Bodegas GĂĽell
This whimsical winery by Antoni GaudĂ looks ripped from the pages of a fairytale.
With its steeply sloping roof and asymmetrical arches, this winery looks like it could double as a whimsical fairytale castle, but its origins don’t lie within the pages of some storybook. This enchanting building is the work of famous Catalan architect Antoni GaudĂ.
Currently a restaurant, the Bodegas GĂĽell (GĂĽell Cellars) winery was commissioned in 1882 by Eusebi GĂĽell, GaudĂ’s most influential private patron. It was built between 1895 and 1897, and though it is one of GaudĂ’s relatively understated works, it still features his signature elements of architectural fantasy.
When GĂĽell (whose name also appears on the architect’s more famous projects) originally commissioned the complex, he intended for it to include multiple hunting pavilions along with the winery. Even though the hunting lodges never came to fruition, Count GĂĽell still made good use of the grounds. He made wine that was exported to Cuba and served on the CompañĂa Transatlántica Española shipping fleet until its production stopped in 1936.
It’s still possible to visit this gorgeous architectural gem, which sees far fewer tourists than GaudĂ’s more famous buildings. It now houses a restaurant, allowing patrons to dine within walls pulled from the imagination of one of Catalonia’s modernist greats.
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