Casa Milà (La Pedrera)

If there is one building in Barcelona that you "must see" then Casa Milà is definitely one of them. With this architectural masterpiece, Antoni Gaudí created an absolutely impressive building. It is one of his most famous works and rightfully on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Tickets for admission

With three tickets we offer you can enter the spectacular house during the day, with one ticket you can participate in the Casa Milà Night Experience. There is also a guided tour in which you will also see places that are not otherwise shown.

The quarry house

"La Pedrera" means "the quarry". The Casa Milà got this nickname because of the unusual construction. The large stone slabs of the façade were first attached and then worked on by the stonemasons. And the façade, with its irregular shapes, is also reminiscent of a quarry.

The front of the house looks like a solid rock, which is only broken up by wavy lines and ornaments hammered out of iron. The light-colored stone and otherwise colorless façade of this building sets it apart from all of Gaudí's other works and gives it a very expressionist look. The house consists of two parts, which are only connected by the facade, the ground floor and the roof. Each has its own courtyard and entrance.

The curved facade is a unique example of organic architecture. It stands in contrast to Casa Batlló, with its colorful and playful facade. Gaudí deliberately focused the design of this building on form and construction, using very little color and leaving the materials natural.

The Interior of Casa Milà

The construction used inside Gaudí was also groundbreaking. The house has a natural ventilation system, which makes air conditioning unnecessary. An elevator was also included in Gaudí's plans, but it was not installed in the apartment building until much later.

Colors and natural round shapes adorn the courtyards. The stairs leading to the entrances of the apartments wind along the walls.

Gaudí designed the Casa Milà exclusively with natural forms, so that there is hardly a right angle to be found here. In addition to the courtyards, you can also visit an apartment in the style of modernism from the beginning of the 20th century.

The Belletage (in English "beautiful floor") was originally reserved for the owners, the tenants and employees lived on the upper floors. Today the Art Museum of the Fundació Catalunya - La Pedrera is located on the Belle Floor.

The interior walls of Casa Milà can be moved with little effort, which was made possible by a concrete and steel construction that does not require load-bearing walls, similar to what is common in modern office buildings today.

The attic of the house is unusually large. In these rooms is the Espai Gaudí - the Gaudí room. In this museum you will learn from countless examples of how Gaudí used his specially developed form theory to transfer organic forms from nature into the construction of his works. Muted music and slide shows reinforce the immersion in the magic of the genius Gaudí's world of forms.

The Roof of La Pedrera

The highlight - in two senses of the word - of the Casa Milà is without a doubt the roof. Not only the outstanding view over the city attracts the attention of the visitors. The chimneys, ventilation shafts and staircases with their imaginative colors and shapes do it much more. Some chimneys look like medieval knights watching over the roof.

History of Casa Milà - La Pedrera

The story of this house begins like the story of any residential building. A couple named Milà decide to build a house on their 2,000 square meter property on the noble Passeig de Gràcia. It should be a special house that stands out in the modern Eixample district.

To build a special house, you need a special architect. The husband - Pedro Milà - had heard of Gaudí, a very successful and innovative architect. He had just remodeled a wealthy man's house, Casa Batlló, located on the same street, a few hundred meters away. Milà hired Gaudí on the spot and had him design the house. Construction of the house began in 1906 and was completed four years later.

The city of Barcelona declared the Casa Milà to be an architectural work of art as soon as it was completed. In 1984, the Casa Milà was the first building of the 20th century to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

With its many pioneering details, it is certainly one of the most important modernist buildings. You will surely agree that it is also one of the most extraordinary buildings in Barcelona.

Experience La Pedrera in a new light at night

Even if you have already seen La Pedrera by day, visit Casa Milà a second time: don't miss the night tour. A guide will take you through the museum, where you will learn many fascinating details about how Gaudí developed his organic forms and incorporated them into his architecture.

As a highlight, you will experience an impressive audiovisual light show on the roof, in which the outstanding elements are atmospherically illuminated. The Casa Milà appears in a completely new light. You can book tickets here.

Why a visit to Casa Milà is worthwhile

Casa Milà is rightfully one of the most visited attractions in Barcelona. You should therefore book tickets in advance, as the waiting time at the ticket office is often very long.

The Casa Milà is one of the most beautiful buildings of Modernisme, a culmination of the work of the genius Antoni Gaudí. The roof with its ventilation chimneys in the shape of soldiers is impressive. In the museum you will learn a lot about Gaudí's formal language and in the apartment you can visit you will get an insight into the everyday life of the bourgeoisie (and their staff) in the Modernsime period.