Eixample

Designed by Ildefons Cerda, he hoped that it would be a neighborhood outside the city center that would accommodate people of all sorts and would contain all they needed for their daily lives, including markets, schools, hospitals, and much more.

Cerda’s plans for the Eixample were considered to be quite visionary. When designing the neighborhood, he took many things into consideration including traffic, sunlight, and ventilation. The streets were to broaden at each intersection and the corners were cut off to allow horse-drawn wagons to make turns more easily.

However, all of Cerda’s plans didn’t turn out quite the way he had hoped. Architects did follow his grid plan, but ignored many of the specifics. The intersections weren’t designed as his drawings indicated (though they are spacious), garden areas were eliminated, and the neighborhood became a haven for the wealthy rather than a place that would attract all classes.

What Eixample did become was a pleasant neighborhood full of wonderful Modernista architecture, primarily the works of Antoni Gaudi, the father of the Spanish Art Nouveau movement. You can also find buildings in Eixample designed by other lesser-known Modernista architects. That’s what makes the area a must-see for architectural aficionados who are visiting Barcelona, but nearly anyone will enjoy a walking tour of the area.

Today, many of Gaudi’s masterpieces remain and have gone from being private residences to places of business like offices and banks. Take a trip down the avenue known as Passeig de Gràcia, one of the most architecturally important streets in the city.

You’ll want to make a stop at the magnificent Casa Batlló, a Gaudi-designed structure that’s on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The structure is nearly indescribable to those who haven’t laid eyes on it, but is truly one of the most incredible examples of Modernista architecture anywhere, covered with glittery pieces of glass and boasting interesting shapes throughout. You’ll also want to visit the Casa Milà, with its wavy walls which remind some of honeycombs and others of African cave dwellings. Strange-looking chimney stacks sit atop the building.