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Barcelona offers a wide range of interesting options all year round and opens its doors to everyone. Make the most of the sunshine to go for a stroll and take a dip in the sea on one of the city’s accessible beaches. Experience Gaudí’s nature with your hands, add a sign-language tour or an audiodescribed show to your plans… Do you need any more ideas? You’ll find them with the SEARCH FACILITY or on the SUMMARY for accessible places of interest!

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Casa Vicens

Casa Vicens

Barcelona's Casa Vicens (1883-1885), declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2005, a unique oasis of calm with an Oriental and Moorish flavour, stands in the peaceful neighbourhood of Gràcia. The building is covered with spectacular green and white tiles.

It was built by a young Gaudí as a summer home commissioned by Manel Vicens y Montaner (1836-1895), a stock market dealer and broker. It is the first of Gaudí's works in Barcelona in which he was able to display the full range of his talents. He created an innovative and original project that broke completely with the style of anything else built in Catalonia up to that point. Casa Vicens is one of the first examples of an aesthetic renewal in art and architecture that took place in Europe at the end of the 19th century. It marks the beginning of Gaudí's artistic career and is considered to be one of the first masterpieces of Modernism.

The most important source of inspiration in all Gaudí's work is the world of nature, and Casa Vicens is one of the first examples, given that it represents and incorporates a variety of natural elements into the overall design.

Particularly striking is the cast iron gate at the entrance to the estate, which features representations of palm tree leaves and then the carnations that Gaudí adapts as an ornamental feature for the ceramic tiles of the facade.

This reference to natural elements is not only present on the outside of the house but also, by integrating different decorative arts - ironwork, painting, ceramics, carpentry, mural decoration, etc. - Gaudí succeeds in having nature penetrate the inside of the house, thereby creating continuity between the exterior and interior space.

If you look beyond the decoration you'll see the historicist Mudejar style as well as the forms which are Indian and Japanese in inspiration. Gaudí paid particular attention to the corners of the building, which were ridged in order to avoid the austere appearance of classical architecture. This orientalised exoticism was greeted with enthusiasm by the elite classes at the time in Barcelona. This is why it should come as no surprise that Gaudí's first building gained a much more enthusiastic reception than his later landmarks buildings, such as " La Pedrera".

Opened as a house museum in 2017, Casa Vicens proposes a rigorous and attractive visit for all audiences, which includes a permanent exhibition and a tour of all Gaudí's original rooms, carefully preserved and restored today.

General details


Address: Carrer de les Carolines, 20-26 (08012). Barcelona
Phone: 932 711 064
Web site: www.casavicens.org
E-mail: reserves@casavicens.org
Opening time: April-October: daily, from 10am to 8pm. | November-March: Monday, from 10am to 3pm. Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 7pm. | Closed: January 6th and December 25th.


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Accessibility details


The Casa Vicens has no architectural barriers and is wheelchair accessible.

Holders of the disability card, and their companions, are entitled to free admission.
Guide and assistance dogs are allowed throughout the premises.
There is a virtual guide available in 15 languages. It can be downloaded from the QR code in the visitor reception area.
There are members of staff in the garden by the entrance and throughout the building who will guide and assist visitors.
The Casa Vicens runs different types of guided tours. One of them, “The Essence of the Casa Vicens” is an olfactory and sensory experience designed for all visitors to enjoy.
For enquiries about accessibility and advanced bookings for adapted visits: tel 932 711 064 or mail reserves@casavicens.org.

Visual impairment
The Casa Vicens has many decorative elements visitors can touch, from the wrought-iron gate with its palmetto leaf motifs to all kinds of mouldings and sgraffito work. During the guided tours, visually impaired visitors are encouraged to explore, through touch, other elements and models that can’t be touched by the general public due to their fragility and for conservation reasons.
The part of the building designed by Antoni Gaudí is colourful and lavishly decorated and can be clearly distinguished from the subsequent extension of the building with its smooth, white walls. This section contains the new gallery spaces and other services.

Guide dog Tactile elements
Hearing impairment
Sign-language guided tours are available. Pre-booking essential.
The audiovisuals are subtitled. On floor 2 there is an 8-minute audiovisual in 3 languages (English, Catalan and Spanish). On floor -1 there is a 5-minute audiovisual with no voice-over and subtitled in 8 different languages.

Sign language
Motor impairment
Entrance:
The main entrance to the courtyard and garden from Carrer Carolines is a small passageway and is step free. This area recreates the ambiance of the original garden.

Reception:
Access to the visitor reception area is through the garden.
The entrance door is 85 cm wide. The reception desk is dual height: 110 cm and 73 cm.
There is a wheelchair-hire service. Enquire at reception.

Mobility inside the building:
The Casa Vicens is easy to move around. There is a lift connecting all the floors, including the terrace.
There is non-slip flooring in the rooms designed by Gaudí and the refurbished areas.
There are seats throughout the building where visitors can rest, and chairs for viewing the audiovisuals.

Lift:
The door is 80 cm wide and can hold 9 people. The button panels are in relief lettering and Braille and are placed at an accessible height for wheelchair users.

Toilets:
They are on floor -1.
There are adapted toilets and baby-changing facilities. The cubicle door is 90 cm wide and sliding. The cubicle is spacious and there is a fold-down grab bar on each side of the toilet. There is a space under the washbasin: 80 cm high and 50 cm deep.

Shop/bookshop:
It is on floor -1.
Wheelchair users can move freely around the entire space and the shelves and displays are set at a suitable height. The counter is dual height: 110 cm and 73 cm.

Cafeteria:
It is on the ground floor at the back of the garden and is fully accessible. The outdoor space (with tables and terrace) and the indoor space are step free and have no barriers. There is waiter service at the tables.

Cognitive impairment
Visits and activities can be adapted to the requirements of a specific group. Please check before you visit.

Last update: 18/07/2023

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