When you visit Barcelona for the first time, it’s only natural to spend most of your time at its most iconic buildings, like the Sagrada Familia, the cathedral, and the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar. Any one of them will take your breath away, but focusing only on the monuments means missing out on something just as fascinating: discovering how people in Barcelona lived in other eras. To fix that, we’ve rounded up 12 historic houses in Barcelona, most of them open to the public, that will take you on a journey from Roman Barcelona all the way to Modernisme.
If you’re planning your vacation, our beach apartments in Barcelona make it easy to get to all of them by public transportation. And if you’re still looking for vacation apartments in Barcelona, keep in mind that many of these houses are clustered in the Eixample and the Gothic Quarter, so it’s a good idea to stay somewhere with easy access to the city center. Ready to join us?
Casa Amatller
At number 41 Passeig de Gràcia stands Casa Amatller, one of the most notable works by Josep Puig i Cadafalch, who designed it between 1898 and 1900 for chocolate maker Antoni Amatller. It’s part of the so-called Block of Discord, alongside Casa Batlló and Casa Lleó Morera, where three of the great styles of Modernisme come together.
What makes it special is that, unlike other houses in the area, it still has much of the family’s original furniture and decor, so a visit gives you a glimpse into how Barcelona’s upper class lived in the early 20th century. It opened as a house museum in 2015, and today you can visit every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with audio guides available in several languages. General admission is €17. Don’t miss the special activities, like the tours that include an Amatller chocolate tasting.
Casa Batlló
Right next door, at Passeig de Gràcia 43, stands one of the most spectacular buildings in the city. It’s the result of Gaudí’s 1904–1906 renovation of an apartment building originally built in 1875, commissioned by textile businessman Josep Batlló. Its facade, one of the architect’s most original creations, combines stone, wrought iron, mosaic, and polychrome ceramics. Fun fact: the bone-shaped columns on the large windows of the main floor earned it the nickname Casa dels Ossos (House of Bones). If you want to learn more, check out our article on all of Gaudí’s works in Barcelona.
Casa de la Seda
Across from the Palau de la Música, on the corner of Carrer de Sant Pere més Alt and Via Laietana, you’ll find the headquarters of the old Silk Weavers’ Guild, the association of Barcelona’s silk makers. Built between 1759 and 1763, it was declared a Monument of National Interest in 1919 and is the only building that survived the construction of Via Laietana. Its facade features some of the most beautiful sgraffito work in the city, and on the corner you can see a figure of Our Lady of the Angels, the guild’s patron saint.
The interior, with its silk-lined walls, fine woods, and historical documents, opened to the public in 2016. It’s open on Saturdays for guided tours, some of them dramatized. If you’re staying at Lugaris Rambla, our apartments on the Rambla del Poblenou, metro line L4 will drop you off at Urquinaona, just a few minutes’ walk away.
Casa Elizalde
At number 302 Carrer de València stands this mansion, built in 1888 by Emili Sala i Cortés, the same architect behind the original building that Gaudí would later transform into Casa Batlló. For decades, it was home to the Elizalde family, who were tied to one of the country’s pioneering automobile companies. In the early ’80s, the City Council set out to restore it, and today it’s one of the city’s most active cultural centers, with exhibitions, concerts, and more than 200 courses every quarter.
If you’re spending a while in the city in medium-term apartments in Barcelona, its courses are a great way to meet people and experience the neighborhood like a local. The closest metro stop is Passeig de Gràcia (L2, L3, and L4).
Casa Vicens
Tucked away at Carrer de les Carolines 20, it is one of the great treasures of Catalan Modernisme: Gaudí’s first major project after earning his architecture degree in 1878. Built between 1883 and 1885, the house clearly reflects Gaudí’s inspiration drawn from the Neo-Mudéjar style, and it stands out for its ceramic decoration with floral motifs. It’s been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005 and has been open to the public as a house museum since 2017.
Casa Milà (La Pedrera)
On the corner of Passeig de Gràcia and Carrer de Provença stands La Pedrera, one of Gaudí’s masterpieces, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. The house was built between 1906 and 1912, commissioned by businessman Pere Milà and his wife, Roser Segimon. Its undulating facade, wrought-iron balconies, and the chimneys crowning its rooftop make it a must-see in Barcelona.
Casa Terradas (Casa de les Punxes)
It’s one of the most famous works by Josep Puig i Cadafalch. This neo-Gothic-style castle, completed in 1905 on Avinguda Diagonal, was commissioned by textile businessman Bartomeu Terradas for his three sisters. Each one had her own entrance, custom-designed by the architect, and its most distinctive feature is the six towers topped with conical spires that give it its popular nickname.
For a few years, you could tour the inside, but it’s currently not open to the public on a regular basis; it only hosts the occasional cultural event. Even so, it’s well worth seeing up close: coats of arms, roses, and dragons are hidden all over its facade.
Domus Avinyó
Next to the ancient wall of Barcino, at Carrer d’Avinyó 15, right in the heart of the Gothic Quarter, you’ll find a preserved Roman house that was inhabited between the 1st and 4th centuries AD. Its greatest treasure is the collection of ceiling and wall paintings, recovered and restored thanks to the Barcino Plan. It’s part of the Barcelona History Museum (MUHBA) and opens on the first and third Sunday of every month, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free on the first Sunday.
Domus de Sant Honorat
Beneath Carrer de Sant Honorat, on the corner of Carrer de la Fruita, lies another Roman domus, built in the 4th century. It retained part of its colonnaded central garden and several rooms decorated with polychrome mosaics, and it even had its own baths. Given its size and its location near the colony’s forum, it must have belonged to one of the most important families in the city.
In the Middle Ages, when the area was part of the Call, the Jewish quarter, large silos were dug to store grain, and you can still see them embedded in the domus today. The MUHBA runs a combined guided tour of both domus for €8. From our apartments in Poblenou, the L4 will take you to Jaume I, just a few minutes’ walk from both.
Palau Güell
At Carrer Nou de la Rambla 3–5 stands one of the greatest gems of the Raval. This palace, built between 1886 and 1890, was commissioned by businessman and art patron Eusebi Güell, who entrusted his friend Gaudí with designing a family residence that would also serve as a gathering place for the bourgeoisie. It stands out for the way the architect worked with space and light, and it’s been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.
Palau Requesens
Built in the 13th century on top of the Roman wall and transformed during the Gothic period, Palau Requesens became the largest private palace in medieval Barcelona. Also known as the Palace of the Countess of Palamós, it’s located on Carrer del Bisbe Caçador, just steps from the Basilica of Saints Justus and Pastor. It’s been declared a Cultural Asset of National Interest, and since the early 20th century it has been home to the Royal Academy of Good Letters.
Visits are only held occasionally, so if you’re in town on a weekly rental, keep an eye on the calendar. Plus, it’s set to become the Casa de las Letras, the major hub for Catalan literature, around 2028.
Torre Bellesguard (Casa Figueras)
Despite its undeniable charm, it’s one of Gaudí’s lesser-known works. He built it between 1900 and 1909 at the foot of Tibidabo, on the site where the castle of King Martin the Humane once stood, and it blends Gothic and Modernista elements. Gaudí left the project in 1909, and it was finished by his collaborator Domènec Sugrañes. It’s a private property that has been open to the public since 2013, Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with guided or audio-guided tours.
Exploring these houses is the best way to understand how everyday life in Barcelona has changed over two thousand years. And after all those grand bourgeois mansions, you might be craving a place of your own: at Lugaris, you’ll find some of the best apartments in Barcelona, including luxury apartments right by Poblenou Beach.
What do you think of our picks? If you know another historic house that deserves a spot on the list, let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear about it!
