At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century Barcelona underwent an economic boom fueled by textile exports and industry. As the economy flourished so did the modernisme art movement and as a result, today, Barcelona is home to the highest concentration of modernisme buildings in the world.

The height of the modernisme movement also coincided with the expansion of the city in the area called the Eixampla (meaning "the Expansion".) What's amazing is that today you can still walk these tree-lined blocks in the Eixampla and see painted facades, ornate wrought iron balconies and richly decorated pillars nestled among the modern-day buildings.

The Modernisme movement is known for its curved lines and illustrative attention to detail. Door knockers, public fountains, iron grates… look closely and you will see art in the form of function.

If you're in Barcelona take this walking tour and see it for yourself.

TIMELINE

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No single person has done more to promote Barcelona than the famous architect and designer Antoni Gaudí. With the leaning columns, mosaic spires, gingerbread rooftops and lizard gargoyles that adorn his functional yet fairy-tale like structures, it's no wonder Gaudí is synonymous with Barcelona. It's Dr. Seuss in stone, tile and wrought iron. And ironically he was before Dr. Seuss. Gaudí's high point was at the turn of the 20th century when Barcelona was flush with cash from the textile barons and the booming industrial age called the Modernist period.

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Yet Gaudí defied everything and that's why he is still revered so highly today. He experimented with new geometrical forms not commonly used in architecture so that his buildings could take on extraordinary shapes. He also introduced new combinations of materials like glass, ceramics, wrought iron, wood and stone to emulate nature.

I had first heard about Gaudí before moving to Spain. Somebody had a poster of the Sagrada Familia church on their wall at work and I thought to myself, "I want to see that in real life." When I finally had a chance to see it up close and personal it gave me goose bumps. I was in awe. Gaudí had taken something as traditional and conservative as a church and reshaped it into a giant drip sand castle with turtles holding up palm tree pillars and colorful mosaic fruit decorating the outside. I was also surprised that it wasn't completed. The project began in 1882 and the 557-feet central dome and the tallest spires are yet to be built. In today's go-go culture the fact that the Sagrada Familia is still a work in progress bothers some people, but I find great peace in it. After all, how many great cathedrals are stapled together and slapped with a coat of paint? Besides, funding for this church only comes from private donations. That's a breath of fresh air.

Something else that surprised me was the fact that the Gaudí structures are scattered around the city and are functioning apartment buildings and businesses. I don't know what I was expecting, maybe something more "Disney" with Gaudí's works being "Fantasy Land". Luckily they are nestled among the other buildings in Barcelona and help make up the giant mosaic of the city of Barcelona.

Click here to see an overview of where they are and go on a virtual tour of the sites

Gaudí is a favorite subject both in books and in photographs and I am not going to try to reproduce what is already out there. In Barcelona you can't turn the corner without seeing something Gaudí. I just want to give you an introduction to the bigger world of Gaudí. Go out and explore, you'll be impressed.