The festive season has begun… Visit Barcelona and bring yourself into the spirit of Christmas.
Barcelona is full of life at any time of the year, but it has its special charm in winter. You will find more quieter streets, with the crowds of tourist gone, giving you the best chance to explore all parts of the city. With no one in your way, you will have museums to yourself, empty beaches and still sunshine and the bluest skies over the entire year!
How about Christmas shopping in Barcelona? Christmas time is a magical time and the city gets into a unique spirit during this period. You can stroll around the streets decorated with Christmas lights, visit the markets selling festive food, go shopping in Gràcia, taste the famous Calçots, book a food tour with a local, learn how to make tapas, grab a hot chocolate in one of the Granjas, emerge in Catalans culture and wander on the paths of Gaudi.
Witness quirky local traditions, discover the many Christmas markets, visit the life-size nativity scene on Plaça Sant Jaume and enjoy the spectacular parade of the King’s Day during the Epiphany.
Here is what you can do during the holiday season in Barcelona:
Chocolate lovers should step into ‘Vicens’ – a cute shop full of yummy Turróns (Spanish traditional Christmas sweets). There are all tastes and combinations that you can only imagine. You can taste the various flavours in the shop before deciding what to buy. Very helpful staff. Have a chat with them and learn more about this ‘sweet seduction’. One little warning though, should you plan bringing some of the Turróns home, they are pretty heavy to carry.
Another ‘sweet stop’ should be Granja Viader. Especially in the winter season is the traditional family café and home of Cacaolat (Spanish famous chocolate milkshake) a ‘must’. Opened in 1870 la Granja is one of the oldest coffee places and has preserved its old charm. Warm your fingers with a cup of hot chocolate accompanied by some ‘churros’ (Spanish famous fried-dough pastry) or an ‘ensaïmada’ (spiral-shaped sweet pastry from Majorca) and enjoy the beautiful old style decór of this traditional ‘milk bar’. You will feel like the time has stood still.
If you are football fan, you can go ice-skating in Camp Nou. Yes, the home stadium of FC Barcelona!. Visit the FC Barcelona Museum and learn more about this internationally famous football club.
You should try the traditional Calçot. What is this curious thing you ask? It’s basically nothing else as a green onion. Except that this one, coming from Valls near Tarragona is milder and longer (the eatable white part) and is registered EU Protected Geographical Indication. It is celebrated in Cataonia during the holiday season. This begins with the Calçotada, the harvesting of Calçots and a gastronomical celebration. The traditional way of preparing them is grilled over a hot fire until charred, wrapped up in newspaper and served on terracotta tiles. You eat them after peeling with bare hands and dipping the white parts in romesco sauce (traditional sauce from Tarragona, nut and red pepper-based). It’s usually accompanied by red wine or Cava (the Spanish cousin of the Champagne) and bread. Calçots are often served as a starter, then follows a course of roasted meat (lamb or sausage). Between November and April you will come frequently across barbecued calçots all over Catalunya. Definitely worth trying.
For the romantic souls (and early birds) I recommend a morning walk on the beach, enjoying the sunrise over the Mediterranean sea… The beaches in summer can be very crowded but in winter they are heavenly spacious.
Don’t forget to visit the Christmas markets
There are many Christmas fairs and markets across the city during the festive season. The three biggest are:
The main market is ‘La Fira de Santa Llúcia’. It’s the the oldest and most traditional one and you find it right in front of the Cathedral. However, if you are looking for Mulled Wine or food, you will be disappointed as this market mostly sells ‘figuritas de Belén’, little figures to make your own nativity crib scenes. The Santa Lucia market is open from 25th November to 23rd December 2016 until 10.30pm.
The Sagrada Familia Christmas market opens from 29th November to 23rd December 2016 until 10pm and you find it around the Sagrada Familia church. On Saturdays from 6pm to 8pm Santa Claus pays a visit to collect letters from the children and give them balloons and cookies in exchange.
The Fira de Reis a la Gran Via Christmas Market (Three Kings Fair) is located on Gran Via (between Muntaner and Calabria) and goes from 21st December to 6th January 2017.
Most of them sell handcrafts, Christmas decoration and crib figures. Nothing like the Christmas markets in my home country, Germany. No sausages or Glühwein here, unfortunately. BUT there is something else worth mentioning…
Let me tell you about something curious and intriguing…
What you will find at all the Christmas markets in Barcelona is the ‘Caganer’ – literally speaking ‘the pooer’. A little figure doing a poo…! Not sure why but the Caganer has a special place in Catalan hearts, especially at Christmas. Don’t be surprised to find the Caganer in all possible versions, meaning: Celebs, politician and historical figures are crouching with their pants around their ankles and a little poo is visible underneath their bare bottoms! Crazy!
Not sure if that means we all have to go the toilet, no matter who we are. Normal people as well as the king and the pope? Or does it have something to do with life, simplicity, detox? Hmmm… There are many theories about it and no one of my Catalan friends seems to know it for sure but it seems to have something to do with fertilisation. And apparently it brings luck if you have one of those as part of your native scene. So, should you ever build one at home, there is an idea!
Catalans seem to love the subject ‘poo’… There is another significant tradition where poo is involved. Besides the Caganer there is also Caga Tió (or Tió de Nadal). It is a yule log and believe it or not, it does the job of Santa Claus!
Yes you read correctly! Let me explain: There is this piece of wood with a cute face, it smiles and wears a traditional Catalan hat. Families take one home, children treat it as a pet during the holiday season, feeding ‘him’ and keeping ‘him’ warm. On Christmas they hit (!) the Caga Tio with a stick while singing a (specific) song demanding him to poop… presents ! And voilà, there they are underneath his blanket.
Have a look at this curious tradition.
Barcelona doesn’t stop because we said goodbye to summer! Come and say hello to winter in this amazing city!
PS: My tip for homemade mulled wine in Spain: Buy Sangria and heat it up! Ready! Almost the same…
