Casa Milà (La Pedrera)

Built between 1906 and 1912 for Pere Milà and his wife Roser Segimon, Casa Milà — nicknamed La Pedrera ("the stone quarry") — was Gaudí's final secular commission before he devoted himself entirely to Sagrada Família. The undulating limestone facade has no straight lines and no load-bearing walls: the floor plan is supported by an internal steel skeleton, an engineering innovation that lets every apartment have an open layout. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1984.

La Pedrera's roof is the famous part: 28 chimneys and ventilation shafts shaped like medieval warriors, some clad in broken Champagne bottles given to Gaudí by Eusebi Güell. From the rooftop the lined-up chimneys frame Sagrada Família perfectly — it's the cheapest "helicopter view" of Gaudí's two masterpieces in one frame. Visit either at 09:00 sharp or after 19:00 in summer (La Pedrera Night Experience, separate ticket, includes a projection show and a glass of cava).

The visit covers four spaces: the rooftop, the Espai Gaudí attic (200 brick arches showing Gaudí's structural logic), one fully furnished early-20th-century apartment, and the inner courtyards. Day tickets start at €28; the audio-guided night version is €39. Plan 90 minutes total. The metro stop Diagonal (Lines 3 and 5) lets you out at the same intersection, 60 seconds away.