Barcelona is undoubtedly an architectural marvel. Its a sheer delight to walk in its streets and be awed by the creations of its master Architect Antoni Gaudi; Or get frenzied in its soccer mania; Or savor its lively beaches.
Among all this, what caught my attention after first few hours of walking around the city was that most of the buildings have amazing Balconies. They are symmetrical, intricate and have both modern and pristine look. Some have Georgian look and some of them are real quirky.They are ubiquitous in the entire city and I could not get enough of them.
Pastel shades was a common sight on Barcelona buildings
Another one with beautiful patterns and intricate railings
This was one of my favourite. Looked like baskets hanging out of the windows…And who is that in the corner??
When i zoomed in and clicked this, I was instantly reminded of a poem we read in school. Cant relate it better here.
“What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare….”
The lady in Red
Its not only the Balconies but the beautiful designs, floral or geometrical that adorn the buildings.
The National flag and the FC Barcelona flag are the most omnipresent across the city
These balconies are amazingly symmetrical and look prototyped
And this beautiful building is work of the Catalan Architect Antoni Gaudi. Casa Mila or La Pedrera on Passeig de Gràcia today houses a cultural center. For its unique architecture, its inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
Casa Mila or La Pedrera
The heavy tinge of cobalt blue in these balconies is beautiful
This is a long building which is near Catalunya. I cannot recall the name, probably a Bank. But its intricate pillars and balconies were lovely
Another wonder from Antoni Gaudi on Passeig de Gràcia is Casa Batlló. The building was also known as House of Bones. The facade looks to be made from Skulls and Bones. The balconies are skulls and the pillars are the Bones. The colors are starkly vivid chosen from marine life. This was one of the best work of Gaudi.
Casa Batllo is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site
The building that is adjacent to Casa Batllo is equally gorgeous and has one or the most intricate designs on its walls, i saw in the city
The adjacent building to Gaudi’s Casa Batllo
A close up shot of one of its beautiful balconies. Note the jutting out gargoyles.
Another amazing building with filigree patterned balconies
This probably would be one of the old buildings. It has elaborate balconies and detailing on its facade
One of my favourite. Notice the painted shells design on the walls..Or are they umbrellas?. It amazes me the painstaking decoration on the walls of simple buildings
I find it really hard to believe that the buildings are so painstakingly decorated. I wouldn’t say that each building in Barcelona is like this, but as you walk around Catlunya and many of the streets where works of Gaudi are there, spotting these exquisite balconies is easy.
While the Must See lists and Not to Miss websites would name all the famous monuments of Barcelona, for me, the most notable feature of this city would be its amazing and elaborate balconies…And Iam sure there were more of them which I still need to see….
This was such a unique lamp post on La Rambla peeping out from one of the balconies of a restaurant.
