Garraf, Spain
Bodegas Güell
This whimsical winery by Antoni Gaudí 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 Gaudí.
Currently a restaurant, the Bodegas Güell (Cellers Güell) winery was commissioned in 1882 by Eusebi Güell, Gaudí’s most influential private patron. It was built between 1895 and 1897, and though it is one of Gaudí’s relatively understated works, it still features his signature elements of architectural fantasy.
When Güell (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 Güel still made good use of the grounds. He made wine within the winery, which was exported to Cuba and served on the Compañía 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 Guadí’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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