Sites of interest at Christmas

The best way to show you places of interest at christmas is to focus on places where these dates are felt in a special way. They are cities or regions in which Christmas has been leaving ancestral customs or has given rise to great decorations inspired by those dates.

But they are also towns whose very raison d'être makes them perfect to be visited at Christmas. For example, large amusement parks. On the other hand, any of the great cities of the world, from New York but also Madrid, acquire a special meaning on these dates. But our goal is to advise you places of interest at Christmas that are apart from those big cities.

Rovaniemi

A priori, it may surprise you that we recommend you as a site of interest at Christmas this small town in finnish lapland. However, you will understand when we tell you that, on the outskirts, it has the santa claus house. It is Santa Claus Village, a theme park dedicated to this endearing Christmas figure.

If you have small children, it is a perfect destination to visit on these dates. There you can see the post office and the office of Papai Noel, take photos with the cute character and even order gifts and buy a souvenir. You should not miss, also, the panoramic igloos. But, above all, you can immerse yourself in the Christmas atmosphere between moose and dog sleds.

On the other hand, in Rovaniemi you have interesting museums such as the Artikum, dedicated to nature and life in the arctic region; the Lapland Forestry Museum and Local History Museum, where you can learn about the customs of the sami people, native of the area. Finally, do not miss the buildings built by the prestigious Finnish architect Alvar Aalto after the Second World War nor the other great symbol of Rovaniemi: the so-called Woodcutter's Sail Bridge.

Vienna and its New Year's Concert

We now move to one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and one that feels Christmas the most. We are talking about the Austrian capital, where every year the New Years Concert, an event that receives visitors from all over the world. Its setting is the spectacular Golden Room of the music Society and is in charge of Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra which, each January, is directed by a different director, although always prestigious.

By itself, this event makes the Austrian capital a Christmas hotspot. But Vienna has much more to offer you. We would have to dedicate several articles to tell you about its monuments. However, we recommend that you visit the Belvedere and Schönbrunn palaces, the first baroque and the second classicist, as well as the St. Stephen's Cathedral, which, due to its different extensions, covers styles as different as Romanesque, Gothic or Baroque.

But you should also visit many other monuments in Vienna. Among them, as an example, we will mention the impressive neo-Gothic building of the Town Hall, known as the Town hall; the no less spectacular baroque schwarzenberg palace; the precious Burgtheater o Imperial Theater of the Court; the impressive Votive Church of the Divine Savior, a neo-Gothic jewel, or the building of the State Opera, of neoclassical cut. All this without forgetting the traditional typical Viennese taverns or this year, where you can have a warm wine and some sausage.

Colmar, a site of interest at Christmas in Alsace

Alsace is wonderful. All the towns in this French region that adjoins Germany y Switzerland count on medieval historic quarters of great beauty perfect for staging Christmas. In addition, these dates are lived in a special way. Its streets are decked out with Christmas decorations and typical markets that offer traditional products of this time.

Among the different populations, we could recommend large cities such as Strasbourg o Mulhouse. However, we have preferred to choose a smaller one as Colmar for the importance of your Christmas. And also because of the beauty of neighborhoods like the one in Little venice, made up of houses in the German Gothic or early Renaissance style, and by navigable canals.

In its old town you can visit the Collegiate Church of San Martín, built in the XNUMXth century, or the Dominican convent, current headquarters of Unterlinden Museum, which is the most visited of Alsacia and keep works of great value. Stands out in his collection the famous isemheim altarpiece, masterpiece of the German painter Matthias Grünewald and the sculptor Nicholas of Haguenau.

Disney Land Paris

The Christmas holidays are a very special time for children, who live it with more enthusiasm than adults. For this reason, we must propose you among the places of interest at Christmas the precious set of Disneyland Paris, which is in Marne-la-Vallée, about thirty kilometers from the French capital.

And we call it a complex because it is made up of two theme parks (Disneyland Park y Walt Disney Studios Park), the shopping and leisure complex of Disney Village, a golf course and seven official hotels along with many other associates. In other words, a whole complex designed for the little ones to have fun.

If fantastic is this gigantic place of leisure on any date, it has even more fun at Christmas. All of it is adorned with allegorical motifs and Christmas trees, special parades are carried out with the main Disney characters and they even premiere Shows focused on these dates as the titled Disney Dreams of Christmas.

Vigo, the most spectacular lighting

We now come to Spain to recommend the Galician city of Vigo. This has crept in recent years among the sites of interest at Christmas due to the impressive installation of lights that is done in its streets. This year, four hundred roads in the town have already been lit, with a total of eleven million led lights.

And, to accompany this visual spectacle, there will also be a Christmas market located in Alameda street and attractions for children in Areal street. All without forgetting the big christmas tree that you can see in Porta do Sol.

On the other hand, since you are in Vigo, you must visit its main monuments. You can start with the Castro Fortress and castle of san sebastian, two fortifications from the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries that are located on the hill of Castro and in the Plaza del Rey. Then continue on the co-cathedral of Santa María, a XNUMXth century temple built following the canons of neoclassicism. Inside, the beautiful Churrigueresque altarpiece and the mosaics of the main altar stand out.

Likewise, the streets of Vigo offer you samples of civil architecture from different eras. Between the manor housesWe can mention the houses of El Patín and Ceta y Arines, both from the XNUMXth century; the tower house of Pazos Figueroa, from the XNUMXth century; the palaces of Castrelos and San Roque, from the XNUMXth century; the house of Pereira de Castro, from the XNUMXth century, or the palaces of Montecelo and de los Escudos, both from the XNUMXth century.

And, together with them, several samples of modernist, rationalist and eclectic architecture such as the Yáñez and Pedro Román houses, the Pardo Labarta, Bonín and Correos buildings or the García Barbón theater. But, simply, we advise you to take a walk through the Old Town of the Galician city, declared Historic Artistic Set y A Cultural.

Cartagena de Indias, a Caribbean Christmas

We end our tour of the sites of interest at Christmas proposing something different. Specifically, enjoy them in the Colombian door to the Caribbean with very pleasant temperatures. All this gives you Cartagena de Indias, one of the cities with the most history and beauty in all of Latin America. In addition, the Colombian city sets up street markets and bar terraces, organizes parades such as the Three Kings and even runs a solidarity campaign to collect toys for the most needy children.

But, if you choose this city as a destination at Christmas, you have to take the opportunity to get to know it well. Its historic center, known as the Walled cityit's Heritage. Perhaps the most outstanding element is its military architecture. Cartagena de Indias was a coveted target for other nations and also for pirates. To defend it from these attacks, forts such as the castle of San Felipe de Barajas, built in the XNUMXth century. but also their walls they have different Bastions like those of San Francisco Javier, Santa Catalina or San Ignacio.

But, returning to the old town, you will enter it through the Clock Tower or Mouth of the Bridge. And, inside, you have the car square, surrounded by magnificent colonial houses. Nearby is the church of san pedro claver, built in the XNUMXth century by the Jesuits in the Baroque style, and also other monuments such as the City Hall building, the Customs and Inquisition houses or the Gold Museum. On the very edge of the old part, is the popular Gethsemane neighborhood, with its houses painted in colors and its animation.

In conclusion, we have shown you some of the places of interest at christmas. But, as you will understand, we could talk to you about many others. For example, Munich, which stands out for its Christmas markets; New York, with its famous Rockefeller Center tree; Prague, with its snowy roofs and its lights in the Old City, or Queenstown in New Zealand if you want to spend these dates practicing extreme sports. Go ahead and take advantage of any of these proposals and enjoy Christmas.