Quotes about Barcelona

Barcelona is a gorgeous and eclectic city with a rich history and dazzling cultural and natural landscape. The city is and was, in past times, home to a large number of artists, who found it to be a great source of inspiration. Likewise, visitors fell spellbound by the Catalan capital, many of which have left us with very memorable quotes about it. Here are some of our favorites.

Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Photo by Mutari via Wikimedia Commons

Carlos Ruiz Zafón is one of the most famous Spanish novelists of his time. A Catalan native, born in Barcelona in 1964, Ruiz Zafón wrote nine novels, some of them meant for an adult audience and some meant for a younger audience. The author‘s most internationally recognized book is “The Shadow of the Wind”, or in Spanish, “La Sombra del Viento”, which was published in 2001. Carlos Ruiz Zafón also writes short stories.

Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s quote about Barcelona:

“The haunting of history is ever present in Barcelona. I see cities as organisms, as living creatures. To me, Madrid is a man and Barcelona is a woman. And it’s a woman who’s extremely vain.”

Julie Burchill

Julie Birchill is an English writer and journalist born in Bristol. She has written a number of books like “Sugar Rush”, “On Beckham”, “I knew I was right: Memoirs”, and “The Boy Looked at Johnny: The Obituary of Rock and Roll”, which she wrote in collaboration with Tony Parsons. As a journalist, she has written for The Sunday Times and The Guardian.

Julie’s quotes about Barcelona:

“In Barcelona, things seem so different. For example, I know that it’s traditionally the least Spanish city, but you’d never know they had a monarchy, coming here as a tourist – as opposed to the U.K., where the Queen is probably the best-known animal, vegetable and/or mineral when it comes to overseas visitors.”

“Here in Barcelona, it’s the architects who built the buildings that made the city iconic who are the objects of admiration – not a bunch of half-witted monarchs.”

Related article: 5 Great recent Catalan drama films

Meghan Markle

Photo by CennoxX via Wikimedia Commons

An American native, Meghan Markle is known internationally for her work as an actress and as a humanitarian. Some of her acting credits include parts in the TV series “Suits” and “Fringe”, and the movies “Horrible Bosses”, “Remember Me”, and “Get him to the Greek”. In what regards her humanitarian work, Markle was a Counselor for the international charity One Young World in 2014, and she became a Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada in 2016.

Meghan Markle’s quote about Barcelona:

“Barcelona is one of the best cities in the world. I love it there!”

Kelsey Chow

Kelsey Chow is another American actress to make our list. The twenty-five old year is famous for a variety of TV roles in series such as “Teen Wolf”, “Big Daddy”, “Pair of Kings”, and “One Tree Hill”, and a couple of parts in movies like “The Amazing Spider Man”, “Run”, and “Wild River”.

Kelsey Chow’s quote about Barcelona:

“‘The Wine of Summer’ is a beautiful film about love lost and found, and the complexities of life while discovering who you are. It was filmed primarily in and around Barcelona, and the imagery is breathtaking.”

Related article: Famous Catalana Artists

Colm Tóibín

Photo by Larry D. Moore via Wikimedia Commons

Colm Tóibín is a famous Irish author, playwright, poet, essayist, critic, and journalist. Some of his works include “The Master”, which won several awards, “The Blackwater Lightship”, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and “The Empty Family” which was shortlisted for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award.

Colm Tóibín’s quote about Barcelona:

“I wrote every day between the ages of 12 and 20 when I stopped because I went to Barcelona, where life was too exciting to write.”

Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdain is a famous American chef who ran top quality restaurants in different locations for years. He also wrote a large number of culinary books and became a TV personality by hosting a number of culinary-related shows, such as “No Reservations”, “The Layover”, and “Parts Unknown”, which he still hosts today.

Anthony Bourdain’s quote about Barcelona:

“You’d have a hard time finding anything better than Barcelona for food, as far as being a hub.”

Which one is your favorite? And what is your personal quote about Barcelona?

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* Main photo by Rickydavid via Visualhunt