10 Things to Do in Barcelona at Christmas

Although most tourists visit Barcelona in spring or summer, this does not mean that December is less suggestive. Temperatures stay far enough away from 0º and rainfall is scarce, so there is 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. We start with a Christmas classic: the nativity scenes!

In the last month of the year, the nativity scenes appear in various parts of the city. Tradition coexists with avant-garde experiments making 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 assembly recreated the Barcelona of Roman times.
• Poble Espanyol: The enclosure that brings together the most important architectures of our country hosts a living nativity scene every December. To enjoy the show you will 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. Normally, it can be visited every day from 10:00 to 14:00 (Monday to Friday) or from 10:00 to 17:00 (weekends and 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 Museum of Music or in the cloister of the Cathedral of Barcelona, just to name a few.

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

• Fira de Santa Lucia, Barcelona's traditional rendezvous - the 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 Familia Christmas market. It is located in the homonymous square, right at the foot of Gaudí's masterpiece. It is usually divided into four areas: sweets and candies, 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 April 23. On this date, lovers give each other a book accompanied by a red rose. Sant Jordi de Nadal is celebrated at various points in the city in the middle of the month and also includes sessions with authors.
• Fira dels Reis, the Christmas event on Gran Via. It is located between Viladomat and Comte d'Urgell streets and gathers 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 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 environment. In fact, the market is housed in an old factory in the Vila Olímpica. For more info I recommend you to take a look at the official website

Do you know the German store Käthe Wohlfahrt? If you like Christmas and love to decorate the house like in the movies, I recommend you to go to the store 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 subsidiaries in Germany, Belgium, France and the United Kingdom, while this store, which you are sure to see if you take a tour of the Gothic Quarter, is the only one in our country. All objects are handcrafted in the Rothenburg workshop and are so beautiful that it is impossible to leave the store 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, in the month of December it's even better as each store 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 center. 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 architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner is filled with light. Buying tickets in advance you will enjoy an enchanted walk that will make you forget the hustle and bustle of the old town. Getting there is very easy thanks to metro line 5; all you have to do is get off at the Sant Pau/Dos de Maig stop.

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

• Westfield La Maquinista, the largest shopping center in Catalonia. It is inspired by the "roller disco" in the U.S. and has a synthetic and sustainable ice rink in the Plaza del Reloj (inside the structure). It is open Monday to Friday from 16:30 to 20:30 and often hosts Santa Claus, ideal if you are traveling to Barcelona with your children! It is located in the neighborhood of San Andrés de Palomar, within walking distance of 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 Jardines de Sant Joan de Déu and has a capacity of 100 people. You can skate for 25 minutes for around 5 €. Not bad, right? This amount includes skate rental but you will have to bring your own gloves. The opening hours are longer if 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 installed in the Jardines de can Xiringoi, a green area of 7000 square meters in the neighborhood of Torre Llobeta. As usual, the track is 24 meters long and 6 meters wide while the price for a 20-minute session is around 6 €. It is generally 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 reachable from anywhere in the city. It usually opens at 10:00 and closes at 18:00.

As for activities, there is a little 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 participate on stage with puppet theater 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 of the noses), a figure from local folklore whose double face - one represents an old man and the other has childlike features - refers to the year that is ending.

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 (metro Selva de Mar). The route goes through the neighborhood of Poble Nou, reaches the Estació de França in Barceloneta and returns to the square along the coast.

As for the price, to participate you will have to pay around 15 €. I recommend buying tickets in advance on the official website. If you are going to approach the race by car, you can leave it at the BSM Garcia Fària Parking.

From mid-November until 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 kids will be able to see Santa Claus up close and choose a souvenir in the Tianguis (Mexico) and Records (Mediterrània) stores.

At this time of the year the restaurants offer Christmas menus and the penguin Chilly Willy makes a visit to the park. On the official website you will find all the available tickets. Getting to PortAventura from Barcelona is very easy thanks to the suburban line RT2. The Salou - Port Aventura station is about ten minutes 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 with honey and nuts.

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

• Turrón de Agramunt, a delicacy that is made in the region of Urgell. It is distinguished from the others by its typical disk or rectangular tablet shape. The most traditional uses hazelnuts, although there are versions with almonds or dipped in cocoa. In the Boqueria Market you will find a stall with all the available versions.
• Catànies, a delicacy for lovers of dried fruit. It is a small ball made with a paste of hazelnuts, almonds, milk, cocoa and sugar. This dough envelops a toasted and caramelized marcona almond.
• 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 intermingle with the mountains, a Romanesque church and the ruins of a castle.

During Christmas 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 gifts to children.

Usually, this festival 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 organized to find all those hiding in the village. Workshops are also organized to create your own Nadal uncle 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 case of snow, you can enjoy a beautiful white picture making an excursion to the Monastery of Montserrat or approaching Girona.