Gaudí's Workshop: The Crypt of the Colònia Güell with audio guide

The crypt of the Colònia Güell is the closest thing to a testing ground that Gaudí left behind, and it remains one of his least visited works. It is located within a 19th-century textile colony on the outskirts of Barcelona, built to house the factory workers. Here, he experimented with the solutions that he later applied to the Sagrada Família: the inclined columns that function like the tie rods of a suspended model, the catenary arches, and the walls that support themselves without buttresses. Seeing it here, in miniature and without the crowds of the main building, explains the temple better than the temple itself. The audio guide explains each element as you go. A note about reservations: this ticket is non-refundable.