Did you recognise the square where Dani Rovira is a “Casteller” (human tower participant) in “Ocho apellidos catalanes” (Eight Catalan Surnames)? It’s in the Plaza Jaume I, in Monells. Most of the action in the Catalan version of ‘Ocho apellidos vascos’ takes place on the Costa Brava, between Monells and a Country House near Llagostera. If you have such a mania for myths that you like to visit the locations for films and series, or if the same happens with novels, here are a few suggestions for visiting Catalonia for lovers of films and books.
Gaudí seen through the eyes of Woody Allen
It was 2007 when Woody Allen visited the city of Barcelona looking for locations for his new film, and the result was “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”. Walk down the same streets as Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz and enjoy the postcard views of Barcelona which Woody Allen captured with the cameras. Gaudí’s modernist architecture plays a fundamental role. As you walk up the Paseo de Gracia you’ll be able to see the winding façade of La Pedrera and visit the avant-garde chimney stacks on the roof top. Get up close to the Expiatory Church of the Sagrada Familia like the actors or visit the Parc Güell, where Vicky and Juan Antonio first met.
Incredible Girona: Game of Thrones
Genuine lovers of series know what it’s like to tremble at the grandeur of the locations for “Game of Thrones.” And they’ll probably also know that part of the sixth season for the series was filmed in Girona. Some parts of Girona were the backdrop for key moments in the story and you can’t help feeling their medieval aura when you visit them. As if she were an actress, Girona represents the cities of King’s Landing, Braavos and Oldtown. Visit the impressive Cathedral of Santa Maria and imagine Jaime Lannister riding up the stairway on his horse. Or the Plaza dels Jurats, which was converted into a theatre in the series, and the narrow streets in the medieval town centre where Arya Stark was begging for help. The monastery of Sant Pere de Galligans and the Moorish Baths are also featured.
“Perfume” in Barcelona’s Gothic quarter
Tom Tykwer is another director who fell in love with Barcelona. In his adaptation of Patrick Süskind’s sceptical novel, “Perfume”, the action takes place in some of the most delightful little corners of Barcelona’s Gothic quarter. Visit the oldest part of the city and feel the mysterious atmosphere which the film transmits. Your starting point is the Plaza de la Mercè, where the leading man is born surrounded by dirty, stinking fish. Then take the Calle Ferran, the Plaza Reial and the surroundings of the cathedral just like Jean-Baptiste Grenouille following the scents that hypnotised him. And you really have to visit the Plaza Sant Felip Neri, where he kills his first victim. The film’s most spectacular moment, the final scene where the leading character awaits his execution in the middle of the square, was filmed in the Poble Espanyol.
The literary essence of the Catalan capital
Contemporary literature has found its inspiration in the beauty of Barcelona on numerous occasions. Bring the pages to life and visit the most special locations for some of these novels. We invite you to be transported to the magic world of Barcelona in the 20th century which appears in The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. You can just imagine the Cemetery of Forgotten Books when you pass by the Arc del Teatre or the Sempere and Sons bookshop when you reach the Calle Santa Anna. Another example is The Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones. Follow the trail left by the action described by the novel in the Barcelona of today. Relive the stories of the leading characters during a visit to Santa María del Mar and the surrounding streets.
Are you ready?
