An Honest Review: Is Casa Batlló Worth Paying For?

For a whopping €35, you have the privilege of entering Gaudí’s most famous masterpieces: Casa Batlló. But, the reality is that the best part is free and what Casa Batllò inside, isn’t worth paying for.

Casa Batllò Barcelona is one of the most convenient of Gaudí’s works to visit, and the exterior is arguably one of his most impressive. Located in the heart of Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona – it’s hard to miss this bright blue mosaic scaled building.

I’m going to give you an honest review of whether Casa Batllò is worth it based on my visit in 2019. Since I’ve visited, they have renovated and added more to the experience, but I also noticed that they significantly raised the ticket price.

Before you rush to pay such a high ticket price to see Casa Batllò inside, decide if you think it’s worth it for you. There are so many other Gaudí masterpieces scattered around Barcelona that might be more worth your time.

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

How Much Is A Ticket To Casa Batllò?

A ticket to Casa Batllò Barcelona starts at €35 for a general ticket (check updated ticket prices). This gets you access to inside Casa Batllò with an audio guide.

There are also a few upgraded tickets you can buy. If you’re interested in beating the crowds, they offer a morning VIP ticket that gives you early access (entrance is between 8:30 and 8:45 A.M.). They also offer Silver and Gold pass options which give you Fast Pass and other benefits like access to Batllós’ Private Room and an exclusive outdoor lounge.

Be sure to check if you’re eligible for a discounted ticket here.

What’s Included With Your Casa Batllò Ticket?

A general ticket includes access to Casa Batllò inside where you’ll see the famous blue light well staircase, the noble floor inspired by nature, as well as the rooftop terrace.

In recent years, they’ve continued restorations and added three new experiences to visiting Casa Batllò. Gaudí Dome is a new immersive experience to explore Gaudís number one inspiration: nature.

They’ve also added Gaudí Cube by Refik Anadol which is another immersive experience into the mind of Antoni Gaudí. Renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma renovated the stairwell into the basement of the house as well.

Every ticket also includes an audio guide.

A Brief History Of Casa Batlló

Casa Batlló is on one of the nicest blocks on Passeig de Gràcia: Illa de la Discòrdia. It’s actually one of three modernist homes on the block.

Casa Batlló didn’t always look like the magical house it is today. When it was first built, it looked like all the other homes on the block – all with the same, boring facade.

The wealthy owners that moved in to these homes, didn’t like that they looked the same as their neighbours. So, to stand out from the crowd, they hired architects to redesign the interiors and, more importantly, the facades of their home.

To redesign Casa Batlló, Antoni Gaudí was hired in 1904, and today it’s one of the many UNESCO World Heritage sites in Barcelona.

The Casa Batlló Facade Explained…

Architects were hired by wealthy homeowners to redesign the homes’ facades to stand our from their neighbours. Typically, the architect took inspiration from the owner. For example, Casa Amatller (next to Casa Batlló) represents the original homeowner by shaping it like an A for the family name – Amatller.

Casa Batlló stands out by not representing anything about who lived there. Instead, Gaudí took a different approach. He decided to depict the famous legend of Saint George and the dragon. You’ll find references to this legend all over Barcelona, but Gaudí turned the entire building into the legend itself.

How is the Casa Batllò The Legend Of Saint George?

It’s very simple, Casa Batllò is the dragon. The mosaic work on the facade are dragon scales. If you look at the rooftop you’ll notice it’s fading from blue/green to purple/red. That’s because the chimney isn’t a cross but the top of Saint George’s sword. The red around the sword represents the dragon’s blood.

The next thing you’ll notice are the strange shape of the balconies. These are shaped like this for a reason, they’re meant to be skulls. There are 13 of them – representing the 13 virgins.

Inside Casa Batlló – What You’ll See

From the outside, the house looks like it’s quite big so you might think Casa Batllò is worth it. But, you probably only see 10% of the entire house… if even!

The tour starts off in the main (and most impressive) room of the entire building. Immediately you’re blown away by the detail put into it; from the ceiling, to the mushroom-shaped fireplace, and the stain-glass windows. I urge you to stay in this main room for as long as possible, this is the best part of the building.

From there, the tour leads you to the back of the building where there’s another room leading you onto the outdoor patio. The back facade is nowhere near as dramatic as the front.

Then it’s time to go upstairs to the attic. To get there, you’ll take the blue stairwell which is the next best thing about the house. There’s a sunroof next to the staircase providing natural light to the middle of the house. It’s a bit hard to admire, but magical nonetheless!

Once at the top, you can peak into the laundry room and servants quarters before heading to the rooftop.

How Long Does It Take To Go Through Casa Batllò?

From the Casa Batllò website, they say the tour should take about an hour and 15 minutes. Of course, it can take you more if you’re taking a lot of pictures (and need to wait for tourists to get out of the way).

But it can also take you less time … despite the building looking quite large, most floors aren’t accessible to the public. We spent less than an hour exploring the inside (and that’s including time spent in the gift shop).

Is Casa Batlló Worth It?

If the ticket price was cheaper, I would say that going inside Casa Batllò was worth it. Unfortunately, with such a high ticket price there are so many other things you can do in Barcelona with that money.

Casa Batllò Was Never About The Interior…

Th reality is that Casa Batllò was never about the interior. When the facade was redeisgned, it was all about standing out from your neighrbour – no one saw the inside of your home so it didn’t matter as much what it looked like.

Wth that in mind, why would you ever go inside Casa Batllò? The outside is the most impressive part and it’s completely free! It just all goes downhill after that. There aren’t any more legends or dragons to discover inside. Instead, the interior is all about underwater and sea themes… which doesn’t really match the epic-ness of the facade at all.

The architecture is still unlike any apartment I’ve ever seen, but it’s also maybe a bit much. Our tour guide described it as though you’re on LSD, and she wasn’t wrong. It’s enough to drive anyone mad, it really isn’t realistic space to live in.

There’s also no new surprises. For example, the rooftops on Casa Mila and Bellesguard are so unexpected and magical that that alone is worth the ticket price because you can’t appreciate it unless you’re there. 

Casa Batllò Gaudí Isn’t Worth The Time Vs. Money

For €35, you’re granted access to the inside of Casa Batlló for an hour and 15 minutes (if you’re lucky it will take you that long!).

We’re not ones to rush through an exhibit, especially when it was this expensive. But there just wasn’t that much to see. It’s 4 empty rooms, the stairwell, and a small roof. Unfortunately, after seeing the facade, it’s all quite underwhelming. You’re waiting for a WOW! moment that just never comes.

The ticket price is just too high, there are so many other wonderful examples of Gaudí’s architecture that is equally, or way more impressive, for half the price.

€35 isn’t nothing – especially on vacation. That’s a nicer meal out, or three museums for the price of one, or that even pays for a bus ticket to another city like Girona or Figueres!

It’s Way Too Crowded Inside Casa Batllò To Appreciate Anything

But for me, one of the biggest annoyances about the entire visit was how many people they tried to cram in such a small space. Entry into Casa Batlló is all very organized with timed tickets so I was expecting a lot more control over how many people were inside. 

Honestly, I have no idea why they even had timed tickets. For low season, it was packed, I can only imagine that it would be unbearable during high season. It’s not exactly a large space, and when you add a hundred people to a room it becomes more about escaping the crowds than enjoying the architecture.

The Audio/Visual Guide… More of A Fancy Distraction!

It was quite obvious that they didn’t have enough material to cover for the audio guide. We noticed quite a few times they repeated the same information, and they would describe the most menial objects (like the hot water tank room… who cares about that!?).

Then the visual aspect of the guide is a total scam. It lets you move around the room to see what it would look like with furniture. At times, they would make objects come to life. For example, Gaudí took a lot of inspiration from nature, so they turned a lampshade into a turtle.

In the beginning, it was really cool to see. But then you realize that you’re actually in the space that you’re looking at on the screen. And then it hits you… why are you looking at it through a screen, when it’s right in front of you!

So, it’s cool for about 5 minutes until you realize it’s utterly useless. It almost feels like they made it as a reason to be able to charge so much.

My Recommendation: Visit Casa Mila Instead Of Casa Batllò

If you only have time to visit one Gaudí house I’d recommend Casa Mila over Casa Batlló. Casa Mila only a bit further from Batlló (on the same street) and it’s just better in every way.

It’s about the same price as Casa Batlló but you get so much more. For the same price, Casa Mila is like three museums in one. The rooftop is a museum on its own in my mind. You can easily spend the same amount on the rooftop of Casa Mila as you can in the entirety of Casa Batlló.

Then, they actually set up a museum in the attic of Casa Mila about Gaudí’s work. It goes through all his designs, his process, and where he gets his inspiration from.

After all that, the exhibit still isn’t over, they take you through a prime example of one of the apartments in the building. It’s also not all empty like Casa Batlló either, it’s fully furnished as it would have been in Gaudí’s time.

Now do you see why I think Casa Batlló is a bit of a scam?

Fighting FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) When Not Visiting Casa Batllò

Casa Batllò is known as one of the top things to do in Barcelona, so how could you not visit it?I mean, you want to do what everyone’s doing and knows about. You don’t want to go home and say you didn’t do one of the most famous houses in Barcelona because you read my review. I definitely couldn’t fathom not going, it’s not like I visit Barcelona every year. 

I’ll be honest with you, before visiting we asked our tour guide what she thought of Casa Batlló, and she flat out told us that it wasn’t worth it. Of course, FOMO took over, but she was 100% right.

It’s easy for me to say now that some things in life are better left a mystery, and that Casa Batlló is one of them.

The Important Thing Is To Have No Regrets

At the end of the day, I don’t want to convince you to do anything that you’ll later regret – you might never come back to Barcelona. If anything, I hope this review alters your expectations so you won’t be as disappointed as we were.

We spent the shortest amount of time there and it’s the most expensive one out of all the Gaudí attractions in Barcelona. It’s a shame because Gaudí’s incredible work should be appreciated, but not at that price.

There are so many better ways to spend your money while on vacation in Barcelona.

Need A Place To Stay In Barcelona? Hotel Recommendations

I stayed at an Airbnb in Gràcia for a more home away experience. I highly recommend booking a stay in Gràcia to experience more of the local Barcelona life. Book a room at Casa Gràcia – See room rates & availability here.

If you’re looking to stay closer to the city centre, a great neighbourhood is El Born. Stay in Hotel del Mar. See room rates & availability here.

Or why not stay like royalty at Hotel Royal Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona. This is the nicest street in Barcelona! See room rates & availability here.

For more accommodation options on Booking.com here.

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