Above the Gothic Quarter, beginning with the big, pigeon-filled square Plaça de Catalunya, the Eixample is the gracious expansion (which is what the word literally means) of the city on a grid pattern which took place in the latter half of the 19th century. Its main avenues are the Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, the Avinguda Diagonal, and the Passeig de Gràcia, which in addition to being lined cafés, restaurants, and mostly high-end retailers and galleries is also home to some gems of Catalan modernisme (Art Nouveau) - in particular the 1906 apartment building Casa Milà (aka La Pedrera) and the 1904 Casa Batlló (pictured here). Both are open to the public, but the entry fees are pricy - 35 euros - so you might find yourself choosing between one and the other (incidentally, next to Batlló, also in the photo above, another Modernist masterpiece well worth a visit is the Casa Amatller, whose design by another seminal architect, Josep Puig i Cadafalch, dates back to 1900.

Read more in Tripatini contributor Rohny Jones´ post What Not to Miss in Barcelona.

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