Discover the industrial and architectural history of the 19th and early 20th centuries in a former textile factory and the unique church of the industrial colony. The atmosphere of the 19th century is still preserved in the streets of Colonia Guëll. The Gaudí crypt in Colonia Güell is an insider tip from the architect's oeuvre. It is an exceptional example of his architecture and blends perfectly into the surrounding forest with its organic structures. The Cripta Gaudí has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005.
The development of Colonia Güell began in 1890 on the initiative of the entrepreneur Eusebi Güell on his estate Can Soler de la Torre in the municipality of Santa Coloma de Cervelló, today the district of Baix Llobregat. As was customary at the time, Guëll built a company headquarters with the workers' houses next to the factory on the same plot of land.
Guëll endeavoured to achieve social improvements for the workers. He therefore provided Colonia Guëll with cultural and religious facilities. In particular, he commissioned Antoni Gaudí to build the church. This gave the industrial colony an almost village-like character.
The factory was the central core and raison d'être of Colonia Güell. It was dedicated to the production of velvet and panas. Each of the buildings that made up the factory was used for a specific task in the process of turning cotton into fabric.
With the decline of the textile industry, production in the factory also ended and with it the use of the colony as a place of residence for the factory workers.
In 1898, Eusebi Güell commissioned the architect Antoni Gaudí to design a church for Colonia Güell. Güell gave Gaudí a free hand in the construction of the church. He set him no limits: neither on the budget nor on the construction time.
Construction of the church began in 1908. However, the ambitious project, which envisaged a two-nave church with two side towers and a 40-metre-high central dome, remained unfinished. In 1914, the sons of Eusebi Güell informed Gaudí that they would no longer finance the ongoing work and he had to abandon the project. In November of the following year, the Bishop of Barcelona blessed the lower nave. Its location in the basement, unique in the world, meant that the church was popularly known as the crypt (cripta).
Although it remained unfinished, the church represented a high point in Gaudí's work, as it was the first to incorporate practically all of his architectural innovations in a unified form.
Mon.-Fri. 10 am – 5 pm
Sat. + Sat: 10 am – 3 pm
Closed: 1 and 6 January and 25 and 26 December.
Your admission ticket is already included in your Barcelona City Pass.
Please dress appropriately to visit a religious place.
Only 20 minutes from Barcelona by train:
FGC from Plaza España; lines S3 + S4 to Colonia Güell station
Calle Claudi Güell
08690 Colònia Güell
Santa Coloma de Cervelló Barcelona
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Free admission to Barcelona's museums, attractions, and tours. Free travel on public transport and discounts included.
incl. VAT and service fees, excl. shipping fees
