The sweetest stairway to Christmas

The Christmas period can be experienced in two different ways: like Ebenezer Scrooge, the famous cold-hearted miser from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol; or with a smile and joy. We recommend that you choose the latter, something which will undoubtedly be easier for you with the recommendations we propose below.

One of them is ice skating in the centrally located Plaza de la Luna, behind Gran Vía, while you feel the winter cold mitigated by the heat of your skating efforts. The rink opens in early December and it’s open all day for just 5 euros an hour and 7.50 euros on weekends.

You also can’t miss the many different Christmas markets in Madrid, although the most famous and charming one is the one on Plaza Mayor. This year they open on November 26^th and shall remain in place until New Year’s Eve. There are more than 100 stalls selling traditional Christmas products, especially little figurines and moss for everyone’s Nativity scene at home, so you can make yours just like they used to in past times. On the square next door, Plaza de la Cruz, the stalls sell joke items that you can use during the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Another classic market is the one on Plaza de España, which you can visit from the 10^th of December. It focuses mainly on crafts, an ideal gift for Secret Santa. Pottery, jewellery, leather items, goldsmiths and a long list of other crafts are on sale in this market with a medieval twist, open until January 5^th

If you are a fan of recreating your own Nativity scene, we recommend that you visit one of the best ones in the city, the one in Palacio Real. It shows a Neapolitan-style Nativity which goes back to the times of King Carlos III, considered one of the most important ones of its kind of the whole Eighteenth Century. Since then it has increased in size with new figures and material.

These are just a few Christmassy proposals for you to enjoy during the holidays. Merry Christmas!

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