In the second week of June, Pope Leo XIV made his first papal visit to Spain on a six-day journey to Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands. One of the key moments of his visit was a solemn mass, celebrated to inaugurate and bless the recently finished Tower of Jesus Christ, the highest element of the structure, which officially makes the Sagrada Família the tallest church in the world at 172.5m.
The date, June 10, was no accident, as it marked the centenary of the death of its architect, Antoni Gaudí, who took over just a year after the foundation stone was laid in 1882. From that moment, Gaudí’s professional and personal life were inextricably linked with the Sagrada Família, to the point that from 1914 onward he decided not to take other commissions. He moved into a small workshop on the site and worked obsessively on the project until his death.
Most of Gaudí’s buildings were designed and completed during his work at the Sagrada Família. His two other most famous and visited works, Casa Milà (1906 to 1912) and Park Güell(1900 to 1914), represent the peak of the architect’s career and together with the Sagrada Família describe Gaudí’s singular universe at three very different scales. All three are must-see visits in Barcelona but, like the Sagrada Família, one should expect long queues and overcrowded spaces throughout 2026, as all sorts of events, symposiums and one-off exhibitions have been programmed to celebrate the Año Gaudí.
Still, during this special year, it is possible to visit Gaudí’s work at a slower pace, avoiding long queues and overcrowded building projects. This may require additional planning, as some of the proposed visits require pre-booking and have limited visiting hours. The proposed itinerary is planned for one and a half days and explores smaller projects, tightly connected with Gaudí’s final masterpiece.
1. Torre Bellesguard
Bellesguard tower is probably one of the hidden gems in Barcelona. Located in the upper-class neighbourhood of Sant Gervasi, the house was commissioned in 1900. The site has strong historical significance as it contained the ruins of the castle of Bellesguard, built in 1408 for King Martin I, the last monarch of the House of Barcelona (a Catalan dynasty, which ruled the County of Barcelona continuously from 878 and the Crown of Aragon starting in 1137 till 1409).
Gaudí’s design for the house was inspired by the Gothic medieval past of the site, and it became a test bed for some of the most distinctive elements of his architectural language. For example, the redbrick parabolic arches of the attic, which would later be masterfully used in Casa Milà’s famous attic. Or the stone arches on inclined columns of the Bellesguard viaduct next to the house, which would later be seen in Park Güell and the Sagrada Família’s neo-Gothic structural solutions.
The house has been owned since 1944 by the prominent Guilera family, who still live in part of it – it first opened to the public in 2013. As well as being a stunning example of Gaudí’s work, visitors can get a perfect view of the city from its tower.
It can be visited as part of a small group guided tour only, so booking is required.
Casa Vicens
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Casa Vicens is considered Gaudí’s first house, after a series of smaller works and partially built commissions. The house was built between 1883 and 1885, coinciding with the start of his involvement in the Sagrada Família, although its design started immediately after he finished his studies at the Barcelona School of Architecture in 1878.
It was commissioned by the stockbroker Manel Vicens i Montaner as a summer house for his family in Gràcia, then a small town close to Barcelona. The town was later engulfed by the city and is now one of its must-visit districts for its distinct urbanism and cultural character
Like many other first-time commissions, this house is heavily influenced by the existing trends of the time such as Orientalism and Neo-Mudéjar (a Moorish revival architectural movement). But it also contains glimmers of his skills and his obsession with detail. The whole interior is a feast for the senses, filled with innumerable details and intricate decoration. For me, the smoking room is one of the most striking spots of the building, only 10m² yet covered with a stunning muqarnas, a volumetric geometric ceiling found in traditional Islamic architecture.
Today, Casa Vicens is owned by a private institution which restored the building and opened it to the public in 2017. It has daily visits – and I would build in time to explore the neighbourhood.
3. Cripta de la Colònia Güell
The Colònia Güell crypt is in town Santa Coloma de Cervelló, a short train ride outside the city. The town was a large industrial colony built around a textile factory owned by the industrialist Eusebi Güell. Gaudí was commissioned in 1898 to build the church of the colony, but work did not start until 1908. Unfortunately, after Güell´s death in 1918, the project was abandoned with only the crypt completed. The crypt was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in July 2005.
In the crypt, Gaudí experimented with many of the structural ideas that were later applied to the Sagrada Família, including the famous physical hanging chain models he built to figure out the complex curved shapes that would later be used in the basilica.
Colònia Güell is well worth spending at least half a day in. There is an exhibition that explains the profound links between the crypt and the Sagrada Família. But an extended visit also gives you the opportunity to visit other buildings Güell commissioned from other modernist architects such as Francesc Berenguer i Mestres and Joan Rubió.
