Local Insight: The iconic Sagrada Familia has been under construction for over 140 years, funded solely by private donations and visitor tickets. Gaudí knew he wouldn’t live to see it finished, famously saying, “My client is not in a hurry.”

Barcelona’s Eixample district, with its wide, grid-pattern streets and chamfered corners, was a radical 19th-century urban plan by Ildefons Cerdà. It was designed for sunlight, ventilation, and social equality—the perfect canvas for Modernista architects like Gaudí to create their masterpieces.

Look for the geometric pavement tiles on Passeig de Gràcia, designed by Gaudí himself. The starfish and octopus motifs aren’t just decorative; they were engineered to be durable, drain rainwater, and provide traction for horses—a perfect blend of Modernista art and practical innovation.

Barcelona’s architecture is a living timeline. In a single afternoon, you can walk from a Roman temple in the Gothic Quarter, through a medieval cathedral, and into the surreal, nature-inspired world of Gaudí’s Modernisme—a journey through 2,000 years of design genius.