Decked out and illuminated to celebrate Christmas, Figueres, Granada, Madrid, Segovia and Zaragoza are offered as inland AVE destinations to spend the last days of this year and welcome 2022. The www.aveexperience.es brings tourists closer to these cities connected by the high-speed train that have prepared a multitude of celebrations for children, cultural activities and gastronomic plans with which to promote their attractions.
These are the proposals of the five cities AVE for this Christmas:
Figueres
Throughout December, the Empordà capital maintains the guided tours of the last months: Dalí route and the church of Sant Pedro, of Gothic origin, as well as the food and wine routes to discover the cuisine and wines of the area, a mixture of tradition and avant-garde and flavors of the sea and mountains.
Not all Christmas lights are the same. The one in Figueres is unique in the world, since the different models are inspired by Christmas postcards created by Salvador Dalí (the city is the birthplace of the international artist). The genius captured in them small handwritten texts, fanciful, intelligent and philosophical. On December 4, 6, 8, 11, 18, 28 and 30, at 6:00 p.m., guided tours are held to understand its iconography and discover its meaning.
Figueres also installs a Christmas market on the Rambla and light projections in the historic and commercial center.
Granada
In addition to being able to enjoy the majestic Alhambra (reserve in advance), the Science Park or the Caja Granada Multimedia Museum, the city has a wide cultural and leisure offer for these dates. The Magic Festival will be held at the trade fair from December 20 to January 4 to amaze both children and adults. This magical meeting is complemented by the various shows that take place from December 26 to 30 at the Isabel la Católica Theater.
In the center of the city, Christmas is lived a lot and well. The market in the Bib-Rambla, Puerta Real and Fuente de las Batallas squares It is open from December 1 to January 6. From this point of the city you can take a tour to enjoy the illumination by Pick-ups and Gran Vía that also unfolds through the commercial streets of Alhóndiga, Mesones and Puentezuelas. Many associations, parishes, brotherhoods and institutions place nativity scenes in this area.
The City Council is visited by the Royal Postman throughout the month of December to take charge of letters from children and adults to the Three Kings. On January 5, of course, it is celebrated the Cavalcade that takes them to the town hall from Gran Capitán.
More family plans? The New Year’s concert is held on January 2 at the Manuel de Falla Auditorium. On the morning of January 1, there is no shortage of churros with chocolate in the Plaza Mariana Pineda.
Madrid
The capital continues to be a wonderful attraction with its Christmas lights. This year one of the focuses of attention is the recently inaugurated Plaza de España with new playgrounds, gardens, cafes and of course a large Christmas tree. To visit the city with the family and comfortably, the best plan is the Naviluz, a panoramic bus that runs 50 minutes from Colón to enjoy the innovative lighting designs this year. It works every day of the week and all holidays except December 24, 31 and January 5.
For Christmas tours the one of the numerous nativity scenes that are distributed throughout the city: Town Hall, Plaza de la Villa, Royal Palace, Museum of History, Museum of America or those of the Royal Foundation monasteries are among the most visited due to their historical importance.
Until January 31 the traditional Christmas market in the Plaza Mayor. That day in the afternoon (from 5.30 pm in Concha Espina) the famous San Silvestre Vallecana is celebrated and at night the Puerta del Sol focuses all eyes. The culmination of the festivities arrives on the 5th with the lavish Three Kings Parade with shows in the Plaza de Cibeles and a superb fireworks display to close.
Segovia
Segovia becomes a “fairytale city” at Christmas. Stroll from the Aqueduct to the Plaza Mayor It is quite an experience following the path of Christmas illumination. The city opens a Christmas market in the Plaza Mayor that opened on December 9. In addition to being an ideal place to buy local products, the market is the starting point for several guided tours of the city, and meeting place where you can enjoy Christmas carols, magic and various activities.
At dusk, in different squares and churches choral concerts and chamber music typical of these dates are offered. And of course, on the night of January 5, the three wise men walk the streets of Segovia with their entourage of pages loaded with gifts.
Zaragoza
Its old town, its two cathedrals, its Arab palace, its Mudejar art, Goya’s legacy … but Zaragoza is also Christmas. The giant Nativity Scene in Plaza del Pilar is one of the most admired by the people of Zaragoza and their visitors. It has 56 life-size human figures, in honor of the nativity. The little town of Bethlehem, with Herod’s palace, the manger with the nativity scene, the workshops and stalls of the traditional Aragonese merchants and trades … not a detail is missing!
As every year, a blanket of waves of light runs through Alfonso Street, Northern Lights enlarged in Plaza San Felipe, fragmented stars (in honor of the absent ones) on the Paseo de la Independencia, the great illuminated Christmas tree in the Plaza Paraíso, the balcony of San Lázaro and María Zambrano. This year, as a novelty, a large 12-meter diameter Christmas ball with a sound and light show will be in the Plaza del Pilar, a stage for cultural activities, lighting and children’s attractions. In addition, they have installed balls of light next to Casa Solans, at the entrance of the Parque Grande and in the Plaza de los Sitio.
Magician Kings of the East they will park their three royal floats in the Plaza del Pilar next to the great royal mailbox, so that families can enjoy the thrones and send their letters, which will be collected by the official royal postmen.
This year, for the first time, a tourist bus will be available, with a special decoration and an endearing performance in the Megabus and the Divertour, which will take the little ones and their families to enjoy again the fun and learning about Zaragoza at Christmas.
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.