the brilliant green-tiled arches that look like vines or plant stalk. The roof itself is embellished with multiple green and white tiles that look like a knot of ivy growing across the rooftop. The side of the walls contains vault keys that operate as ventilation windows and allow the rooms to look spacious and serve the patients by allowing fresh air. Today it exhibits a historical recreation of the hospital ward as well as an exhibit on the hospital’s history.

Monastery Pavilion

At the back of the complex is the Monastery Pavilion entirely designed by Pere Domènech, Lluis Domenèch I Montaner’s son. It feels quite bulky compared to the rest of the pavilions. You can really see how he just didn’t have the same artistic vision as his father. The Monastery Pavilion was used by the nuns who worked as nurses at the hospital and lived on the site. The central part of the building was where the nurses lived, and the east and west wings were where you could find the hospital kitchen and pharmacy.

Restaurant

If you’re exhausted from all the visuals which have been flashing in front of your eyes, I cannot recommend more taking a seat in their restaurant to enjoy a restorative meal! While many museum and art gallery cafes are pretty mediocre, this one is fabulous!

The Catalan food is super traditional, and the location is unbeatable! Whether you decide to eat indoors under their stunning ceramic vaults or outdoors to admire the wonderful admission facade, you are always sure to dine in one of the most opulent environments! It’s really the perfect way to end your tour.

I genuinely hope you enjoyed this detailed guide to the Art Nouveau and Modernisme wonders to be found inside the beautiful Sant Paul Hospital. It is honestly one of my favourite places in Barcelona that so many people seem to miss out on. Let me know in the comment what your favourite part of the tour was or where you’d want me to cover in my next guided walkthrough.

Happy Travels, Adventurers!

The post Discover Barcelona’s Beautiful Sant Paul Hospital, FREE Guided Tour first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Table Of Contents

1. Catalan 'Modernism'
2. Access
3. Concert Tickets or Guided Tour
4. The Facade
5. Palau Square
6. Lluís Millet Grand Staircase
7. Lluís Millet Hall
8. Lluís Millet Balcony
9. Concert Hall
10. Stained-Glass Ceiling
11. The Stage Muses
12. The Doric Column Scenes
13. The Pegasus’
14. Route of the Flowers
15. The Grand Organ

Catalan ‘Modernism‘

Catalan’ modernism‘ was a movement in art and literature that began at the turn of the 20th century. It was a movement that focused on Catalonia separating itself from the rest of Spain. This separation began with art and literature. Although Catalonia is part of the Spanish nation, they have customs and languages that are entirely unique to Spain. Modernism rejected bourgeois values and adopted a bohemian attitude. Many people named the Café Castell dels tres Dragons by Lluís Domènech i Montaner as the first piece design in the modernism style. In other parts of Europe, Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts movement were also on the rise, which shares similar characteristics with modernism.

They all have historically-derived elements, and all passionately use organic themes, lavish decorations, and a strong sense of asymmetry and unbalance. Their shapes are freer, less restrained and the idea of exploration and imagination are of the utmost importance. This was like Catalan’s Renaissance, which they coined the ‘Renaixença‘ or ‘rebirth.’

Access

To make your way to Palau, take the Metro on the Yellow Line (L4) to Urquinaona station. It’s located near the Gothic Quarter, so it is easily combined with the Gothic Quarter Walking Tour. Unlike many of Gaudi’s designs, Palau is tucked away and not on display. You need to discover it yourself by making your way down these narrow alleyways, away from the main streets.

Concert Tickets or Guided Tour

There are two ways to visit the Palau de la Musica. One of the best ways to see the concert hall as it was meant to be enjoyed is to attend a show or production. Every year the building hosts half a million audience members who’ll come to see over 300 different performances. Seeing a concert here is a unique and powerful experience. But understandably, the cost might be prohibitive for some travellers, or you just might not be interested in any of the types of performances. The other way to see the concert hall is by booking a guided tour. 

Guided Tours

This guided tour will give you the chance to learn all about the architecture, the artists and the history of the building. The guided tour also gives you access to some parts of the buildings which aren’t accessible during the regular performances. It is advisable to buy tickets for these guided tours in advance since often, during peak tourist months, they are difficult to come by. You want to ensure you can book a tour in your preferred language.

A regular guided tour ticket costs €20. A ticket that includes a piano recital costs €25 (if you have the option, this is the one I’d recommend). If you want to save some money, you can purchase a ‘Self Guided Tour Ticket‘ for €15, a new option as of 2019. If you choose this option, you can use this blog as your little helper to understand all the different aspects of this incredible work of art. The guided or self-guided tour option lasts just under an hour.

The Facade

The Palau de la Música is located along a narrow street in the Gothic Quarter. The location of the building is almost claustrophobic, so tightly packed in between the others on the street. But the ingenious designs which Montaner came up with seem to battle this claustrophobic feeling with colour and fun. The exposed red brick exterior is opened up with dozens of arches and columns. Set along the facade, an element inspired by Arabic architecture. The columns are decored in intricate mosaics, which draw your eye up to the roofline. Stained glass windows are used to bring in the natural light from all corners of the building. Ensuring that all throughout the day, there always natural light flowing inside. All of this gives the building a breathy and light quality.

Lluís Bru

On the south side of the building, at the top of the facade, is an opulent mosaic made by artist Lluís Bru. It represents the members of the Orfeó Català dressed in a symbolic scene. The piece is hard to see from the street, and for some reason, that makes it all the more special. It feels like something which was meant more for the creator than for the viewer. And discovering it is like finding a secret just aching to be found out.

La cançó popular Catalana

On the southeast corner of the Palau de la Música, you’ll find an awe-inspiring sculpture that seems to soar off the side of the building. This creation was made by sculptor Miquel Blay, named ‘La cançó popular Catalana’ (the favourite Catalan song). The sculpture takes on a similar shape as the carved figureheads on the bow of a ship. A beautiful woman is the central figure of the sculpture which the other characters surround. The woman, who represents songs, is accompanied by men and women representing Catalan music and art. Atop all the figures is Saint George, the Patron Saint of Catalonia, to protect them all. Symbols of Saint George can be found throughout the building, like hidden Easter eggs around every corner.

Musician Busts

Above various columns on the side of the building are busts of prominent figures from the history of music. You can see the heads of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven and Richard Wagner all peaking out across the facade.

Taking your eyes from up high, back down to street level, try to see if you can spot the old ticket box. It stands along with one of the pillars near the entrance. The old ticket box is surrounded by lovely floral mosaics blooming all around.

Palau Square

The new entrance to the Palau de la Música is through Palau Square. This square is an outdoor space that faces the new glass-walled exterior. The glass wall, which makes the entirety of the interior visible to the public on the other side, was made by architect Òscar Tusquets. The original architect’s vision for this building was glass and light. And it seems fitting that Tusquets’s renovations continued this theme. These days, the square offers locals a place to relax on the staggered steps and where Palau’s cafe and bar spill out on sunny days. In the summer, some grandstands are brought out to accommodate musical performances and festivals. This makes the Palau feel like more than just a place to see the ticketed event. But as a place for the community to meet.

Cafe Foyer

Upon entering the building, you’ll step right into the Cafe Foyer. If you’re on a super-tight budget and can’t afford to attend a performance or guided tour, you can visit the foyer for free. Inside the Cafe Foyer, you’ll be able to see a surprising amount of imaginative architecture. And stunning ornamentation, which continues throughout the rest of the space. The foyer feels so warm and inviting. The wide arches are complete with beautiful red bricks and emerald-green tiles. They curve towards the rose-decorated ceiling.

At the cafe, you can enjoy Basque-style tapas and Catalan drinks at reasonable prices. Take a seat inside and soak in the ambience if you don’t have a chance to tour the rest of the interior. The bar itself is a work of art. Brilliant stain glass panels in the shape of blooming flowers are suspended between the large brick column with their own budding roses.

Interior Stained Glass

Take a walk around the foyer. Darling geometric pieces of stained glasses surround ornate columns and powerfully carved archways. Each one with a strong focus on the natural environment. Modernism was all about bringing the outside into the interior, making you feel as though you are always surrounded by mother nature.

Lluís Millet Grand Staircase

To being your guide, you’ll be ushed into the Lluís Millet Grand Staircase. If you’re here during a concert, don’t rush up to your seats and instead take a moment to study this entryway. As you walk up the stairs, look up the dazzling ceramic glazed ceiling. The tiles are so shiny they appear to shine like the stars.

The staircase is made of exquisitely carved marble, which also shimmers in the light of day. Huge street lamps are affixed on either side of the stairs. On the ceiling above the stairs, you can study the pale blue painted roof, which is adorned with golden ceramic roses, shaped into the pattern of a giant star.

Lluís Millet Hall

At the top of the stairs, you’ll enter the Lluís Millet Hall. You might be wondering, who is this Lluís Millet that all these rooms are being named after. Lluís Millet was a famous Catalan composer who helped found the Orfeó Català. This hallway is also called the intermission hall since guests will retire during breaks in the performances. The most impressive part of this room is the huge spread of stained glass windows that face ours onto the balcony.

The flowers that bloom at the bottom of the panels open up into clear glass panes to see the incredible musicians’ columns along with the balcony and allow for more light to pour into this room. Throughout the room, there are also various bronze busts of important contributors to Palau. While you might not recognize their names, it’s so lovely to see their faces still looking out at the incredible work of art they helped contribute to.

Lluís Millet Balcony

Standing out on the Lluís Millet Balcony is one of the best parts of the tour. The balcony feels like stepping out into a rainbow garden. The colonnades here are each covered entirely with multicoloured glazed tiles in a variety of floral designs. At the top of the columns are some incredible blooming flowers exploding out of the carved granite. Getting up close and personal to the mosaics, you can really appreciate the artistry the craftsmen put into the colouring of these tiles. They are so vibrant despite their location outdoors for over a hundred years.

Concert Hall

The concert hall is the piece-de-resistance of the entire Palau de la Música Catalana. As soon as you walk in, your eye will be drawn in a thousand different directions. While the dazzling stained glass skylight might be the brightest thing in the entire room, try to take in the whole room as one piece at first. You’ll notice that the entire place looks like it was hewn out of a rocky mountain and not built in the centre of a city from afar. The organic impression of the room helps continue to impress the viewer. With the theme of naturalism which is so important to Catalan Modernism.

While the hall might feel entirely natural and almost like it was created at random, many aspects of the theatre were actually thoughtfully designed to ensure the music sounded as pure and full as possible inside the concert hall. The concert hall features about 2,200 seats, spread out over 3 floors. But despite the large size, the room still manages to feel warm and cozy due to all the natural light which flows in from all sides.

Vaults

This is the only auditorium in Europe to be illuminated entirely in natural light during the daytime! Artificial light, while necessary during the evening, does affect how the room feels. On either side, the walls of the concert hall consist entirely of stained glass panels set beneath fantastic arches. The vaults between the arches and pillars are covered in stunning tile work. In the centre of each vault are many laurel wreaths with the names of famous musicians set inside, essentially crowning them with this distinguished honour.

While natural lighting might have been Domènech I Montaner’s preferred means of illuminating space when creating artificial light, he took the job very seriously. The chandeliers are made of many different shaped bulbs in a variety of different colours. They look like stars or constellations spread out across the starry night.

Along with the right upper balcony, you can make out the flag of Saint George embedded on into the stained glass. Another one of those little details is worth noting.

Stained-Glass Ceiling

The centrepiece of this room is an incredible stained glass ceiling. It is completely breathtaking. Unlike some skylights, this one is an inverted dome, so it feels as though the ceiling is curling in towards the audience below. It was designed by Antoni Rigalt, whose mastery of stained glass is unmatched. The centre of the dome is a luminous geometric sun in a variety of warm hues. Surrounding the sun is a chorus of angels set against a tightly patterned sky.

Depending on the time or weather during your visit, the light which pours in through the skylight is changeable. Sometimes it appears more green, and sometimes it seems bluer. Much like the real sky, which is never merely one distinct colour, this shifting quality of these windows is almost magical.

The Stage Muses

18 depictions of women clad in gorgeous textiles are spread out across the stage wall. While their bodies are designed within the mosaic, their faces jut out from the wall into three-dimensional sculptures. Each of the women carries in their hand an instrument of folk music. These are traditional instruments such as harps and castanets. The women are also representatives of the nine Greek muses of the arts. The lower portion of the bodies made of mosaics was created by Lluís Bru, while the upper sculptural part was made by Eusebi Arnau. In the centre of the stage is a large mosaic featuring the coat of arms of Catalonia.

The Doric Column Scenes

Flanking either side of the stage and creeping up the three-storey-tall Doric columns are another set of astonishing sculptures. On the left side, we see a group of women clustered together; these women are in the middle of singing the famous Catalan song Les Flores de Maig (The Flowers of May). Above the women is a bust of Catalan composer Josep Anselm Clavé. Clavé was instrumental (pardon the pun) in reviving Catalan folk songs. Clavé is nestled under the shade of a large stone tree whose leaves seem eternally just about to fall to the ground. Looking up from this angle also gives you a view of the remarkable ceramic roses that are littered across the ceiling and floral mosaics, which are also found on the underside of the balconies. These little details are some of the things which make this building so incredible.

On the right side of the columns, we see the illustrious composer and musician’s stern face and unruly hair, Beethoven. Atop Beethoven himself are a fury of horses running along with the ceiling in a mighty stampede. They are charging so fast, in fact, that they have created this voluminous gust of wind around them. Riding atop these horses are a set of attractive Valkeries. The Valkyries are from Wagner’s opera ‘Die Walküre,’ one of the most influential and powerful operatic songs in music history.

The Pegasus’

In addition to the horses ridden by the Valkeries are the flying Pegasus’ who leap downwards towards the audience. These can be found on the upper balconies, and if you have seats up here, you can actually get quite close to these sculptures and study every detail of their surging forms.

Route of the Flowers

You may have noticed the repetition of roses throughout the tour, either in the textiles, stone, ceramics, or embedded in stained glass windows. The Palau de la Música Catalana has more than 2,000 roses spread across the building. The rose is the symbol of Saint George, who is the patron saint of Catalonia. As such, the symbol of the rose is of great importance to the nation and in this building which served as a symbol of national pride.

The Grand Organ

If you’re here on tour, you’ll be treated to a performance by a local musician who’ll come in to play the magnificent organ. This is your chance to hear just how intense the sound from this amazing instrument really is. The organ was built custom for space in 1906 by the prestigious German firm Walcker in Ludwigsburg. In 1973 parts of the organ were replaced as the instrument was electrified. But the organ shop ensured the sound remained as full as the previous version.

Getting to hear some Catalan songs being played through this magnificent instrument was definitely a moment I’ll never forget, and some of the songs brought a tear to my eye. It somehow made the entire place come alive, and for a moment, I thought I could see those Valkeries singing along as they flew across the ceiling.

This building is truly one of the most spectacular visions of Catalan Modernism, and if you have the chance to visit it in person, don’t hesitate to make the journey to find this breathtaking vision of mother nature come to life through tiles stone and glass.

Happy Travel Adventurers

The post The Ultimate Guide to Palau de la Música Catalana, the Most Beautiful Concert Hall in the World first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.