If you’re looking for a fun and interesting place to explore in Barcelona, Spain, look no further than Casa Mila ! This iconic modernist building is a must-visit destination for anyone who enjoys architecture, history, or art.
Located in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Casa Mila is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a fantastic example of the creative genius of architect Antonio Gaudi. Even if you’ve already stopped by some of Gaudi’s other creations, Casa Mila will still be one of your most memorable stops in Barcelona!
Visitors to Casa Mila can explore the building’s unique exterior and interior spaces, learn about its history, and soak in the neighborhood’s vibrant atmosphere from the rooftop terrace. It’s such a fun combination of activities and sights!
You’ll find Casa Mila on the iconic Passeig de Gracia (Passeig de Gràcia, 92, 08008 Barcelona) in the Eixample district. This area is bursting with popular attractions, including Placa de Catalunya, La Sagrada Familia , Barcelona’s Arc de Triomf, and La Rambla. It’s also quite a transportation hub, so you can quickly reach Casa Mila from the Diagonal Metro station or one of several bus stops nearby.
Casa Mila is open daily in two different time frames. Standard day visits are available from 9 am to 6:30 pm (last entrance at 5:30 pm). But if you want to experience Casa Mila at night, you can book a night tour between 7:00 pm and 10 pm.
A Brief History of Casa Mila and Its Significance
Model of Casa Mila Casa Mila is also known as La Pedrera, which translates to “The Quarry,” due to its rocky elements that resemble a working quarry.
The project to create Casa Mila began in the early 1900s. Pere Mila commissioned Antoni Gaudi to create a stunning home for himself and his new bridge on Passeig de Gracia, the most prominent avenue in the city. This large building would serve as their home and an apartment complex that they could rent out.
Being the visionary that he was, Gaudi pushed the limits in nearly every aspect of the design and violated several building codes while he was at it. But in the end, even the city recognized that Casa Mila’s unique architecture shouldn’t be restrained to the typical building codes, and they allowed the design to pass inspection.
Casa Mila eventually opened to residents and has served as an apartment building ever since. At one point, stores also opened on the bottom floor that were open to residents and the public.
View of Passeig de Gracias through one of the windows After the Milas passed away, the building fell into a long period of neglect–until it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. After that, Casa Mila underwent a lengthy restoration and reopened as a cultural center in 1996.
Today, the building serves several different purposes, from being a tourist attraction to providing office and residential space to renters. In fact, over a million people visit La Pedrera every year to tour the building and attend cultural events!
What to Expect When Exploring the Building.
Chances are, Casa Mila is not the kind of visit you’d expect. Each tour combines several aspects of history, architecture, and culture, making it a unique experience.
The Butterfly Garden
Butterfly Courtyard ‘s Staircase Each tour starts downstairs in the Butterfly Garden, one of two open-air courtyards at La Pedrera. This colorful space reaches seven stories high, where you can see the sky peeking out and just a glimpse of the warriors on the roof. Color, unique facades, and plenty of natural light accent the space.
Other side of the Butterfly Courtyard with a glimpse of the gift shop on the ground level In the hallway adjacent to this courtyard, you’ll receive an audio guide that helps you learn all about the building and its history as you go from room to room. Each track corresponds to a number in the room you’re in, so you can easily follow along.
The Neighbor’s Flat
Bathroom in the neighbor’s flat Your tour starts upstairs in an apartment furnished as it would have been in the early 1900s. This space provides a unique insight into what life looked like for a bourgeois family during that time.
Visitors can tour the kitchen, living spaces, bedrooms, and even a bathroom, all furnished with period pieces, clothing, and toys.
Dining Room Study Bedroom Hallway to the apartment Laundry Room Child’s Bedroom Additionally, this part of the tour allows guests to see the finer details of Gaudi’s work on Casa Mila. It’s not just the facade and rooftop that show his handiwork but also the refined doorways, ergonomically shaped handles, ornate window frames, and even the floors!
The Whale’s Attic
Arches in the Whale’s Attic While a tour through an attic may sound rather bleh , Casa Mila is a different story. Gaudi excelled at pulling inspiration from nature. And in this case, he quite literally pulled his idea for the attic’s structure from a whale.
The 270 brick arches of the attic resemble a whale’s skeleton as they extend in long tunnels into the attic. This special catenary arch design supports the spectacular rooftop terrace without adding too much weight to the overall building.
Back in the day, this massive attic served as the communal laundry area. Today, it houses an extensive exhibit on Gaudi’s work at Casa Mila and other popular sites around Barcelona.
Ergonomic furniture Natural pattern inspiration Model for Park Guell aquaduct The Rooftop Warriors
Sunset from Casa Mila’s roof The most memorable part of Casa Mila for most visitors is undoubtedly the rooftop. From here, you can get a 360-degree view of Barcelona. This is an exceptionally beautiful spot due to the many eye-catching buildings on Passeig de Gracia and the surrounding streets.
But that’s not all. A series of ventilation towers, stairwells, and chimneys, all molded from Gaudi’s incredible imagination, cover the rooftop in a multitude of unique shapes and clusters. Gaudi designed these “warriors” with inspiration from all four elements: earth, wind, water, and fire. Over a hundred years later, they still stand tall over the building, providing a genuinely artistic quality to otherwise commonplace elements.
The Flower Courtyard
Flower Courtyard Once you’ve finished on the roof, you’ll return downstairs to see the final element of Casa Mila: the Flower Courtyard. This beautiful space is accented with iron-worked railings, floral paintings, and a curving staircase accented with plants. The Flower Courtyard is also open-aired, allowing plenty of natural light and ventilation to the apartments.
Tips for Visitors
Bring your camera and take lots of pictures! You’ll have plenty of opportunities to snap memories and pose with the Rooftop Warriors.
Bring water. You’ll have to climb several sets of stairs during your visit, and the rooftop can be very toasty during the summer months, so you’ll be glad you have some on hand.
Take your time. Don’t feel obligated to rush ahead with another group. Take in the architecture, read the plaques, and enjoy the rooftop views.
Buy tickets in advance . Tickets are an additional 3 euros at the ticket office, so it’s worth it to buy a ticket for a timed entry before you arrive. Choose an experience that interests you. Casa Mila is open day and night, and there are several add-on packages you can choose from. There are also options for free-roaming and guided tours, so pick the one that’s going to give you the best experience.
Set aside about an hour for the “Essential” tour. If you choose a longer tour or add on a virtual reality experience, you’ll need to carve out additional time in your itinerary.
Closing Thoughts on Casa Mila
If I’m being entirely honest, I didn’t really want to visit Casa Mila. That day, we’d already been to Casa Batllo, La Sagrada Familia , and the Barcelona Cathedral , so I was exhausted. And quite frankly, “Gaudi-d” out. But, we had the time, so we decided to book tickets to visit an hour in advance and see one more of Gaudi’s masterpieces. Now, I’m really glad we did!
Casa Mila vs. Casa Batllo
Exterior of Casa Batllo Despite my initial concerns, La Pedrera is very different from Casa Batllo and gave a much more insightful look into the day-to-day life of the people. Plus, the rooftop terrace has far more character than the one at Casa Batllo, and the views were better, too.
If you can only choose one, I would recommend Casa Mila if you are more interested in cultural history and the unique stone warriors rather than the particular architecture of Casa Batllo’s single-family home. Choose Casa Batllo if you’re more interested in tons of color and funky ocean-inspired designs inside and out.
I also appreciated that Casa Mila was far less crowded than Casa Batllo. It gave us a better chance to see the design elements and enjoy the rooftop.
Watch our Casa Mila Adventure on YouTube!
Let’s Connect!
I hope this answers all the questions you have about visiting Casa Mila! It’s such a fantastic stop to add to any Barcelona itinerary if you have the time. Feel free to drop any additional questions or comments below, and I’ll get back to you asap!
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Thanks for taking the time to learn about Casa Mila with me today. I hope you’ll be back soon for more! If you’d like to learn more about Barcelona while you’re here, be sure to check out these posts before you go:
Until next time, happy travels!
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