La Pedrera (Barcelona)

Advantages: Alien rooftop; Gaudí exhibition
Disadvantages: Inclement weather may rule out rooftop visit

...astounding creativity and flair in La Pedrera. "La Pedrera" translates to "the quarry", a nickname coined by the astonished population on its completion in 1910. Without doubt Gaudí's most important civil architectural work, it was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1984. Also known as Casa Milà, the building was Gaudí's last private commission before he devoted all his energies to religious projects, the best known being the Sagrada Família. ...
...the graceful Passeig de Gràcia, La Pedrera is a comfortable half-hour walk down from Plaça Catalunya, and literally opposite the Diagonal Metro station. Admission costs 1000ptas (~£4.00), but this is halved for children, senior citizens and students (with the official ISIC card). Opening hours are 10 AM to 8 PM every day of the week. Gaudí once observed, "There are no straight lines in nature", and he took this to its logical extreme in La Pedrera's ... Read review

Advantages: Good location and great quality
Disadvantages: To many stairs!

La Pedrera is in the heart of the Eixample district, the extension of the city planned by the engineer Cerda. The Eixample comprises a body of modern buildings unique in Europe full of beautiful architecture that makes you feel as though you are in another city somewhere. It is really pretty and walking up that road you come across such well-designed and pretty buildings. La Pedrera was deigned by the architect Gaudi is considered the pinnacle of ...
...get to visit the a full scale replica apartment at the beginning of the 20th century. You also are able to see the exhibition space in the attic and the amazing rooftop. It is full of drawings; photographs audiovisual displays give us a deep insight into the life and work of Gaudi. It is worth the visit as I really enjoyed it, the types of artwork on the roof are outstanding. You really don’t expect to be in the middle of gingerbread land on ... Read review

Advantages: A great example of Gaudí's work and an overview of his other buildings
Disadvantages: Not great if you have mobility problems

...choose. We eventually went for La Perdrera (aka Casa Milà), as we had passed this intriguing building several times and really wanted to see the unusual roof which we thought would offer great views of the city. The facade of the building is said to have no straight lines in it whatsoever, and its undulating, organic shape, is further enhanced by the wrought iron plant-like forms which adorn the balconies. The building owes its nickname la Perdrera ...
...the courtyard is also impressive, its shape drawing the eye up towards the little bit of sky at the top. The visit is in several parts, and equipped with our audio commentary, we first visited the 2 carefully restored apartments which took us back in time to when the building was new. The first is a bit like a museum, showing all the technological novelties of the time, telephone, cinema and so on. The second one was a reconstruction of an apartment ... Read review

Advantages: Unique and fascinating architecture
Disadvantages: Lots of tourists

La Pedrera, or Casa Mila, is another absoute must see in Barcelona. Built as an appartment block, only the top floor, the attic and rooftop are open to the public. You can buy a ticket to see all of it or just the roof. It's worth seeing the top floor appartment as well as this has been restored and refurnished in the style of when it was created. The rooftops are the main attraction though, with their undulations and strange creations. All the ...
...a row of chimney pots might look like a column of ancient Greek soldiers or a fat, jolly snowman made of stone. Very hard to describe but utterly fascinating none the less. The outside of the buiding is Gaudi at his smooth, organic finest, with balconies wrought from iron into fantastical masks. It's another one of those things that make Barcelona a unique city and just has to be visited. As ever though, everyone else wants to see it too so get ... Read review

Advantages: Amazing wonderful city
Disadvantages: Cant think of one!

...time on a Saturday evening hear an orchestra play whilst locals indulge in some dancing. Again this simply all added to the ambience of the area. It is advised though not to go wandering alone at night, as safety may not be great. There are many many other sights to see and do in Barcelona – Montjuci, La Pedrera, Tibidiao, The Aquarium, Picasso Museum, La Rambla, Casa Bartoli, Cable Car rides, FC Barcelona – really the list is endless. There really is so much to see and do, it’s a wonderful city and l cannot wait for a return visit. There is a host of information available on the city such as www.timeout.co.uk; www.lonelyplanet.co.uk to name but 2. I would most definitely advise purchasing a guidebook – we took the time out guide (cost is about £10) and found it invaluable – a real tourist bible. So if you considering a city... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: great cultural diversity and cosmopolitan
Disadvantages: none

.... One shouldn"t leave Barcelona without visiting "La Sagrada Familia" a splendorous Cathedral that Gaudi started building around 1904 and has not been finished yet. Other major buildings designed and constructed by Gaudi are "La Pedrera" in Passeig de Gracia street and "Parc Guell" one of the biggest parks in Barcelona. Shopping There are many shops in Barcelona but luckily they are all concentrated in a small area. The best places are around Plaza de Catalunya, Les Rambles and Portal de l’Angel. These three areas are packed with shoe shops, leather goods, perfume shops, books, fashion, etc. The goods sold there are excellent value for money. Eating out As any big city, Barcelona has a wide variety of places to eat that suit everyone’s taste. However you should try the typical "tapas" (snacks) and "sangria" (red... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Great architecture, well worth seeing.
Disadvantages: Expect to queue to get entry

...When we went to Barcelona at Easter I only had a couple of must see sights on my itinerary and one of them was Casa Mila or La Pedrera as it is otherwise known, this Gaudi designed building is now a World Heritage site and is most famous for the quite spectacular roof that it boasts however there is more to it than just that although to be honest the roof alone justifies the entry fee in my opinion and if you are visiting Barcelona I would definitely recommend it as a suitable place to visit for all the family as my children really enjoyed it especially as my son had studied Gaudi in art classes earlier in the year. A Brief History The building was commissioned by the industrialist Pere Mila and the intention was that the main floor would be the family residence with the remainder of the building leased out. Certainly the building... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful