From the end of November through December and in some cases till early January, central Madrid hosts a half dozen colourful Christmas markets, where you can browse for all sorts of holiday decorations, toys, jewelry, ceramics, hats, and other items).

The biggest and best known is that of downtown's historic Plaza Mayor (pictured here, till 31 December) but others can be found on Paseo de Recoletos, Plaza Isabel II (near the Oriente Royal Palace and on which the Opera stands), Plaza de Jacinto Benavente (just south of Puerta del Sol), Plaza Juan Goytisolo (in front of the Reina Sofía Museum), Plaza de Callao (right in the heart of Gran Vía, Madrid's Broadway). Check out the dates for each here.  

Read more in our post 5 Fun Things to Do in Madrid Around Christmastime. 

David Paul Appell