CHRISTMAS IN MADRID (TOP 3 THINGS TO DO)

Clock Tower of Sun Gate

Christmas is an amazing, wonderful and joyous time of year! It’s a time where families, friends and loved ones all gather to spend a warm festive day together. Places in Europe just like Madrid went way above and beyond my expectations. Being from Canada, where it is cold and snowy with trees and houses being decorated here and there, I was definitely in for a treat! The bustling streets of Madrid were not only super cute and aesthetic because of the cobblestone walkways and historical buildings, but it was also decorated for Christmas! Many streets in Madrid were decorated with lights strung above every street. It honestly felt like we were in a movie. I don’t know if it’s because it was my first time in Europe but it was gorgeous!!! If you find yourself in Madrid during Christmas, be sure to visit these places below!

GRAN VIA

Gran Via is an upscale shopping street located in the heart of the city. There are numerous shops, restaurants, bars, hotels, apartments, notable landmark buildings and performances. The architecture was beautiful; it looked just like the movies but in real life!!! The neighbouring streets of Gran Via all had lights strung from the sky and they were all decorated with different lights!

If you don’t know me, I love to shop. We stayed at an upscale condo along Gran Via. It was such an amazing place to stay at. The location was super convenient since we were within walking distance from a huge variety of cafes, restaurants and shopping stores. The metro stations were also within minutes away, so it was easy to hop on a train and explore other areas in Madrid.

PLAZA MAYOR CHRISTMAS MARKET

(Open from Nov 26- Dec 31)

If you’re down in Madrid during Christmas, you have to check out Plaza Mayor Christmas market. There are 104 stalls run by individual vendors selling a variety of gifts to decorations and food! I can’t even begin to describe the atmosphere. It was unbelievable, it was super cheery and bright. There were carollers singing & performers performing.

There were these super cute mini bombetas. I personally haven’t played with anything like that before, so it was fun! The bombetas came in a small box and you would throw the paper balls on to the floor which would cause them to explode! Every vendor sold them for differing prices, but I would say in general it was around 2 Euros for a box. It was great for the kids to play with (even for the adults)!

FERIA DE ARTESANÍA DE RECOLETOS

(Madrid Arts and Crafts Fair: Open from Dec 1-30)

While we were wandering around the streets of Madrid, we bumped into the Feria de Artesanía de Recoletos which is a famous artisan market. They have so many things to check out from toys to handcrafted instruments, jewelry, ceramics, clothes and so on. We spent quite a bit of time browsing at the things they had to offer. I ended up getting a leather belt and leather backpack! They were all handcrafted and super cute. Since none of us spoke Spanish we were super lucky that a bunch of vendors spoke English! We were able to communicate freely and learn more about the market and their handcrafted items.

Merry Christmas and thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a comment down below to share your experiences!

-Feli