I was wondering if anyone knew if Barcelona shut down around Christmas time in late December? Is it "worth" visiting there at that time? Thank you.
Posted by
Malaga, Malaga, Spain
410 posts
I cannot speak specifically for Barcelona but Spain in general is much less shut down at Christmas than other places - the big celebration in Spain is early January and Christmas is nowhere near the big deal that it is in other places.
We spent Christmas /New Year in Seville several years ago and it was great and quite mild although Barcelona would be colder. In terms of being worth it - depends what you want or are looking for or what you mean by worth. It is a wonderful city and it will be warmer than most of western europe.
Posted by
Chicago, Illinois, USA
586 posts
Wow, Spain is remarkable at this time of year! Full of large crowds, lights, shoppers and life. We spent Dec 26 through Jan 3 in Spain last year, and loved it. Only one warning: December 31st really plays just like a holiday...most sites are closed or close early (museums and such, not restaurants and bars, of course). Otherwise, we had no problems. I heard that 24.12 is the same. Visit this blog post (REPORT FROM SPAIN), Andrea, for details about hotels and sites in Barcelona and the other cities: http://moltogentileitalia.blogspot.com/2009/01/report-from-spain.html. La Boqueria market in Barcelona, just off Las Ramblas, is amazing around the holidays.