Casa Batlló

We were completely in awe of the architecture here. We were so grateful to have an audio tour we could follow at our own pace. If you don't want to hold the wand, you can plug in your own headphones. The building is beautiful and even though we took our time going through the building I'm sure we still missed stuff. I would recommend this stop when visiting Barcelona. There was even a balcony where you can get your picture taken and purchase it, and there were so many fun facts as you walked through each floor. Get tickets early to avoid large crowds and make sure to take pictures at night of the front of the building as the lighting changes colors and adds a spectacular new view of the Casa. Definitely buy your tickets ahead of time online to save time. Even though they had a "cube" show at the end of the tour, please be aware of fast moving lights, and lots of moving video especially if you suffer from vertigo. It was a bit much for me because I get dizzy easily from this type of exhibit. But it's short and you aren't missing much if you skip this.

The architecture was on a different level. Even up to the door handles and light fixtures were designed by the architect. The craftsmanship was just amazing. We got the self guided tour, which came with a device to listen to a very detailed narrative about the design and history of the building. It was a bit crowded at times. The last part of the exhibition was like a 3d experience of their interpretation of the mind of the architect, which was entertaining.

We bought our tickets in advance on their website for the first entry of the day today and got there 30 minutes ahead of time. The cafe across the street was closed, but a quick search revealed one right next door. So we grabbed a drink and a quick bite there. It was super convenient. The experience of walking through and experiencing the exhibition while being guided by the audio tour and at your own pace was really nice. The Cube show at the end was really awesome as well. The offerings at the gift shop are very enticing and we spent way too much time there, such that we were almost late for our next attraction appointment! Do not miss it if you are a lover of art, architecture and innovative craftsmanship.

Do recommend paying for the highest pass level you can afford (Blue < Silver < Gold), since the difference between Blue and Gold is only 29Euro vs 39Euro. AND BUY TICKETS BEFOREHAND! Check out the official site for the differences between pass levels (mainly AR tablet, Gaudi Dome, access to specific rooms, etc.) Crowd management could've been done better, as all pass levels converge and you don't get special treatment once you're inside areas where everyone can access. The team-lab-esque Gaudi dome experience was nice, although I can't say too relevant to the actual Casa. Worth the extra difference in pricing though The casa is quite interesting, esp. considering it was an actual residence.

The sound track you listen to is crazy! They said at one point “feel the wood with all five senses” … you want me to taste the wood??it’s so weird to listen to. I thought it would give me some historical background or maybe even more about the artist it was just a sound track about how much the family loves the home. It’s was just okay. You pay what 35€ for a weird sound track and a nice house but it just wasn’t crazy. It was so hot and packed with people and that’s just too expensive in my opinion.

Absolutely breathtaking. Recommend spending the extra on the gold tour package. It is €12 more expensive (at the time of writing this) but ensures little to no wait, you get to see everything and you get a tablet and headphones to accompany you and guide you around, which really bring the place alive with a virtual, animated tour. The house and its history are quite unlike anything I’ve seen before and the architecture is totally unique. Nearing the end of the tour, you can rest at a roof top bar and have a drink before heading down to the grand finale - set in a cube with emanations going on all around you. The gold ticket tour is expensive but it’s worth it if only to avoid what looked like a very long queue that could easily last an hour at peak times.