4 Christmas dreams realized in Madrid – Lightening Kingdom

Amazing Madrid in Christmas

Madrid is capital of Spain and huge, touristic city. In the period of Christmas – December and start of January it turns into Lightening Kingdom. Madrid has  the most spectacular ligtening decorations and Christmas Trees in whole Spain. Because of that reason it is the most popular destination in that time. In the center and main streets, especially in evenings and in the weekends there are crowds of people -local and foreigners. If you do not know which destination to choose for your trip in December – go to Madrid !

Many photos published in that article are made by: Jesus Ibañez Bondzio

1. Arboles de Navidad – Spanish Christmas Trees

There were a lot of interesting Christmas trees, which look as big colorfull constructions – illuminations. There all have similar, modern structure but another design, colours and size. Very interesting were :

• Puerta de Sol – main square of Madrid with City Hall and Kilometr Zero (point from which in the past was calculated all the streets). Huge (around 25 meters hight, 9 metres diametr). This year in blue colour. There were possibility to enter inside and admire blue sky).

• Gran Via – main, the longest street of Madrid. Close to metro station Gran Via was located big tree in blue – green colours.

• Plaza de Espana – very important square with sculputure of Don Kichote. Violete-white, delicate design.

• Callao station close to Gran Via- in front of Corte Ingles (main Spanish shopping centre, in which you can find everything). Yellow tree near to white, Christmas house and small lightening, white tree.

In year 2016 that tree was located in Puerta del Sol. Under you can see photo how it looks inside, when you look up.

• Plaza de Colon – square with Columb sculpture in district Barrio de Salamaca. Christmas tree with bright lights.
• Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz -in modern district of Madrid close to Nuevos Ministerios. Great, red Christmas tree.

2. Lightening streets

• Gran Via – main street in Madrid. It has long ligtening corridor with blue elements. It create amazing impression when you looked straight ahead. Gran Via always is really crowdy. In Christmas period was even more. In start of winter holidays season police had to control motion of people, because they created traffic jams :O (Before move to Spain I thought that traffic jams can be made just by cars in the streets). This year they decided dedicate part of the street for pedestrian – zona peatonal. Parts – two strips of the streets was closed for cars and fenced for walking people.

• streets close to Sol. As Puerta del Sol is main point of Madrid – all streets around had great designed, different lights. Examples:

  – Calle Preciados – in direction to Gran Via. Light corridor make by half oval forms.

• Calle del Arenal – street in direction to Plaza de Isabel II – square with Teatro Real huge building of theatre and opera. Decorations: hanhing, colourfull forms in many colours.

– Calle Mayor – steet in direction to Plaza Mayor – The Main Square –  hanging, white circles.

• barrio de Salamanca – rich district of Madrid.
  – Calle Serrano – lights in the shape of yellow flowers;
  – Calle Ortega y Gasset (typical, delicate lights)
  – Calle Velazquez – curly forms in many colours (the picture below)

• Passeo del Prado – street with main museum in Madrid – Prado Museum (where you can find paintings of Goya, Rembrandt, etc.). Typical, delicate lights in the trees.

3. Buildings in the lights

• Plaza Mayor – very important square in centre of Madrid, with huge, red, amazing buildings around. This year it has lightening illumination in that – candles and shadow designs like from the fairy tale.

• Plaza de Colon – square in Salamanca district with Statue of Colomb. It had Christmas tree with lights around, which created lightening tree. It was up of street markets with food and ice rink.

• Opera Station – in front of main theatre – Teatro Real. Delicate lights with star up to market houses and Staue of Isabel II.

• Puerta de Alcala – neo -classical monument; close to Palacio Cibeles in way to Retiro Park and barrio Salamanca. It was decorated inside by blue light creating amazing fabulous, iluminated doors.

• Atocha Station – main, huge train station in Madrid. In front of it there is fountain. This year close to it there were lisgtening trees, which were changing colours and were creating great light show.

• private buildings with the lights – hotels, block of flats, banks, casinos – all them was decorated.

4. Christmas Bus

There were special Christmas bus, which you could use to see all Christmas light in Madrid. It was Christmas campagn organized by City Hall. Bus had hight floor and you could look up for decorations. It was paradise for families with kids and tourist. The route was: Gran Via – Palacio Cibeles – Puerta de Alcala – Barrio de Salamanca.

About another Spanish clebrations you can read:

• Feliz Reyes Magos! – Three Kings are visiting Madrid
• 12 grapes – New Year´s Eve Spain Madrid
• 3 amazing things you have to see in Madrid in Christmas