Casa Batlló tickets

There is no "skip the line." The tickets are timed so there should not be much of a line to enter.

For the really crowded sites in Barcelona (of which this was the worst at the time of my 2016 trip), you may not get inside right at the time on your ticket. It seemed to me the door-minder was letting X people enter only after X people left. I mention this so you don't book a later sight visit too close to the time you expect to leave Casa Batllo--which in any case is not a place you'll pop into and out of quickly; there's a lot to admire there, and the crowded conditions do not help.

I’m glad acraven posted because we had a similar experience at Casa Batllo in late April 2024. We had timed tickets for mid-afternoon on a rainy day. For safety reason, there is a capacity limit and enough people have to leave before they will admit the next group. The Gold ticket will give you the highest priority, but the advice about not booking another site too close is something to keep in mind.

Thanks for your helpful information. We have a Palau de Musica Catalana English tour at 9:30. After that, we thought we would wander up to Eixample and see Mondernisme buildings and include the Block of Discord to see Batlló. I could make the entry time later in the afternoon so we can see what we’re wanting to do in that area first and then not worry about any time constraints.

We are spreading out our Modernisme viewing over 3 days.
Wed: Palau de Musica Catalana and tour (concert is Friday night)
Casa Calvet, Morera, Amatller, and Batlló in the afternoon.
Our hotel is next door to Palau Güell so we can fit that in whenever it works. Maybe when we get back from Block of Discord this same day.
Fri: Park Güell, Sagrada Familia and Hospital Sant Pau
Sat: Thomas, Montaner, Fundacó Tapies and Casa Milá in the morning. After a break, Fuster, Baró de Quadras, Comalat, Punxes and Macaya in the afternoon.
I know it’s recommended to obtain tickets and go into Casa Milá/La Pedrera. Are any of these other building worth going into if time allows? My husband is a photographer so I know we’ll be standing and gazing at each of them outside for awhile!
I so value the input from Forum People. Thank you again!

Casa Mila/La Pedrera has an exhibition on a number of Gaudi's buildings, including some outside Barcelona. I think it's on the top floor. Because of the depth of your interest in modernista architecture, you should allow extra time to explore that area. I enjoyed it even though I had already seen the buildings highlighted. You may discover places you want to see on your next trip to Spain!

While I consider it worthwhile, Palau Guell isn't as striking as Casa Mila and Casa Batllo. It doesn't get the same crowds, but I did observe a line back in 2016; I don't remember whether I ended up buying a ticket online for a visit a day or two later or simply returned at some point and found essentially no wait. I know I ended up going over there twice. I suspect showing up in the afternoon would be less risky.

From a modernism standpoint, I found the interior of the Casa de les Punxes disappointing. It's privately owned, so it may have changed since my 2019 visit, but I remember thinking the audio-visual presentation might be more interesting for children. There was really very little architecture to see. I considered it a waste of my time.

The interior of Casa Amatller is more pseudo-medieval than modernist. If you're specifically looking for modernisme, I'd say you can skip that one. It's attractive in its own way, however.

I am dying to see the interior of Casa Lleo Morera, but as far as I know, it isn't open to the public. At the time of my 2016 visit, I was told public visits were not possible for reasons of safety. It seems it cannot be modified to meet current requirements because it's an historical landmark--the old Catch 22.

I'm not sure about the other places you've listed; many/all may be private residential buildings you cannot enter unless you have a connection.

There is a small modernisme museum you might enjoy. It's not far from the Block of Discord, at Balmes 48. It shows a lot of modernista items including furniture. It's currently closed but is reopening in late March with a stained-glass exhibition. A visit would probably take less than an hour (depending on how many photos your husband takes, of course). https://www.mmbcn.cat/

The large art museum, MNAC, also has a modernism collection that's worth seeing. I remember furniture, jewelry, and decorative arts. Another interesting feature at MNAC (beyond the expected paintings and sculptures) is a bunch of medieval church frescoes rescued from rural churches in the Pyrenees.

You might like to check out the Ruta del Modernisme website at https://rutadelmodernisme.com/en/. It has information on many modernista exteriors in Barcelona. The organization publishes a useful illustrated book with brief descriptions of over 115 buildings in the city. It makes a nice souvenir, but be aware that it's printed on high-quality paper and is therefore quite heavy even though it is not hardbound.

I assume the guide still comes with the city map I was given, which highlights modernista buildings. It definitely includes a coupon book with discounts for some of those you can enter. You can buy a second coupon book at a modest price. You won't be able to use the coupons unless you buy your tickets at the site (not practical for the super-popular ones). Since you don't have a huge amount of time in Barcelona, I don't think the coupon savings will be large, but the book and map are nice, if you have time to buy them. As of 2016 the man in the office didn't speak English, but it wasn't hard to communicate that I wanted to buy the book ("libro"). The office is at:

Institut Municipal del Paisatge Urbà
Av. Drassanes, 6-8, 21st floor
08001 Barcelona
Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 3 pm
Afternoons: call before at 932 562 504 to confirm

Online at: www.barcelonabooks.com

Thank you acraven! I’ve made some good notes. And I went ahead and ordered the Route book. I had it shipped to me here in Oregon. I was already sure I wanted it for a souvenir but Barcelona is our first stop and I was not sure about carrying it around for 3 more weeks! This way I can study it before we go! My birthday is coming soon and I just spent $25 on myself. It will come to my mailbox.
I did check on Lleó Morera and they do open it on special occasions. I’m guessing we’re not special enough, but it is stunning to even just look at!
We are planning to go to MNAC and the magic fountains.
I hope you can plan another trip to Barcelona soon!
Thank you again!

... a bit of background:

Casa Lleó i Morera was acquired by the real-estate and construction group Núñez i Navarro from the publisher Grup Planeta in 2005, and the purchase was formalised around 2006, when the company launched a major restoration and conservation project on the building. Núñez i Navarro is controlled by the Núñez family, whose patriarch, Josep Lluís Núñez was for many years president of FC Barcelona.

Their initial intention was not simply to use the building as offices, but to restore the main floor and open it regularly to the public as a cultural attraction, in a similar spirit to nearby Casa Batlló, with guided visits and events showcasing its modernista interiors. However, this plan ran into a structural conflict between two legal and regulatory frameworks. On one side, Casa Lleó i Morera is a protected modernista landmark, listed as a cultural asset of national interest by the Government of Catalonia, which means its main architectural elements (such as the decorative staircases and entrance area) cannot be substantially altered without breaching heritage-protection rules. On the other side, Catalan accessibility legislation and the technical building code require full accessibility for any building that is opened to the general public for cultural or museum-type uses, including barrier-free access for visitors in wheelchairs.

In practice, the key issue was the presence of several protected steps at the entrance, which made it impossible to guarantee universal access without installing ramps or mechanical devices that would have visibly affected heritage elements. Núñez i Navarro obtained only a temporary licence to open the noble floor to visitors and, after a few years of provisional openings and unsuccessful attempts to find a solution acceptable both to accessibility authorities and heritage-protection bodies, the provisional permit was not renewed. Faced with this deadlock, the company abandoned the idea of consolidating a permanent public museum similar to Casa Batlló and instead opted to lease most of the upper floors as offices for private companies, a use for which accessibility requirements are applied under different, more flexible transitional criteria in older, pre-existing buildings.