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If we see Plaça Catalunya as a mirror, we have the Ramblas at one side and the Passeig de Gràcia at the other, and if the Ramblas is lively, overcrowded, popular and a bit shabby, the Passeig de Gràcia is its bourgeois reflection. This boulevard was the centre of the Catalan upper class of XIX century that had become rich with the textile industry, and they intended to show their affluence through the houses they built there. For that reason, some of the most beautiful buildings in Barcelona are in Passeig de Gràcia.
Beautiful buildings aside, the Passeig de Gràcia is also a good place to look at some of the best (and most expensive) shops and boutiques in Barcelona.
Let's start our walk in Plaça Catalunya. As we follow the Passeig de Gràcia, some of the interesting buildings we'll see are:
- Casa Lleó i Morera (Passeig de Gràcia, 35): Built between 1902-1906 by the architect Domènech i Montaner. A fine example of the modernist school.
- Casa Amatller (Passeig de Gràcia, 41): a neo-gothic building by Puig i Cadafalch.
- Casa Batlló (Passeig de Gràcia, 43): one of the best known works by Antoni Gaudí, although he was only responsible for its redesign, that gave it the characteristics for which is so well known today, like its façade. Gaudí gave it the look of the skin of a dragon using a colorful mosaic.
- Casa Milá (best known as La Pedrera): another masterwork by Gaudí, although it has a less over-elaborated style. The rippling stone façade is beautiful, and you can buy a ticket to visit the interior; don't miss the rooftop, where the chimneys look like warriors from the Middle Age.
- Casa Vidal Quadras (Diagonal 373): by Puig i Cadafalch. You can visit the Museu de la música (music museum) in its interior.
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