Must-sees in Barcelona's Eixample

The Eixample district in Barcelona is a district with many tourist attractions, which makes it an ideal area for property investment.

Today we present the best places to visit in Barcelona's Eixample district, if you are planning to invest there!

The parts of Barcelona's Eixample where it makes sense to invest

The Eixample district has existed since 1860 and is the newest part of the city. It is divided into 6 parts:

1. La Nova Esquerra de l'Eixample: located in the west, bordering the Sants district.
2. L'Antiga Esquerra de l'Eixample: the oldest part, which gave rise to the Eixample as we know it today. It is in the centre of the city and is home to some of the most iconic buildings.
3. Sant Antoni: at the southern tip of the district, it is the part closest to the old town. Its old-fashioned look gives it the most medieval style of all.
4. La Dreta de l'Eixample: in the eastern part of the district, it is the most expensive area alongside the Antiga Esquerra.
5. La Sagrada Familia is the area at the far end, home to Antoni Gaudí's magnificent Sagrada Familia basilica.
6. Fort Pienc: south of the Sagrada Familia area lies Fort Pienc, home to the Arc de Triomf and Parc de la Ciutadella.

Thanks to the clever urban planning of Catalan engineer Ildefons Cerdà in the 1850s, the Eixample has a perfect grid: wide, perpendicular streets forming blocks 113 metres on each side, with chamfered corners for better visibility and traffic flow. Each block also has an inner courtyard or garden, and the district has all the necessary public services.

What to visit in the Eixample before buying property

The Paseo de Gracia is the main street of the Eixample and one of the most representative in the city. It runs through the heart of the district and marks the dividing line between the right and left sides of the Eixample.

Other notable streets and squares to see in Barcelona's Eixample

• Rambla de Catalunya
• Avinguda Diagonal
• Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes
• Ronda de Sant Antoni
• Plaça de Catalunya
• Plaça d'Espanya
• Plaça de la Universitat
• Plaça de la Sagrada Família
• Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes
• Plaça de Gaudí
• Plaça de Francesc Macià
• La Monumental bullring

Monuments and buildings that add to the Eixample's appeal

The Eixample is a charming area with the most important modernista buildings in the Catalan capital. It has the finest works of the modernista architect Antoni Gaudí, such as Casa Batlló, La Pedrera and, of course, the Sagrada Familia basilica, the most remarkable modernista building in Barcelona and a must if you visit the city.

Casa Batlló

Although Josep Batlló originally asked Antoni Gaudí to demolish the house and start a new building, the architect decided on a complete remodelling of the existing one. The work lasted 2 years (from 1904 to 1906) and changed the façade and the layout of the interior walls, widened the courtyard, brought in light and replaced all the floors and interior finishes of Casa Batlló, until it became the building we know today.

Casa Amatller

Next to Casa Batlló stands Casa Amatller, the work of Josep Puig i Cadafalch. The same block is also home to Casa Lleó i Morera, by Lluís Domènech i Montaner.

La Pedrera (Casa Milà)

In 1905, the Milà-Segimon couple bought a house at the top of Paseo de Gracia. They commissioned Antoni Gaudí to build it, planning to live on the ground floor and rent out the rest. That is how Casa Milà was born.

La Sagrada Familia

Josep Maria Bocabella, a Barcelona bookseller inspired by the priest Josep Manyanet, commissioned the construction of this temple. To do so, he founded the Spiritual Association of Devotees of Saint Joseph to raise funds. Today the site is part of the Eixample, one of the largest and most important districts in the city.

Museums in the Eixample

The district has a great many museums, including the Music Museum, the Egyptian Museum, the Museum of Catalan Modernism, the Antoni Tàpies Foundation, the Perfume Museum and the Palau Robert, among others.