Christmas in Vitoria Gasteiz.

Christmas in Vitoria Gasteiz, what to see and do at Christmas in the capital of Alava.

Christmas in Vitoria Gasteiz has become one of the most special moments of the year. The most traditional events of this time such as Mari Domingi and Olentzero, the Three Wise Men, the theater, concerts, sporting events, the nativity scene of La Florida, the ice rink, Ardoaraba, the playground or the Christmas market make the city full of life 24 hours a day. The cold so typical of Vitoria Gasteiz, also known as Siberia Gasteiz, contributes its grain of sand to the atmosphere of the city. So much so that it is common to see snow during this time of the year. As you can see Vitoria Gasteiz has become the perfect destination to visit at Christmas.

We encourage you to know the most important events and experiences of Christmas in Vitoria Gasteiz. One of the times of the year that creates more expectation and illusion in the minds of the youngest of the house. A perfect getaway for families.

What to see at Christmas in Vitoria Gasteiz.

Walking through the streets and squares of Vitoria Gasteiz at Christmas is one of our most emblematic traditions. There are many years that we have been enjoying the different events that are scheduled at this time of year. We leave you a brief list of some of the reasons to visit Vitoria Gasteiz at Christmas, we hope you like them.

Bethlehem of Vitoria Gasteiz: The monumental crib of Florida, the crib of Vitoria Gasteiz, is one of the most striking of all Euskadi. A space, which usually fills with life and joy the Florida Park from early December and January 6. It is, without a doubt, the most charismatic space in Vitoria Gasteiz at Christmas. This nativity scene is composed of more than 30 life-size figures created by Basque artists. This space that was first installed in 1962, has seen how the figures have multiplied over time. Remember that this crib is only open from 10:00 to 21:00.

Mari Domingi and Olentzero: Mari Domingi and Olentzero have their own space in the center of Vitoria Gasteiz. These two emblematic characters of the Basque Christmas come back to Vitoria Gasteiz for Christmas every year. Although until now they had occupied a small corner of the Secret Water Garden of the capital of Alava, lately they have decided to put the house of Olentzero and Mari Domingi in the gardens of the Zulueta Palace. About 300 meters from their usual location. We recommend you to pay them a little visit.

Christmas lights: Although Christmas lights shine throughout the city, the arches of light, decorations on lampposts and figures that we find in the center of the city take on special prominence. Highlights include the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca, the Quiosco de la Florida and streets such as Prado or Dato.

Trees: As you know, Vitoria Gasteiz has the titles of European Green Capital (Green Capital of Europe) and Global Green City (Global Green City), among many other things by the number of trees per square meter with which it has. In this sense, the city council wanted to illuminate more than 200 trees in the city. Most of them are located in Florida Park and the city center.

Ardoaraba: Every December long weekend, the capital of Alava dresses up in its best clothes to receive Ardoaraba, the festival of enogastronomy. The bars and restaurants of Vitoria Gasteiz join the different tents that are set up in the most emblematic points of the city to offer the possibility of tasting our land through pintxos created with zero kilometer products and paired with wines from Rioja Alavesa and txakoli from Araba. A perfect excuse to escape to the capital of Euskadi.

Guided tours: Guided tours of Vitoria Gasteiz become more important than ever at this time of the year. And is that visiting the city at Christmas adds some emotion to this type of experience. If you want to know the capital of Alava by the hand of a local guide we recommend you to read our article about guided tours in Vitoria Gasteiz. Here are some of the most popular guided tours.

Ice Rink: The City Council of the capital of Alava sets up year after year the ice rink in the center of the city. Undoubtedly one of the star activities of Christmas in Vitoria Gasteiz. Although its location varies, most of the time it is usually installed in the Parque de La Florida or in the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca. This temporary ice rink of more than 600 square meters is used by thousands of people every Christmas. And we must remember that Vitoria Gasteiz has a permanent ice rink in Baskonia Kirol Hiria (Bakh), so we must highlight the great love for ice skating in the city.

Christmas Markets: Vitoria Gasteiz has a Christmas market with more than 35 stalls that invade Independencia Street and the Plaza de los Celedones de Oro. In addition, on the Thursday before Christmas Eve, the Vital Fundazioa Foundation organizes a market of food products and local handicrafts.

Night of candles: The Friday before Christmas Eve, Vitoria Gasteiz is filled with candles. And is that the Medieval Almond, the historic center of the capital of Alava is illuminated with the light of more than 15,000 candles creating a magical atmosphere. This is how the merchants and restaurateurs of the Old Town welcome Christmas. This event is usually accompanied by a good program of shows.

Sport: Sport is still very present in Vitoria Gasteiz. Even at Christmas. Thanks to events such as the San Silvestre or the Half Marathon, the capital of Alava is full of athletes year after year.

These are some of the most demanded spaces and experiences in Vitoria Gasteiz at Christmas, but they are not the only ones. If you want to know in detail the capital of Alava, we recommend reading our article on what to see in Vitoria Gasteiz. We are sure you will find places that will catch your attention.

What to see near Vitoria Gasteiz.

As we have already mentioned, the climate of Vitoria Gasteiz and the province of Araba make it snow almost every year at Christmas. A fact that makes this Basque city win points when it comes to positioning itself as a holiday destination for this time of year. Here are some of the places we recommend you to visit during any getaway to Araba:

Video of Christmas in Vitoria Gasteiz.

As usual in all our articles, we have complemented the words and photographs with a short video about Christmas in Vitoria Gasteiz. We hope you like it. In case you want to follow our adventures all over the Basque Country, we recommend you to subscribe to our YouTube channel. We are sure that our videos will encourage you to discover magical places and experiences.

As you have been able to see, Christmas in Vitoria Gasteiz is special, magical. A time of the year in which the capital of Euskadi invites us to enjoy its countless tourist attractions. In case you have any questions, we recommend you to use the comments system that you will find below these lines to let us know. We will try to respond as soon as possible. Ondo pasa!