Anyone interested in Antoni Gaudi, the eccentric Catalan architect, should visit La Pedrera, designed in 1905. I know there is a mass of choice of Gaudi architecture to visit in Barcelona, including his more famous Sagrada Familia, but this little gem is unmissible. It's an amazing building packed with things to see, including a thoughtful museum, stunning roof-top views and (best of all, in my opinion) the recreation of a completely furnished, turn-of-the-century apartment.

Even with my two trusty maps I found it difficult to find La Pedrera and had to ask for directions. If you look for the junction between Passeig de Gracia and Carrer Provenca you should be able to find it much easier then I did. It is quite distinctive when you do spot it. From the outside it looks like it’s curving stone edges have melted in the sun (La Pedrera is a nickname, Catalan for The Quarry or Stone Pile).

I left it a bit late so there was a queue when I got there. At busier times of the year (I went in October) I would recommend you go as early as possible. The website www.lapedreraeducacio.org has information on opening time, which seem to vary throughout the year. It cost 8 Euros to get in – a bargain when you discover all there is to see. There’s also the usual gift shop, audio tour malarkey you find at major tourist attractions, though I will say I got on fine without an audio guide and thought that the prices at the gift shop were quite reasonable (a good place to stock up on souvenirs I’d say).

After paying and admiring the beautiful courtyard you can go up to the main parts of the museum by elevator where can choose which part of the building to explore first: the rooftop, the Gaudi museum or reconstructed apartment.

I ended up going through the museum first. It’s an excellent, informative museum about Gaudi and his architecture, including architectural models of his work and displays of natural materials that inspired him. Other state-of-the-art exhibits included video consoles highlighting different aspects of Gaudi’s design throughout La Pedrera: the woodwork, metalwork and tiling.

I then wandered out onto the roof which has some excellent view of the Eixample and the Sagrada Familia. All the chimneys are elaborately decorated to the point where you have to think that Gaudi must have intended people to see and admire the details. Wandering back down to the museum I followed some signs to the floor below where the apartment was.

The reconstructed apartment was truly fascinating. Inside you could see how every detail of Gaudi’s design was beautifully planned, from the art nouveaux friezes around the windows and doors, to the elegant curved handles and the small, but-perfectly-formed laundry room. They have taken great pains to recreate every detail of a turn-of-the-century apartment – including original furniture, wallpaper and decorations.

Visiting La Pedrera was definitely a highlight for me and I would highly recommend

La Pedrera

This was just "okay" for me. Gaudi is amazing, no doubt, and the building is phenomenal, but all I really need is to look at it. Inside there is a lot of information about the building and how it was constructed, so I highly recommend it if you're into that.

Inside you also get to see one of the apartments—they're so big! I could stand to live like that.

The roof is beautiful with all the stairs and the chimneys. The views are phenomenal—be sure to check out the Sagrada Familia, which you can see towering above the rest of the city.

If you're on a budget, not a student, and don't really care about architecture, just glance at the building and walk on. You can see great views of the city from other places.

10:00-8:00 pm
Admission: €7 (students €3.50)

Also known as Espadi Gaudi, Gaudi's place, this is arguably one of the most famous buildings in Barcelona, designed by the everpresent Gaudi, of course. Wavy design combines with organic shapes and bright colors to give the entire building an appearance of a huge live beast.

The uppermost story is converted into a display of Gaudi's design techniques, where you can admire his distinct broken arches and the ideas behind the architecture. A staircase leads into the roof and its fantastic chimneys perched on top of the curvy structure like medieval crusaders in waiting in silence for a heathen heretic.

The trip through the house gets you through an elegant apartement in style of the early 20th century. Now that's living! A few floors down you encounter a small souvenirs shop, where you can fill your greedy pockets with all things Gaudi and leave a few of your hard-earned bucks behind.

Wow! We had the good fortune of being in Barcelona during the celebration of Antoni Gaudi's 150 anniversay of his birth. This fantastic apartment is open (timed tickets) to the public until Sept. 24. We paid 6 Euros each (about $6) for a tour. Incredible! You begin in the moderistic, fantastic courtyard, then take an elevator or the stairs (dozens) up to the 'model' apartment and historic presentation on Barcelona at the time this building was built and history of the making of the building. Best money spent on this trip! I can't describe what I saw, but I can say that I started out the tour somewhat disliking the Gaudi style and ended up loving it.

Most interesting areas to me were the roof 'playground' and the floor under the roof where all the brick arches which support the building are found. The roof! Was this where George Lucas planned Starwars? How did the neighbors feel where Gaudi started to build this masterpiece?

The gift shop has the best variety of Gaudi related books and gifts you will find including jewelry and furniture. All prices. Something for everyone. This building has aged well and is the home to several families and businesses including a copy shop with internet service.

I am so grateful that we had this opportunity!

This unusual building designed by Antoni Gaudi is a landmark in Barcelona and is quite a sight to behold. It looks almost like it was carved out of a mountain side, or could have been designed by Fred Flintstone. In addition to the impressive - if not strange - outside, the inside contains exhibits on the building, Gaudi's work, and the man himself. Admission is a tad expensive, but worth it.

My absolute favorite part of the building was without a doubt the rooftop, which has an irregular floor with unusual sculptures here and there. It almost feels like the funhouse at an amusement part - it's that strange (and lovely.) On Saturdays in the summertime, the rooftop becomes a nightclub, but I find it hard to believe that someone can walk around up there without killing themselves after having a few drinks!

La Pedrera is located a few blocks north of Plaza Catalunya on Passeig de Gracia. From the old town, continue past Plaza Catalunya on Rambla de Catalunya and make a right on c/Provenca. Walk back down toward Pl Catalunya on Passeig de Gracia and you'll soon pass (on your right) La Manzana de la Discordia, or the Block of Discord. On this avenue block, there are a number of buildings designed by different architects (not difficult to guess which is Gaudi's!) I read that a number of wealthy individuals each hired famous architects who tried to out-do each other in terms of design. The result is a block filled with wacky-looking mismatched buildings.