Will be in Barcelona Sept. 7-10, 2015 and wanted to go to Casa Mila (la pedrera) night time "Origins" tour, but after seeing the 34Euro/person price am wondering if it is worth it. Tripadvisor has mixed reviews. Also want to see Casa Batlló and am thinking of just going to Casa Batlló during the day and passing by Casa Mila at night to see the roof lit up. Also heard very good things about Casa Lleo Morera (next to Casa Batlló). I don't want to waste time nor money. Has anyone done The Origins tour at Pedrera? How was it? Thank you, ColleenR
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
I visited La Pedrera without a guided tour, and it was well worth visiting, with attractive interiors and very informative displays even for someone who wasn't a high-level Spanish speaker. I would warn you that the roof itself is not recommended to people who are scared of heights, as it's not just the height of the building but the fact that the roof itself consists of steep undulating steps with no handrails.
Posted by
Oak Park, Illinois
4535 posts
I have not been on the night tour and assume that it includes some sort of light show? I can give you some insight over Batllo and Mila as regular visits:
Casa Batllo - This interior is far more elaborate and in the Gaudi style. The apartment is inspired by an under-seascape and is a bit like a Jules Vern novel. You see amazing art glass up close, the rear deck, elaborate stairwell/elevator, and the roof deck. The roof deck is small but has an up-close view of the tiled "dragon's back." No furnishings.
Casa Mila - You visit the attic space with is now a museum and shows some of his furnishings and design inspirations. Plus the attic has dramatic brick vaults. The roof deck is amazing with lots of decorated chimneys and undulating levels. You also tour one apartment which has an Art Nouveau character and furnishings, but isn't explicitly Gaudi in style the way Batllo is. If the nighttime visit includes all this, it might be worth it, but I doubt you would miss much just taking a regular daytime tour.
I personally love both because they each show something different. But I understand they are expensive. If choosing one or the other, decide based on which element you want to see more (elaborate interior or roof deck).
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
2690 posts
Sorry, I didn't do the night tour either, but I did very much enjoy my Casa Mila visit during the day. The roof is trippy, both figuratively and literally, as mentioned above. I think the roof is best observed on the roof, as opposed to viewing from the ground - you can't see all the shapes and interesting angles from street level. I used the Articket and skipped the line - but it looks like it doesn't cover Casa Mila any longer (though you can buy a ticket that lets you skip lines - would definitely choose that option). If you're a Gaudi fan, it's worth heading up to Parc Guell (take a cab, walk back down). If you like Modernisme architecture in general, this site was fun to browse through to find fun little things (I found a building with cool Gaudi bed-bug shaped door knockers...see photo (not mine) here)
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thank you all very much. Your comments are very helpful. I have decided to do the tour and will definitely purchase tickets in advance. We will have a tour of the Gothic Quarter with Letango Tours in the afternoon after flying in from Granada on Sept. 7 and will likely do The Origins tour at 9PM that night. The next day visit Park Güell and Sagrada Familia, which I will also purchase tickets online. Third day in Barcelona I can visit Casa Batlló and Casa Lleo Morera in AM and then just stoll down through the Gothic Quarter to La Barceloneta. I can't wait. I have always wanted to visit Barcelona.
Warm wishes, Colleen