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Defying the laws of gravity, La Pedrera’s irreverent curved walls are held in place by undulating horizontal beams attached to invisible girders. Intricate wrought-iron balconies are a perfect example of the artisan skill so integral to Modernisme .

Façade, La Pedrera

The strikingly surreal rooftop sculpture park has chimneys resembling medieval warriors and huge ventilator ducts twisted into bizarre organic forms not to mention good views over the Eixample.

A series of drawings, photos, maquettes and multimedia displays helps visitors grasp Gaudí’s architectural wizardry. The museum is housed in the breathtaking, vaulted attic with its 270 brick arches forming skeletal corridors.

This furnished Modernista flat, set up with period furniture, reconstructs a typical bourgeois flat of late 19th-century Barcelona. It provides an engaging contrast between the staid middle-class conservatism of the era and the undeniable wackiness of the building itself.

A brigade of guides take hordes of visitors through here each day. A closer inspection of this first courtyard reveals beautiful mosaics and wall paintings lining a swirling fairytale staircase.

The mastery involved in these huge, wrought-iron gates reveals the influence of Gaudí’s predecessors – four generations of artisan metal-workers. The use of iron is integral to many of Gaudí’s buildings.

This gallery space, run by the Caixa de Catalunya, holds regular free art exhibitions. It has shown work by Marc Chagall, Salvador Dalí, Francis Bacon and others. The ceiling looks as if it has been coated with whisked egg whites.

Like the first courtyard, here, too, is a grand, ornate staircase. This one is adorned with a stunning, floral ceiling painting.

The basement auditorium holds up to 250 people and hosts regular conferences and concerts. The adjacent garden offers a glimpse of greenery.

A wide range of Gaudí-related memorabilia includes replicas of the warrior chimneys in ceramic and bronze.