★★★★★ 5.0
Discover
Palau Güell
Those two giant stone arches at number 3-5 Carrer Nou de la Rambla once welcomed horse-drawn carriages carrying Barcelona's fanciest guests! Back in 1888, this was Gaudí's very first palace for his rich friend Eusebi Güell, built right here in the scrappy Raval neighborhood when all the wealthy families were moving to the fancy new Eixample district. Look up at those 20 twisty chimneys on the rooftop - they're like stone sculptures that also work as air vents! But here's the sneaky part... inside this palace, Güell had secret spy windows hidden in the walls so he could peek at his visitors before going downstairs to greet them. The main party room even had tiny holes in the ceiling where servants would hang lanterns from outside to make it look like you were dancing under real stars!
Did You Know?
- Palau Güell is one of the first major works by Antoni Gaudí and a pioneering example of the Modernisme (Catalan Art Nouveau) movement—so influential that it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, making it one of the earliest Gaudí landmarks to receive this honor.
- Gaudí designed the palace with a deliberately 'introverted' appearance—plain and unassuming on the outside, but astonishingly lavish and inventive inside, featuring a central salon that soars through all floors and culminates in a dazzling parabolic dome, a bold architectural statement that kept the family’s private life hidden from the bustling Raval district outside.
- The palace’s rooftop is a hidden gem, decorated with an ensemble of chimneys covered in colorful mosaics made from broken tiles and plates, including pieces from the famous Cartuja de Sevilla pottery—these playful, almost sculptural chimneys are not only functional but also a whimsical preview of Gaudí’s later, even more fantastical designs, and a fun feature for children to spot during a visit.