Have you ever heard about the Palau Güell before?
If you are touring in Barcelona, there are a few places that you just have to see along the way! Even a quick stroll through the city offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy different artworks and sites that play a crucial role in the city’s history and culture. Names like Eusebi Güell and Antoni Gaudí, amongst many others, may already sound familiar.
In this post, we’ll talk about a place that visitors foreigners, and even some residents often overlook, yet is still important and remarkable to Catalonian culture and heritage. This place was designed by our well-known Antoni Gaudi at a request from Mr. Eusebi Güell. So I’ll ask: are you ready to tour Barcelona and meet Palau Güell, one of the first Antoni Gaudi buildings?
Palau Güell: A perfect look at Catalonian modernism
One of Barcelona’s emblematic attractions, and maybe one of Catalunya’s most iconic modernist pieces, is Palau Güell. Located next to La Rambla, (another essential piece of Barcelona tourism) Palau is easy to access and among Barcelona’s most visited attractions is worth the visit.
Like other Antoni Gaudí works, Palau Güell is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, marking the building as an important and protected location.
Fun fact: Gaudí drew most of his inspiration from oriental influences. It began after looking at other architectural pieces that can be found in India, Persia, and Japan. But there are a variety of influences here; the Hispano-Islamic style is also present in Palau Güell, so it perfectly represents Gaudí’s varied vision.
What will people see during their visit to Palau Güell?
We already mentioned a few things visitors can expect while visiting Palau Güell. While the architectural style is important, there are a few other important details to know before visiting it.
Thanks to Antoni Gaudí’s architectural vision, the Palau is decorated uniquely and memorably. It’s worth noting that this place used to be a mansion with frequent high-profile guests.
Since this was one of the most important collaborations he made thanks to Eusebi Güell, his goal was perfection. So, it’s easy to see why the decor was planned with great detail; ceramics, mitral arches, and exposed brick cartouches are among the many unique touches.
The façade has three levels, each designed for its own specific purpose. The entire façade was built with materials imported from Garraf, a place that held special meaning to Eusebi Güell back in the day because of his wineries located in that area. One of the most impressive decorations on the facade is a sculpture of iron snakes forming the letters E and G, which stands for the industrial tycoon and owner, Mr. Eusebi Güell.
The façade’s size is impressive for its era. It was designed not only for people to pass through by foot, but also for equestrians traveling by horse or chariot.
If you head up to the rooftop, you’ll see Antoni Gaudí’s works are also found there. He transformed regular chimneys into real pieces of art through sculpture and colors as you can see in the picture here below (it’s more impressive in person I took this picture a long time ago, testing a new phone at the time). He left a special mark in everything he built for Palau Güell.
Is Palau Güell perfect to visit nowadays?
For those considering places to visit during their tour in Barcelona, this is a place that can’t be missed. Travelers who visit Palau Güell will be taken back in time to an era when things were very different. Despite several renovations over the years, the Palau’s unique style and decor offer the same special touch as when it was conceived.
So, if you are a tourist in Barcelona or looking for tourism ideas in Barcelona, Palau Güell is a must on your list.
If you aren’t familiar with Gaudi, check us out on Instagram and you will be amazed by his fantastic work.
Thanks so much for your time! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
See you in my next post!
Bye Bye
I’ll leave the map so you won’t get lost trying to get there on your own:
