Gaudí's Palau Güell, a World Heritage building, always relevant

A spectacular rooftop with multi-colored chimneys - Barcelona Provincial Council  

In 2024, it will be 40 years since UNESCO recognized the exceptional value of Palau Güell by declaring it a World Heritage Site. This declaration recognized Antoni Gaudí 's extraordinary contribution to universal art and architecture and was one of the first to protect contemporary monuments. In 2026, Palau Güell will join the commemoration of the centenary of its creator's death with a program that will be published in the coming months on its website and social media channels. It will include exhibitions, lecture series, and special concerts to mark the anniversary.

Built between 1886 and 1890 at the request of the industrialist, politician, and patron of the arts and culture, Eusebi Güell —a client and close friend of the brilliant architect—the Palau Güell combines ingenuity and creativity. From the sober facades to the detailed interiors, each space reveals an exceptional mastery of volume, light, and functionality. Gaudí knew how to apply ingenious solutions to the challenges posed by this commission, achieving an effective, genuine, and extraordinarily beautiful response.

Staircase leading to the main floor - Barcelona Provincial Council

Located in the heart of Barcelona, next to La Rambla, the Palau was conceived as a residence for the Güell-López family, highlighting the use of fine materials and the meticulous work of the best artisans of the time: blacksmiths, cabinetmakers, ceramists, marble workers and glassmakers. The main floor revolves around the central hall, under a dome evoking a starry sky, where music takes center stage thanks to the historic organ. On the roof, the sculptural chimneys, all different, covered in various materials—and, for the most part, decorated with "trencadís"—are an example of Gaudí's imagination and originality.

Dome of the central hall - Diputació de Barcelona

Until 1910, when the family moved to Casa Larrard in Park Güell, the building served several functions: housing in the most domestic sense of the word; a venue for concerts, literary gatherings, and cultural and social gatherings with the aristocracy, the bourgeoisie, intellectuals, and artists; and it was also the headquarters of the family business.

This is the only major work designed and built entirely by the architect during his lifetime, and the best preserved due to the fact that it has not undergone any major modifications and has been restored and preserved with great care by the Barcelona Provincial Council for more than eighty years. With the sense of responsibility that comes with owning the Palau Güell, the Provincial Council has dedicated efforts and resources to maintaining the building's originality and opening it to the public, applying a contemporary perspective to a period in Catalan history as interesting as it is rich in nuances. In recent decades, this commitment has been evident in the planning and execution of rigorous restoration works to recover the building's original beauty and spatial richness. As a result of this institutional commitment, today the Palau Güell is open to the public, so that local citizens—and those who visit us—can enjoy this major work of Catalan and world architecture.

Palau Güell was inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — on November 2, 1984, along with Park Güell and Casa Milà (“La Pedrera”). World Heritage sites are properties or places that possess outstanding universal value. That is, they have extraordinary cultural or natural importance that transcends borders, and are valued for their special significance within the history of humanity.

Entrance to the Palau Güell, on Nou de la Rambla street - Barcelona Provincial Council

Activities at the Palau Güell

The Palau Güell offers various visit and activity options at very affordable prices—admission for just 5 euros with a municipal library card is one example—and there are “open doors” every first Sunday of the month and several days a year.

Among the activities offered, there are guided tours on weekends (Saturdays and Sundays, except on open days) in different languages (Catalan, Spanish, English and French) and at no additional cost, to learn about the history and tour the rooms of the Palau accompanied by an expert voice.

It is also possible to enjoy the dynamic family visit 'The Secret Documents of Gaudí', on the fourth Sunday of each month (except August), so that the little ones in the house can discover the Palau Güell and Gaudí's architecture in a fun and enjoyable way, following an entertaining game of clues.

' The Secret Palau Güell ' every second Saturday of the month, at dusk - except in August - shows interesting rooms and spaces not open to the public during the conventional visit and exposes more details of its history.

'Els Güell en la Rambla. Quatre palaus connectats' (Visit in Catalan), offers an itinerary on the third Sunday of each month (except July, August and September) that visits four palaces related to the Güell saga, located on La Rambla or in adjacent streets, and ends with a full guided tour of the Palau Güell.

You can find details of these activities, including schedules and ticket prices at palauguell.cat.

The old stables - Barcelona Provincial Council

**Content provided by the Barcelona Provincial Council**