Barcelona UNESCO World Heritage Sites - Tickets and Visitor Information

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Barcelona is home to nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Seven form part of the UNESCO-listed "Works of Antoni Gaudí", while the other two were designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner. Most are open to visitors and rank among the city's most popular attractions.

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What are the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Barcelona?

• Sagrada Familia
• Park Güell
• Casa Batlló
• Casa Milà (La Pedrera)
• Casa Vicens
• Palau Güell
• Crypt of Colònia Güell (outside Barcelona)
• Palau de la Música Catalana
• Hospital de Sant Pau

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Sagrada Familia Tickets

The Sagrada Familia is the most famous UNESCO site in Barcelona and it still isn't finished. It is also the city's most popular attraction. Its full title is the 'Basilica I Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia' and around five million people visit the basilica each year to enjoy the inside. The church became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 due to its Nativity façade and the crypt and is part of the "Works of Antoni Gaudí" listing.

Construction started in 1882 and it was expected to be completed in 2026, but due to COVID-19 and funding issues, its completion has been delayed.

The church was designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, who ended up dedicating the later part of his life to the project and stopped taking other commissions in order to solely concentrate on his crowning glory and passion project. Gaudí sadly died in 1926 when he was hit by a tram, so never lived to see the basilica completed.

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Park Güell Tickets

Park Güell was originally designed to be a residential development and weekend retreat for Barcelona's wealthy elite. However, due to unexpected costs, only two properties were completed. Antoni Gaudí lived in one until his death and it is now the Gaudí House Museum, which can be included in tickets.

The original housing estate plan was designed to have around 70 properties on it, and was the idea of Eusebi Güell, a wealthy local businessman and close friend of Gaudí. However, the project ground to a halt due to costs and Eusebi Güell eventually handed the land over to the City of Barcelona, and Antoni Gaudí went on to design and transform the failed housing development into the public park visitors enjoy today.

It was opened to the public in 1926 and Park Güell is now one of the city's most popular attractions. It has two sections:

• ‍The Monumental Zone: Which covers around 12 hectares (30 acres) and a ticket is required to access it. The park is home to famous attractions including the Dragon Stairway, the Porter's Lodge Pavilion, The Hypostyle Room, The Greek Theatre and the Austria Gardens, which is also where the two properties that were completed are, with one being the Gaudi House Museum.
• ‍The Forest Zone: This section covers a further 7 hectares (17 acres) and is free to access and doesn't require a ticket.

Park Güell also forms part of the Works of Antoni Gaudí UNESCO World Heritage Site listing.

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Casa Batlló Tickets

The original property was built by Emilio Sala Cortes, who also happened to be one of Antoni Gaudí's architectura professors at university. In 1903 it was purchased by Josep Batlló y Casanovas, which is where the name of the property comes from. Batlló y Casanovas then commissioned Antoni Gaudí to renovate the property, which he completed in 1906.

Casa Batlló was then sold several times between the 1950s to the 1990s, at which point the Bernat family purchased it and they still own the building today. In 1995 the family decided to open it to the public so it could be enjoyed, and it has grown into one of Barcelona's most popular attractions.

Casa Batlló is also part of the Works of Antoni Gaudí UNESCO World Heritage Site listing.

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Casa Milà La Pedrera Tickets

Casa Milà or 'La Pedrera', as it is also known due to it looking like an open 'rock quarry' (La Pedrera translates to rock quarry), is another Antoni Gaudí design.

La Pedrera was commissioned by Pere Milà and his wife, Roser Segimon. They asked Gaudí to create a family home for them. He started the project in 1906 and completed it in 1912.

With Casa Milà being such a large property, the Milà family only lived in one part of it and rented the rest of it out. Located on 'Passeig de Gràcia', which is one of the most fashionable places to live in Barcelona and the place to be seen, the demand for the property was high.

Gaudí caused issues during the construction as he refused to follow local building guidelines. This meant the building ended up being bigger than the permission that had been granted, meaning it was actually an illegal structure. It was only after completion that the local council deemed Casa Milà a "monument in nature" and that title meant it didn't have to abide by council rules, allowing it to remain despite exceeding planning regulations.

Time took its toll on La Pedrera and it fell into disrepair between the 1960s and 1980s. It was eventually purchased by Caixa Catalunya in December 1986, and a full restoration project was performed. It was then opened to the public as a cultural centre in 1996 and like some of his other designs, has since grown into another of Barcelona's most popular attractions and also forms part of the Works of Antoni Gaudí UNESCO World Heritage Site listing.

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Palau de la Música Catalana Tickets

The Palau de la Música was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Designed by architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the design of the property allows light to flood in through the stained glass windows and creates a show of colours. Found in the Gothic Quarter of the city, construction began on the property in 1905 and it was opened in 1908.

Domènech i Montaner wanted the Palau de la Música to be a garden for music and wanted its visitors to immerse themselves in the events held there. The property went through refurbishment in the 1980s under the direction of architect Óscar Tusquets, but Tusquets didn't change the building's original charm or presence.

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Palau Güell - Güell Palace Tickets

Palau Güell or Güell Palace was commissioned by the wealthy industrialist, Eusebi Güell. It was one of Antoni Gaudí's first major commissions and marked the beginning of his long professional relationship and friendship with Eusebi Güell, of Park Güell.

The palace was constructed between 1886 and 1890 with its intention being to serve as a family residence and also a place to host events. Instantly recognisable as a Gaudí design, you first note the façade with its incredibly dark appearance and intricate ironwork.

Palau Güell was given UNESCO World Heritate Site status in 1984 and is now a popular attraction in Barcelona.

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Sant Pau Hospital Tickets

Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site or Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau, was designed by the famous architect, Lluís Domènech i Montaner. It was built on top of a medieval hospital, and Sant Pau represented a revolutionary approach to hospital design at the time, combining healthcare with natural light, gardens and beautiful architecture.

Domènech i Montaner designed it to help patients heal their spirits with architectural and natural beauty. The hospital consists of pavilions and underground tunnels that help to connect them as well as having a beautiful garden and courtyards.

Sant Pau Hospital was given UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1997 and now welcomes around 120,000 visitors each year.

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Casa Vicens Tickets

Casa Vicens was Antoni Gaudí's first major commission and it also forms part of the Works of Antoni Gaudí UNESCO World Heritage Site listing. Gaudí was commissioned by a local stockbroker Manel Vicens i Montaner, and he built Casa Vicens between 1883 & 1885.

Even though it was Gaudí's first design, you can still instantly tell it was designed by him due to the colours and materials used. It was designed during his orientalist period, so has Japanese influences in its design.

The property went through various changes between 1935 and 1964 and remains the same today. In 1993, Casa Vicens was also awarded an Asset of National Cultural Interest and has been owned by Morabanc, an Andorran bank since 2014. They refurbished it to bring it back to its old standard so that the public could visit it.

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