Christmas for Families in Barcelona

If you are heading to Barcelona over the Christmas break with your family and don’t really know much about the city at this time of year, then below you will find a few ideas to make the most of your festive break, as well as some basic information for the Christmas period.

Christmas Trees

For something a little bit different, you should try and head over to one of four locations where you will be able to find huge solar-powered Christmas trees up to 12 metres high. These work by storing the power of the sun during the day in order to charge them up, and then at night you are treated to a real spectacle as the huge trees really do look spectacular. They can be found at Pg. Fabra i Puig-Avinguda Meridiana, Pg. Lluís Companys-Parc de la Ciutadella, Av. Pau Casals-plaça Francesc Macià and Plaça España, so take the kids over and give them a real treat.

For more Christmas tree delights, head over to Mercado de Santa Caterina or the Jardinets de Gràcia, where the eco theme continues with two large Christmas trees that are lit up by members of the public powering the nearby stationary bicycles. It’s a fun way to inform the public about the environment, and the trees look great as well.

Shopping in Barcelona

Most shops should be open up until Christmas Eve, but be warned that many of them may close for business in the afternoon and will not open until after Boxing Day.

However, for a really special experience had to the Feria de Santa Llúcia, which you can find it right outside the cathedral, and this also goes on right up until Christmas Eve. It is a very traditional fair, with countless Christmas trees, decorations, figurines, and everything Christmassy that you can imagine.

Keep a special eye open for the caganers. These are figures dressed up as Santa Claus which have their trousers in preparation to relieve themselves, and are very unique to Barcelona. They might not seem particularly traditional to us, but they are certainly part of Catalan Christmas celebrations and the kids will love them.

Other Information

As Barcelona is a large tourist centre, you can expect most restaurants to stay open throughout the festive season, allowing you plenty of time to check out some of the fantastic restaurants available. Most of the main attractions in the city will also be open on Boxing Day, but be warned that on Christmas Day pretty much everything will be shut.

One other thing to watch out for will be different operating hours on the Metro over the festive season, but these should be clearly explained at any station.

If you are expecting snow on your holiday then you will probably end up disappointed. It hardly ever snows in the city, and even when it does you won’t be seeing any snowmen around as it is unlikely to settle.

Photo of Christmas lights in Barcelona, Spain, originally posted by papalars

Topic:  Travel with kids | 2 Comments
Tags:  Barcelona, Christmas, family, shopping

About the author

Jon has travelled widely across Europe, and is always keen to share the hidden gems he has discovered whilst on the road. He is a freelance writer specialising in travel writing, and his dream destination is Madagasgar.