The most cinematic and literary side of Catalonia

Cinema and literature have the ability to let you travel to countless places without actually going anywhere. Here we offer you the opportunity to take these trips to Catalonia in real life: get first-hand experience of the places imagined by writers and film directors with literary-themed and film set routes. Stroll through the most refreshing side of Barcelona that captivated director Woody Allen in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and the most intense side of Barcelona portrayed by Pedro Almodóvar in Todo sobre mi madre (All About My Mother). Or walk through Raval, the neighbourhood that seduced the writings of Vázquez Montalbán, Terenci Moix and Roberto Bolaño. You can experience the life of the neighbourhood that coloured the pages of Juan Marsé and Mercè Rodoreda, by walking the streets of the Catalan capital. It is ´The City of Marvels´, as Eduardo Mendoza described it. A vast range of authors have been enticed by the magnetism of Barcelona, with contemporary names such as Carlos Ruiz Zafón in La sombra del viento (The Shadow of the Wind), Ildefonso Falcones in La catedral del mar (Cathedral of the Sea) and Dan Brown in Origin.

Beyond Barcelona
Following the trail of cinema and literature in Catalonia, you will cross the borders of Barcelona and reach the Catalan Pyrenees, where Jaume Cabré found the setting for Les veus del Pamano (The voices of Pamano), as well as Camilo José Cela and Josep M. Espinàs, who found inspiration to write the books Viaje al Pirineo de Lérida (Journey to the Pyrenees of Lérida) and Viatge al Pirineu de Lleida (Journey to the Pyrenees of Lleida) in the Pyrenean area and in Terres de Lleida, respectively.

The Costa Brava has traditionally been a muse for authors and directors in various periods. It is important to remember the work Solitud (Solitude), by Víctor Catalá, and the great stories that took place on the Costa Brava, a retreat and set for stars such as Orson Welles, Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Gardner. More current creations such as Perfume, by Tom Tykwer, and the popular American series Game of Thrones have used some of these places as sets during filming.

In all these areas of Catalonia there are itineraries that recount its symbolic history of cinema and literature. Watch out for spoilers!