Luxury Christmas – Barcelona for Christmas 2018

Christmas is the perfect time to share moments with family and friends. And there is nothing better to live unforgettable experiences than to discover a new destination. Barcelona is a city which is great to explore during these dates, due to its mild winter and the most traditional Christmas spirit. From Hotel Miramar Barcelona we will guide you on how to take advantage of your visit to Barcelona for Christmas.

Christmas breaks to Barcelona

You can hardly see a single snowflake falling from the sky, however, ice skating in Barcelona is possible in an artificial way. If you want to have fun, we suggest you a visit to the Skating Club Barcelona (Roger de Flor, 168) or the FC Barcelona ice skating rink (near the Camp Nou), both of them remain open throughout year. Other facilities that are prepared for ice skating on these special dates can be found in shopping centres such as La Maquinista or La Farga de l'Hospitalet.

If you fancy an equally special plan but one that is a little more relaxed, we suggest you to take the Barcelona's Port Cable Car that you will find on the hillside of Miramar, just in front of our luxury hotel in Barcelona, and that takes you to the port. For a price of 11€ (16'50 € round trip) you can enjoy the incredible views during a journey of about ten minutes. The cable car is open every day of the year except December 25th. If you are going to take it during the months of December and January, the schedule is from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Another great option, although not exclusive to the winter and Christmas season, is to visit one of the museums and / or cultural centres of the city. Near Hotel Miramar you will find several interesting places, and all of them deserve a visit: the MNAC (National Art Museum of Catalonia), the Fundació Joan Miró, the CaixaForum Barcelona, the German Pavilion of Mies van der Rohe, the Teatre Grec, etc. The best thing is that you can enjoy walks through gardens and quiet areas with wonderful views of Barcelona in this area, so going from one spot to the next one is also part of the fun.

Furthermore, if you want to know where to eat for Christmas in Barcelona, do not miss our special Christmas menus at the Studio Miramar restaurant, that will help you celebrate these days with the best local products and a cuisine that mixes the traditional with the avant-garde, always taking into consideration the design and presentation.

Christmas shopping in Barcelona

The commercial streets have a special brightness these dates. From the las weekend of November to January 6 2018, the Christmas lights in Barcelona are the protagonists when night falls. The design lighting is distributed along streets, façades and trees on several districts of the city, so that you never leave the Christmas spirit behind.

Pic by: Oh-Barcelona.com

The Eixample is an essential area for your Christmas shopping in Barcelona, and Passeig de Gràcia is the central axis. Near the most emblematic buildings of Gaudí such as Casa Batlló or La Pedrera, there are the most luxurious shops and the most exclusive brands: Cartier, Loewe, Freywille, Chanel, Montblanc, Prada, Rabat, Tiffany & Co., Tous, Rolex, Carrera y Carrera, among others.

Going down Passeig de Gràcia you will arrive to Plaça Catalunya, one of the most central and christmassy spots full of activities specially thought for families with children. In this square you will find a market for products of proximity and solidarity economy. Right next to it, there is El Corte Inglés shopping centre, which every year prepares a special Christmas illumination on its façade. If you have time do not hesitate to go up to the cafeteria of the building, from where you can admire from a different perspective all the Christmas decorations of the streets.

Other glamorous areas to enjoy a day of shopping in Barcelona are Diagonal Avenue and Pedralbes, where you will find shopping centres and several establishments with the best designs and exclusive accessories.

Christmas markets in Barcelona: Fira de Santa Llúcia

But if you are looking for more traditional objects and you want to smell the typical Christmas scent, the Fira de Santa Llúcia is the Barcelona Christmas market par excellence. Located in front of the Cathedral of Barcelona (an amazing location), it is the market with more handmade Christmas products: table centerpieces, crowns, nativity scenes, Christmas ornaments, candles, moss, Santa hats, garlands, foam... and of course other local products such as the “Caga Tió” or the popular “caganer”. The Christmas fair in Barcelona usually starts on the last week of November and ends on December 23. It’s free and it opens every day from 10:30 am. to 8:30 pm., except for Saturday and Sunday, when it opens until 9:30 pm.

Where to celebrate New Year's Eve in Barcelona

The end of the year is one of those celebrations on which there is nothing written: there are those who prefer a small and private celebration, some who prefer to party, or even those who eat sweets instead of grapes. Despite all this, it's still one of the most special nights of the year... In Barcelona, apart from the classic nightclub parties until dawn, you will also find a countdown to midnight on the street on December 31. This special New Year's Eve in Barcelona takes place in Plaza España, very close to our hotel, where the Barcelona City Council organizes the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc show along with other projections. When the time comes, people eat their twelve grapes of luck as the clock strikes midnight (a tradition), uncork bottles of “cava” (Catalan champagne) and enjoy the fireworks.

If you are looking for a more exclusive New Year's Eve party in Barcelona, we invite you to discover the special New Year's Eve that we have prepared at Hotel Miramar: Gala dinner, live music, dance, free access to the spa and breakfast in our buffet.

Three Kings parade in Barcelona

We like an extra long Christmas season. That's why another tradition you can not miss during your visit to Barcelona is the arrival of the Three Wise Men, specially if you come with kids. Even though the “Three King's day” is on the 6th of January, the whole celebration starts on January 5th at 4:30 p.m. from Port Vell, where their Majesties arrive by boat and they are received by the mayor. After the welcome act; Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar move near the Ciutadella, where the Three Kings parade begins in Barcelona. This tour usually starts at 6 p.m. and go over the city center (Via Laietana, Plaza Urquinaona, Plaza Catalunya, Plaza Universitat, Sepúlveda street, Plaza Espanya...) to the Reina Maria Cristina avenue, at the foot of our Hotel Miramar Barcelona, three hours later. A very special night in which all desires may come true.

It seems pretty obvious that, even though it is difficult to live "a white Christmas" in Barcelona, it is still a fantastic destination to enjoy the Christmas holidays and the end of the year. You will always find something to do, something to buy, some nice corner to discover and, all this, without getting too cold, no more than the necessary to feel that it's Christmas and to make you want to stop for a hot chocolate.