10 Things to Do in Barcelona at Christmas

Although most tourists visit Barcelona in spring or summer, this does not mean that December is any less attractive. With temperatures staying well below freezing and little rainfall, there's no shortage of reasons to stay at home!

In the last month of the year there are dozens of things to see and do in Barcelona and this article shows you our top 10. Let's start with a Christmas classic: nativity scenes!

In the last month of the year, nativity scenes appear in various parts of the city. Tradition coexists with avant-garde experiments to make up a very complete Christmas panorama. If you are wondering where to find the most beautiful nativity scenes, take a look at our list:

• Frederic Marès Museum: A traditional nativity scene is set up in the courtyard, the theme of which changes every year. In 2021, for example, the setting recreated the Barcelona of Roman times.
• Poble Espanyol: Every December, the site that brings together the most important architecture in our country hosts a living nativity scene. To enjoy the show you have to pay €5.
• Plaça Sant Jaume: The heart of the Gothic quarter hosts one or more nativity scenes that often divide public opinion.
• Real Monasterio de Santa María de Pedralbes: Its plaster figures and decoration recreate the atmosphere of rural Catalonia. It can normally be visited every day from 10:00 to 14:00 (Monday to Friday) or from 10:00 to 17:00 (weekends and public holidays). The entrance fee is around 5 €.

These are just some of the traditional scenes of Barcelona. You can find more nativity scenes in the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, in the old port, in the Music Museum or in the cloister of Barcelona Cathedral, just to name a few.

What Christmas would be without a stroll around the markets? Barcelona has some recommendable options that include both traditional options and the most original novelties:

• Fira de Santa Lucia, Barcelona's traditional Christmasmarket, whose stalls have been set up under the cathedral since the 18th century! It is the ideal place to buy some accessories for your nativity scene, perhaps the popular caganer, a very daring figure of the Catalan Christmas.
• Sagrada Família Christmas market. It is located in the square of the same name, right at the foot of Gaudí's masterpiece. It is usually divided into four areas: sweets and sweets, plants and flowers, objects for nativity scenes and home decorations.
• Sant Jordi de Nadal, the December version of Sant Jordi's Day, which takes place on 23 April. On this date, lovers give each other a book accompanied by a red rose. Sant Jordi de Nadal is held in various places around the city in the middle of the month and also includes sessions with the authors of the books.
• Fira dels Reis, the Christmas event on Gran Via. It is located between Carrer Viladomat and Carrer Comte d'Urgell and brings together more than 100 vendors. It is usually open from 10:00 to 22:00 (Monday to Friday) and from 10:00 to 24:00 (Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays).
• Palo Alto Christmas Market, the most urban option in the Catalan capital. You can buy clothes from big brands or local designers in a post-industrial setting. In fact, the market is housed in an old factory in the Vila Olímpica. For more info I recommend you take a look at the official website

Do you know the German shop Käthe Wohlfahrt? If you like Christmas and love to decorate your house like in the movies, I recommend you to visit the shop at Carrer dels Banys Nous 15. Käthe Wohlfahrt is an enchanted world full of dolls, nutcrackers, garlands, wooden houses, trees and much more.

The company has branches in Germany, Belgium, France and the UK, while this shop, which you're sure to see if you take a tour of the Gothic Quarter, is the only one in Spain. All the objects are handmade in the Rothenburg workshop and are so beautiful that it is impossible to leave the shop empty-handed.

Käthe Wohlfahrt is open all year round from 16:00 to 20:00 (Monday to Friday) and from 10:00 to 20:00 (Saturday). Although you can go shopping even during the summer, December is even better as each shop recreates a typical Bavarian Christmas village.

The fourth stage takes us to the modernist Sant Pau site, a former hospital converted into a research and knowledge centre. Until recently, patients were treated in an Art Nouveau jewel that has nothing to envy to Gaudí's most famous Sagrada Familia.

From the end of November until the beginning of January, the masterpiece of the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner is filled with light. If you buy your tickets in advance, you'll enjoy an enchanted walk that will make you forget the hustle and bustle of the old town. It's easy to get there on metro line 5, just get off at the Sant Pau/Dos de Maig stop.

Like other European cities, the Catalan capital also has areas dedicated to skating. Generally, you'll find the ice rinks open if you travel to Barcelona as early as November, and they close at the beginning of January. You'll find them at the following locations in the city:

• Westfield La Maquinista, the largest shopping centre in Catalonia. It is inspired by the roller disco in the USA and has a synthetic and sustainable ice rink in the Plaza del Reloj (inside the structure). Open Monday to Friday from 16:30 to 20:30 and often hosts Father Christmas, ideal if you're travelling to Barcelona with your kids! It is located in the San Andrés de Palomar neighbourhood, a short distance from the metro stop "Torras i Bages" (Carrer Potosí 2).
• L'Illa Diagonal, the first mall in the city. The icy surface is located in the Sant Joan de Déu Gardens and has a capacity of 100 people. You can skate for 25 minutes for around €5. Not bad, right? This includes skate rental but you'll need to bring your own gloves. The opening hours are longer compared to La Maquinista: from 11:00 to 21:00 (Avinguda Diagonal 557).
• Nou Barris, an option that moves away from the traditional tourist routes. Specifically, it is set up in the Jardines de can Xiringoi, a green area of 7000 square metres in the Torre Llobeta neighbourhood. The track is usually 24 metres long and 6 metres wide, and the price for a 20-minute session is around €6. It is usually open from 17:00 to 20:30 from Monday to Friday and from 11:00 to 13:30 and from 17:00 to 20:30 on weekends.

At the end of December, the Fira de Barcelona hosts La Ciutat dels Somnis, a festival dedicated to children between 4 and 12 years old. The good news is that it is free and easily accessible from anywhere in the city. It usually opens at 10:00 and closes at 18:00.

As for the activities, there is a bit of everything. The more sporty ones can play basketball or tennis, skate or challenge themselves on the hover-kart track.

The more creative children will be happy to take part on stage with puppet theatre or draw with stencils. If you are interested in other plans with children in Barcelona I recommend you to read our dedicated article.

If you visit Barcelona in December and you stay until the 31st you can participate in the Catalan San Silvestre: the Cursa dels Nassos (race of the noses). It is a tribute to the home dels nassos (man with the nose), a figure from local folklore whose double face - one representing an old man and the other with childlike features - refers to the year that is coming to an end.

Participants run the 10 km route wearing red noses, wigs and other costumes. As usual, the race starts in the afternoon - around 16:00 or 17:00 - at Plaça Ramon Calsina (Selva de Mar metro station). The route goes through the Poble Nou neighbourhood, reaches the Estació de França in Barceloneta and returns to the square along the coastline.

As for the price, you'll have to pay around €15 to take part. I recommend you buy your tickets in advance on the official website. If you're coming to the race by car, you can leave your car at the BSM Garcia Fària car park.

From mid-November to the beginning of January, the theme park is transformed into the largest Christmas village in Catalonia. The shows are wonderful as well as entertaining.

They mix dancing and acrobatics for the enjoyment of children and adults. In addition, the little ones will be able to see Father Christmas up close and choose a souvenir in the Tianguis (Mexico) and Records (Mediterrània) shops.

At this time of year the restaurants offer Christmas menus and Chilly Willy the penguin pays a visit to the park. You can find all available tickets on the official website. Getting to PortAventura from Barcelona is very easy thanks to the RT2 local line. Salou - Port Aventura station is a ten-minute walk from the entrance.

Catalan gastronomy is one of the best in our country. Thanks to its privileged position between the Mediterranean and the Pyrenees, it has quality ingredients that are used to prepare simple dishes and elaborate creations. The most typical dessert is mel i mató, a fresh cheese accompanied by honey and walnuts.

However, during the Christmas season you must try these delicacies:

• Turrón de Agramunt, a delicacy made in the Urgell region. It is distinguished from the others by its typical disc or rectangular tablet shape. The most traditional one uses hazelnuts, although there are versions with almonds or dipped in cocoa. At the Boqueria market you will find a stall with all the different versions available.
• Catànies, a delicacy for lovers of dried fruit. This is a small ball made with a paste of hazelnuts, almonds, milk, cocoa and sugar. This dough is wrapped in toasted and caramelised marcona almonds.
• Tortell de Reis, the Catalan version of the King's cake. Unlike its cousin, it has a marzipan filling. In Barcelona I recommend you try it at Mauri (Rambla de Catalunya 102), L'Atelier (Carrer Viladomat 140) or La Colmena (Plaça de l'Àngel 12).

To get to this destination you will have to use your car or rent one in the agencies of Barcelona and I assure you that it is worth it. Mura is one of the most picturesque villages in Catalonia. It is a medieval village dotted with stone alleys, houses that blend into the mountains, a Romanesque church and the ruins of a castle.

During the Christmas season it hosts the Festa del Tió, a celebration dedicated to the classic Catalan Christmas figure. If you don't know what it is, the tió de Nadal is a trunk adorned with a red hat and a smiling face that brings presents to children.

This festival usually starts at the beginning of December and ends in January. Throughout these weeks, dozens of uncles hide in the streets of Mura and during the weekend treasure hunts are organised to find all those hiding in the village. There are also workshops to create your own uncle de Nadal at very affordable prices (around 3 €).

December is not usually the coldest month in Barcelona and snowfalls are not very common. In fact, the average temperature is around 13º. It is much more likely that these precipitations occur in the Pyrenees or in the reliefs closer to the city.

In the event of snow, you can enjoy a beautiful white picture by taking a trip to the Monastery of Montserrat or by going to Girona.