Short answer. Start outside, on Passeig de Gràcia, and look at the wave of stone that gave the building its nickname. Inside, walk through the painted courtyards, go up to the attic of brick arches and finish on the roof, among the chimneys. The visit takes about an hour and a half.
Entry, guided tours, sunset and night visits
Casa Milà: Entry Ticket + Audio Guide
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Where do I start?
On the pavement. Before you go in, step back to the other side of Passeig de Gràcia and look at the front. There is hardly a straight line on it. The stone rises in soft waves, and the window openings are cut into it like caves in a cliff. People soon called the building La Pedrera, the quarry, and the name stuck.
The wall does not hold the building up. It is a curtain of more than 6,000 blocks of stone, hung on a frame behind it.
What are the balconies made of?
Look up at the railings. There are 32 balconies, and no two are the same. They are made of wrought iron from reused bars and chains, and they look like seaweed tangled in the wind. The first one, on the second floor, came from the workshop of the Badia brothers, with Gaudí watching. Gaudí worked with many collaborators on this building.
What are the courtyards like?
Casa Milà has two inner courtyards, one round and one oval. They bring daylight deep into the building, and they make you feel that the house is built around light.
The walls of the entrance halls are painted to look like tapestries. In the hall on the Passeig de Gràcia side you can see the myth of Vertumnus and Pomona. Near the stairs, a painting plays a trick on the eye: it makes a staircase seem to hang beside a garden. The painted walls were supervised by the artist Aleix Clapés.
What is in the attic?
Go up under the roof and the mood changes. The attic is a long, low space held up by about 270 thin brick arches, one after another. Some people call it the Whale Attic, because the arches look like the ribs of a whale.
It was not made to be pretty. It was once the place where the tenants washed and dried their clothes, and it also helped to keep the heat out in summer and in during winter. Today it holds an exhibition about Gaudí’s life and work.
What is the flat like?
Casa Milà was built as a home for families, and one of the flats shows you how they lived. It has furniture from the early twentieth century, and you walk through the rooms as a tenant once did. The daytime visit includes it, and the guided tour walks you through its rooms. The night tour may not include it.
Why do people love the roof?
Because it looks like nothing else. Around thirty chimneys and six stair exits stand in strange shapes, as if a group of sculptures had been placed on the roof. One group of chimneys is covered in pieces of dark green champagne bottles. At one end a small white arch frames the Sagrada Família in the distance, a photo you will want to take.
The floor is very uneven, so wear good shoes and take your time. It is not accessible by wheelchair, but a platform at the exit gives a partial view.
Is anything open only a few times a year?
Yes. The main floor, the former home of the Milà family, is open to every visitor only twice a year, when it holds an exhibition. The rest of the year, you see the other floors.
Which part for you?
Only an hour? See the facade, go up to the attic and finish on the roof. Interested in how it was built? Choose the guided tour, which explains the structure as you walk. Want to see it lit? Choose the night tour. Ready to book? See the tickets guide or go straight to the tickets page. The hours and directions will help you plan the day.