The December Long Weekend in Barcelona 2025 marks the official start of the holiday season, and it is undoubtedly one of the best times to visit the city. Temperatures are pleasant (with highs around 15°C and generally sunny weather), the air is fresh, and the city lights up with festive splendor. This combination offers a perfect atmosphere for enjoying things to do in Barcelona that blend culture, tradition, gastronomy, and unforgettable strolls.
If you’re looking for plans for the December bank holiday weekend in Barcelona 2025 to make the most of this long weekend, you’ve come to the right place. From HCC Hotels, we invite you to immerse yourself in the magic of the Catalan capital, ensuring you have a comfortable and strategic base for your getaway.
1. The Lighting of the Magic: Christmas Classics and Markets
The December Long Weekend is the moment when Catalan Christmas comes to life, and its deepest traditions fill the streets with light and color, offering a unique cultural experience for all visitors.
The Santa Llúcia Fair: The Heart of Tradition
The Santa Llúcia Fair is Barcelona’s oldest Christmas market, running from late November until December 23rd, from 10 AM to 9 PM, on Avinguda de la Catedral, right in front of the Cathedral. It is a Nativity market, the oldest in the world, celebrating its 239th edition this year, and the true heart of local holiday cheer, ideal for finding gifts, decorations, and, above all, soaking up tradition.
You can find 160 stalls dedicated to the Nativity scene and its figures, with all kinds of designs. An area dedicated to greenery with 100 stalls selling Christmas trees, the Tió, and holiday greenery. A craft zone with a total of 30 stalls selling jewelry, ceramics, clothing, handbags, and toys. And an entire area for musical instruments related to Christmas.
Here you will discover essential figures of Catalan Christmas:
Caganers: A figure that surprises visitors is the caganer (the “pooping figure”). This funny figure, traditionally represented as a peasant with his pants down, though it may seem irreverent, is hidden in the Catalan Nativity scene as a symbol of fertility, prosperity, and good luck for the new year.
Tió de Nadal: The magical log that “poops” gifts.
Handicrafts and decoration: The market is full of stalls selling handicrafts, handmade ornaments, and items to set up your own Nativity scene.
Christmas Lighting: Designer Strolls and Unique Routes
During the evenings of the December Long Weekend, Barcelona transforms into a stage of light thanks to its ambitious lighting display. This year, the city has opted for designer Christmas lighting, with exclusive designs that fill the streets with creativity. The spectacle is vast: 28 street sections across the neighborhoods, along with 39 municipal markets and more than 50 ornamental fountains, will be illuminated, not forgetting the new docks of the Port Olímpic.
The Passeig de Gràcia and Portal de l’Àngel are the central axes, where the luxury avenue dazzles with elegant light installations and sophisticated window displays. It is the ideal time to contemplate the illuminated facade of iconic Modernist buildings like Casa Batlló and Casa Milà (La Pedrera) while enjoying a hot chocolate.
In addition to the grand avenues, we invite you to discover the most unique sections, such as the Passeig de Sant Joan. This street will feature thematic lighting dedicated to manga, Kawaii comics, and the Chinese community, with designs intended to be viewed at two different speeds (on foot and by car), playing with different viewpoints and perspectives.
If you prefer convenience, the Barcelona Christmas Tour is also operating—the tourist bus that runs a specific route through the city’s most beautifully lit streets.
Nativity Scenes at Poble Espanyol
For a family or cultural plan, the Poble Espanyol, the miniature village on Montjuïc, is decorated for the season. It transforms into an authentic Christmas village, this year featuring 6 magical worlds: Wishland, Il·lusionàrius, Tradicionàrius, Candy Fun, Elfland, and Fun. It will be full of Christmas scenes, craft fairs, and often offers puppet shows and a life-sized Nativity scene that fascinates the little ones. In the Plaça Major (Main Square), there will be music, circus, magic, food stalls, and workshops.
2. Lights, Mapping, and Shows: The Visual Magic of Christmas 2025
Barcelona transforms into a grand stage during the winter, with light experiences that go beyond traditional illumination. If you are looking for immersive and festive plans, the December Long Weekend offers unique options.
1. Sant Pau Site: A Stroll Amidst Modernist Light
Barcelona’s Christmas lights reach a new level at the Sant Pau Modernist Site (Recinto Modernista de Sant Pau). This UNESCO World Heritage site is converted into a spectacular garden of lights and figures. The walk through the venue is an immersive experience that allows you to enjoy the architecture of Domènech i Montaner under artistic lighting, creating a magical atmosphere that evokes Christmas tales. It is an ideal evening plan, combining Modernist art with the festive spirit.
2. Christmas at Port Vell: Music, Ferris Wheel, and Sea
The Port Vell is consolidating its position as one of the centers of Christmas fun. The Port Vell Christmas Fair is a major attraction thanks to its unique seaside location. Here you’ll find craft stalls, festive gastronomy, and, most notably, a large illuminated Ferris wheel that offers spectacular views of the harbor and the city at night. Additionally, the festive atmosphere is complemented by music and various scheduled activities.
3. Designer Lighting and Gaudí’s Magic
The city is committed to designer lighting, with exclusive designs on streets like Passeig de Gràcia and Portal de l’Àngel, as mentioned. But the spectacle is even more memorable at Casa Batlló, which every year offers a special illumination or a thematic mapping that covers the facade with colors and animations inspired by Gaudí’s universe, transforming this Modernist gem into an authentic fairy-tale castle.
3. Attend Major Exhibitions in Barcelona: Art, History, and Dialogue
1. The Immersive Experience: “We Are Nature”
Immersive exhibitions in Barcelona are one of the big current trends, and this show offers a unique sensory experience that connects you with the natural world through technology and large-scale projections. It is an ideal plan taking place at CaixaForum to disconnect from the city’s hustle and immerse yourself in an environment of visual peace and contemplation.
2. Miró and the United States
Visiting the Fundació Joan Miró for this exhibition is an opportunity to understand how art transcends borders. The show offers a unique insight into the creative relationship between the great artist Joan Miró and his influences and dialogues with key American artists like Louise Bourgeois, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko, among others. You will explore how this transcontinental connection shaped both Miró’s art and the contemporary landscape.
3. Cristina Iglesias: “Passages”
This exhibition invites you to reflect on space and perception. Cristina Iglesias is one of the most internationally renowned Spanish contemporary sculptors, and her work, often linked to architecture and natural elements like water, creates visually stunning sculptural “passages” and environments. It is an essential exhibition at La Pedrera for those who enjoy large-scale contemporary sculpture.
4. Entering the World of Comics: Chris Ware
If you are interested in visual creation and narrative, the CCCB (Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona) hosts this exhibition which offers a complete immersion into the universe of Chris Ware. This artist is recognized for his complex visual narratives and innovative style. The show, which includes original pages and models, is perfect for understanding how comics can be a profound form of thought and introspective criticism of society.
5. Exhibitions at KBr Fundación MAPFRE
The KBr Fundación MAPFRE: Barcelona Photo Center awaits you with a high-level program focused on photography, ideal for those seeking the best visual art:
Helen Levitt: An exhibition offering a comprehensive journey through the career of this artist, considered one of the first women to professionally excel in photography. Her images reflect life in 1930s New York, paying great attention to children and their games in the streets. The exhibition will be available from September 24 to February 1, 2026.
KBr FLAMA’25: This exhibition is the fifth edition of the annual event showcasing the emerging talent of the new generations of photographers from the main schools in Barcelona. The selected works share a critical and sensitive look at the construction of memory. The exhibition will be available from September 24 to February 1, 2026.
4. The Hot Gastronomy Route: Seasonal Flavors
The cold weather in December is the perfect excuse to indulge in comfort gastronomy. Barcelona has unique culinary traditions that will help warm your body and soul.
Chocolate and Churros: The Perfect Pair
The December chill traditionally invites you to dip hot churros into thick chocolate. This route is an unmissable classic. Try emblematic places like La Pallaresa in the Gothic Quarter or Granja Viader, and enjoy an unforgettable breakfast or snack.
Turrón: Sweet Tradition
December is the season for turrón, the quintessential Spanish holiday sweet, from the crumbly hard almond nougat to the most innovative chocolate varieties. Bakeries and specialized shops, such as Torrons Vicens with several stores in the city, offer tastings and seasonal gift boxes.
Winter Stews and Soups
You cannot leave Barcelona without trying the seasonal food. Look for restaurants offering Escudella i Carn d’olla. This Catalan festive stew, with meat, bones, and large pasta shells (galets), is served in two courses and is perfect for warming up cold evenings.
5. Outdoor Plans and Quick Excursions
Despite being winter, the daylight hours (around 9.5 hours) are ideal for enjoying walks and excursions outside the city.
Evening Strolls through the Gothic Quarter
Explore the narrow medieval streets of the Gothic Quarter after 6:00 PM, when the Christmas lights and small Nativity scenes twinkle. It is a less crowded and much more atmospheric time to wander alone or join a guided night tour.
A Festive Climb to Tibidabo
Take the bus and funicular combination up to Tibidabo. The Amusement Park and the Sagrat Cor church are decorated for the holiday season, offering stunning views of the city and the festive lights from the hilltop.
Day Trips from Barcelona: Great Christmas Fairs, a Journey Through Folklore
If the December Long Weekend allows you to extend your stay, take the opportunity to leave the city and immerse yourself in the fresh winter air and the vibrant Christmas traditions of Catalonia. During the Long Weekend, many villages near Barcelona transform into thematic fairgrounds, being the ideal place to buy natural fir trees, decoration, and unique gifts.
Espinelves Fir Tree Fair (December 6 to 14, 2025): Considered the best-known fair in Catalonia during these dates, Espinelves transforms into a fairy-tale setting. The air is scented with damp wood and pine. It is a key place to buy a natural Christmas tree and enjoy a rustic atmosphere, with magic workshops and family activities.
Vic Medieval Market (December 6 to 8, 2025): This market is one of the largest and best-known in Catalonia, transporting you to the medieval era. The streets near the historic center of Vic fill with more than 300 stalls, shows, music, and theatrical performances. It’s an immersive experience for all visitors.
Caldes de Montbui Christmas Fair (December 5 to 7, 2025): This fair stands out for the use of its famous thermal waters. It is the basis for cooking the giant Christmas broth (caldo de Nadal), a central element of its Christmas Market (Mercat de Nadal). It is a unique plan that combines crafts, gastronomy, and the tradition of hot broth.
Sant Celoni Christmas Fair: Immerse yourself in the celebration during the December Long Weekend. This fair offers over 120 stalls with gift items, decorations, and food products, with workshops for both adults and children.
Montserrat Monastery: The fresh mountain air makes the trails peaceful. Visit the basilica, its Virgin, and check out the Christmas market next to the visitors’ center.
Your Ideal Base for the Long Weekend: HCC Hotels
To make the most of the December Long Weekend in Barcelona 2025, location is key. Our hotels in the center of Barcelona offer the perfect starting point to access the Ramblas, the Gothic Quarter, and Passeig de Gràcia (where most of the lights and markets are located) on foot, and you’ll be perfectly connected by public transport to reach Montjuïc, Tibidabo, and the train stations for your excursions.
We invite you to experience the festive magic of Barcelona with the comfort and warmth you deserve. Book your stay at HCC Hotels and make your December getaway an unforgettable experience.
