Its pleasant climate -without extreme changes of temperature- and its atmosphere in the streets allow us to live a magical Christmas. If you are thinking of visiting Barcelona for Christmas, at Hotel Miramar we will tell you the keys to live a luxury Christmas.
Christmas in Barcelona: what to do
You'll hardly see snowflakes falling in the city. This, however, is not an impediment to ice skating in Barcelona and not only at Christmas, as the city has several artificial tracks. FC Barcelona's ice rink is one of them. Located very close to Camp Nou, the rink has Olympic measures and is perfect for spending a day with your family, your partner or your friends. The track is open all year round, as is the Skating Club Barcelona (C/ Roger de Flor). What about the Christmas skating rinks? Illa Diagonal, in Les Corts neighbourhood, is ideal for making family and children's plans, as it's a shopping centre that since 2019 includes a fantastic ice rink for Christmas.
Christmas shopping in Barcelona
Barcelona has a special glow when Christmas arrives and this is even more evident in the shopping streets: from the last week of November to January 6, Christmas lights are the protagonists of the city, distributed between tree facades and distributed in the main neighbourhoods and streets of Barcelona. Time to enjoy the magic of the streets in the company of family and friends and, why not, also to make the most of Christmas shopping. An essential area for your Christmas shopping in Barcelona is the Eixample, Paseo de Gracia being the central axis. Among Gaudí's most emblematic buildings such as Casa Batlló or La Pedrera are the most luxurious boutiques and the most exclusive brands: Valentino, Stella McCartney, Jimmy Choo, Dolce & Gabanna, Prada, Carolina Herrena, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Tous, Channel, Tiffany & Co. or Tommy Hilfiger, among others. Going down Paseo de Gracia you will arrive at Plaça Catalunya, one of the most festive places in the city centre, full of activities specially designed for families with children. The square is also the setting for the Responsible Consumption and Social and Solidarity Economy Fair. Just next to it is the El Corte Inglés shopping centre, which each year prepares a special lighting on its façade. If you go with time do not hesitate to go up to the cafeteria of the building, from where you can admire in a different way all the decoration of the streets thanks to its views. Also, the Portal de l'Àngel avenue, that unites Plaça Catalunya to the Cathedral is another iconic street to go shopping in the most popular clothing stores. Other more glamorous areas to enjoy a day of shopping in Barcelona are Avenida Diagonal and Pedralbes, where in addition to shopping centers you will also find a wide variety of establishments with the best designs and very exclusive accessories..
Christmas markets in Barcelona
Fira de Santa Llúcia & Christmas Market of the Sagrada Família However, if you are looking to buy much more traditional objects and feel the typical aroma of the holidays, there is no Christmas in Barcelona without visiting one of its fantastic flea markets. La Fira de Santa Llúcia is Barcelona's Christmas market par excellence. Located in front of the Barcelona Cathedral (a really privileged location), it stands out for being the market with the most handcrafted Christmas products: centrepieces, crowns, nativity scenes, figures, balls, candles, moss, hats, garlands, foams... and of course other local products such as the Caga Tió or the funny caganer. In addition to the Fira de Santa Llúcia, Barcelona has two other important markets: the Sagrada Familia Christmas Market and the "Feria de Reyes" (Gran Vía). In 2021, the Christmas markets of Santa Llúcia and Sagrada Familia begin on November 24 and will continue until December 23. The "Feria de Reyes" goes from December 16 to January 6. These markets are free and truly beautiful.
Another mandatory activity at this time of year is to eat churros with chocolate. They're available all year, but it's when the temperature gets colder when locals go to places like chocolate shop "Granja La Pallaresa" (C/ Petritxol) or "Granja M. Viader" (C/ Xuclà), to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate with churros or porras, ¡so delicious!
Where to celebrate New Year's Eve in Barcelona
What about the end of the year? The last night of the year is one of those celebrations in which there is nothing written: there are those who prefer to celebrate in privacy, those who prefer not to prolong the night, or even those who eat sweets instead of grapes. Even so, it is still one of the most special nights of the year... In Barcelona, in addition to the classic nightclub parties until dawn, for some years now the 31st of December has also been celebrated with a countdown in the street. New Year's Eve in Barcelona moves to Plaza de España, very close to the Hotel Miramar, where the Barcelona City Council organises the Montjuïc fountains show along with projections of old pyromusicals to liven up the wait until the twelve bells. At that moment people drink their twelve grapes (as tradition has it), uncork the cava and enjoy the fireworks. If what you are looking for is a less crowded and more exclusive New Year's Eve party in Barcelona, we invite you to discover the New Year's Eve special at Hotel Miramar: gala dinner, cotillion, dance, access to the spa and breakfast in our buffet.
Three Kings parade in Barcelona
We like to extend the festivities until January and, therefore, another of the traditions that you can't miss on your visit to our city is the parade of the Three Kings to Barcelona (The Three Wise Men), especially if you come with children. Although the day of kings is the 6th of January, which is also a festive day, we have the main course the night before: the 5th of January, when their Majesties from the East arrive by boat and are received by the mayoress at 16:30h in the Port Vell. After the welcome ceremony, Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar move near Ciutadella, where the Three Wise Men parade begins in Barcelona. This route, which takes a little more than three hours, usually starts at around 6 pm and passes through the city centre until it reaches the Avenida de la Reina Maria Cristina, at the foot of our Hotel Miramar Barcelona. Undoubtedly a very special night in which all wishes can come true.
Enjoy your best Christmas in Hotel Miramar If you're in the mood for a plan that's just as special but a little quieter, we suggest you taking the Barcelona cable car, which you'll find on the hillside of Miramar, right in front of our luxury hotel in Barcelona, and which will take you to the port. The cable car is open every day of the year except 25th December. If you are going to take it during the months of December and January, the schedule is from 11h to 17:30h. Also, if you want to know where to eat for Christmas in Barcelona, in our restaurant Studio Miramar we offer you our special Christmas menus in Hotel Miramar. A very special gastronomic proposal with the best local products and a cuisine that mixes the traditional with the avant-garde, always taking into consideration the design and presentation.
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. All the activities mentioned before might suffer changes because of the Pandemic. We recommend to pay attention to the restrictions and check each event's website. At the moment, though, everything indicates that Barcelona will continue with its normal Christmas activities this year 2021.
