Barcelona apartments, Barcelona Hotels,

Christmas time is near, and while you consider spending your Christmas holiday abroad, think about going for a Christmas  holiday in Spain to visit the Fira de Santa Llucia Christmas Market 2010 in Barcelona starting from November  27^th to December 23^rd at the Cathedral in the Gothic Quarter!

The Fira de Santa Llucia Christmas Market in Barcelona is one of the oldest Christmas markets in Spain. The first official mention of this market was in 1786, but probably it is much older. It is a part of the rich culture and traditions of Barcelona and if you are on vacation in Barcelona on that time, you should visit it.

Considering the fact that the Fira de Santa Llucia Christmas Market 2010 is from 27^th November to 23^rd December, it should be easy to find good Barcelona holiday rentals during that time. You can either book online a Barcelona hotel for a weekend or a Barcelona apartment for a week if you fully want to enjoy the Christmas market in this wonderful city!

  During the Fira de Santa Llucia Christmas Market in Barcelona you can find up to 300 different stalls, where you can buy little figurines for your nativity scene called "figuritas de Belén". Belén is the Spanish name for a crib as well as Bethlehem. These beautiful handcrafted figures have their own charm and make also a perfect souvenir for your friends and family! You can also buy greenery and plants to decorate your home with and furthermore you find other crafts to admire and gaze at.

Usually you can also participate in different events, such as making your own figurine, watch a giant Tio figure or listen to Christmas carols and stories and enjoying performances. The Tió de Nadal, or Christmas log is also a wonderful tradition and custom in Barcelona! Be sure to buy one at the Fira de Santa Llucia to bring it back to your home. If you feed it every day and cover it at night to make him comfortable, who knows...maybe you get some delicious candies, nuts or the traditional turron on Christmas day! It is similar to the chocolate calendars found in some countries of Europe.

But did you know that in Spain, the children do not get any presents until January 6^th? On this day, they wait for the Three Kings to bring them presents. So no Santa Claus in Spain!

However, if you want to spend your Christmas holidays in Barcelona, do not miss this wonderful Christmas market 2010 in Barcelona!  After or before a enjoying and warming walk over the Fira de Santa Llucia, which is held in front of the Barcelona Cathedral, you can walk around the stunning Barcelona Gothic quarter to admire the architecture. During Christmas time, it will be a pleasure to walk through the streets and alleys and maybe warm your insides up by drinking a hot chocolate in the many cafes and bars.

Be sure and book your Barcelona holiday rental early enough to enjoy the Christmas market the most. I suggest a Barcelona apartment or a Barcelona hotel in the Gothic Quarter, so that you have a walking distance to the market. But you can also book other accommodation in Barcelona and take the metro. The stations near to the Barcelona Cathedral are Jaume I (yellow line L4), Liceu (green L3) and Plaza Catalunya (red L1, green L3 and purple L2).

By the way, in the past the unmarried girls and women of Barcelona dressed up and went to the Fira de Santa Llucia Christmas Market to find their future husbands! Maybe that could be a nice thought for you, too. But also married couples can spend a wonderful time in the best time of the year during the Fira de Santa Llucia Christmas Market 2010 in Barcelona!