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8 Gaudí Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europe's Most Instagrammable City
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8 Gaudí Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europe's Most Instagrammable City

The city wouldn't be the same without his architecture

8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

By Annabelle Fernandez - published

Europe is home to the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, and St. Peter's Basilica, but if you haven't been to Barcelona you're missing out. No other European city even comes close to having such unique and interesting architecture and that's all thanks to one man—Antoni Gaudí. Here, eight of his best works to add to your must-see list while you're in town.

From: Harper's BAZAAR US

Gaudí began working on Barcelona's Roman Catholic basilica in 1882 and it's not expected to be completed for at least another 10 years.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

It's definitely worth going inside the Sagrada Família to check out the ceiling.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

Originally commissioned by the Spanish entrepreneur Eusebi Güell as a residential community for Barcelona's wealthy, Park Güell ended up being a commercial flop and was eventually turned into a public park much to the delight of tourists.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

The main entrance to Park Güell on Barcelona's Carmel Hill is marked by two gingerbread-style gatehouses.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

Designed to be the market for the community, the open-air pavilion at Park Güell is supported by nearly 100 doric columns and decorated with mosaic medallions.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

Also commissioned by Eusebi Güell, Gaudí's massive Neo-Gothic mansion off La Rambla was a private home for the Güell family. While the facade is a little tamer than his other designs, the mosaic chimney pots on the roof are classic Gaudí.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

Don't forget to look up when you're in the central hall of Palau Güell—the parabolic dome is not to be missed.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

Gaudí also renovated the roof of Casa Batlló to look like the back of a large animal with iridescent scales.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

At the beginning of the 20th century, Gaudí redesigned the original facade of this building on Passeig de Gràcia with wavy walls covered in mosaics made out of colorful fragments of glass and ceramic.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

The colourful ceramic work on the roof is supposed to look like an animal's spine.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

Gaudí had an amazing eye for detail and never let any surface go untouched—not even the interior courtyards of Casa Batlló, which he covered with blue mosaic tiles.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

While the interiors of Casa Batlló aren't exactly as colorful as the facade, they certainly aren't lacking in detail. Case in point: this amazing swirled ceiling.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

Named after the businessman who commissioned it, Casa Milà is often referred to as La Pedrera (the Quarry) by locals because of its undulating gray stone facade.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

Like many of his other buildings, Gaudí made the roof of Casa Milà the most interesting part of the structure with chimney pots that resemble giant medieval knights.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

The interiors are also beautiful at Casa Milà with intricicately painted stairwells.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

Designed in 1883, Casa Vicens was the first family home that Gaudí worked on. While it has been privately owned for years, the current owners are aiming to open it to the public as a museum in late 2016.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

Gaudí drew from Moorish influences and relied heavily on ironwork and ceramic tiles to decorate the facade of the house.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

Even though the current owners still live there, Bellesguard is open to the public to explore.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

The Teresian College in Barcelona's Sarrià-Sant Gervasi neighborhood is one of Gaudí's most austere works. He kept the design and building materials simple to align with the nuns' vow of poverty.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

One of Gaudí's lesser known buildings, Bellesguard was originally the site of the castle of Martin I, the last king of the House of Barcelona. Gaudí designed the current building as a mix of Art Nouveau and Neo-Gothic styles between 1900 and 1909.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

The most unique aspect of the relatively simple Teresian College is the arched corridors inside the building.
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8 Gaudi Masterpieces That Prove Barcelona Is Europes Most Instagrammable City

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