Hotels near Passeig de Gràcia

Barcelona switches on its Christmas lights in late November, decorating around 100 streets until early January. Passeig de Gràcia is the showpiece: a 1.3 km boulevard lined with modernista buildings, including Gaudí's Casa Batlló at number 43 and Casa Milà, known as La Pedrera, at number 92. The ornate lamp-benches along the pavement were designed by Pere Falqués in 1906.

At the southern end, Plaça de Catalunya usually hosts a large Christmas tree and seasonal installations. Casa Batlló often dresses its facade for the holidays, and both Gaudí houses run evening visits if you want to see their interiors. From the top of the boulevard, cross into the Gràcia district, where smaller streets have their own neighbourhood decorations.

Pro Tip: Walk uphill from Plaça de Catalunya between 18:00 and 20:00, when the lights are on and the shops are still open. Saturdays before Christmas are the most crowded, so choose a weeknight if you can.