10 Things to do in Toledo at Christmas

Toledo is a beautiful city whichever way you look at it, at any time of the day or time of the year. However, it is true that, during Christmas, the City of the Three Cultures is more charming than ever.

If you are going to the province at Christmas and you don't know what are the best things to do in Toledo, read this proposal of Christmas plans that I leave you below.

As in all Spanish cities, Toledo is dressed up in nativity scenes during the Christmas season. You can find different nativity scenes in different parts of the city, which vary from year to year. Normally, Toledo City Council organises a nativity scene competition in which different institutions and companies take part and decorate their façades with beautiful nativity scenes.

One of the most typical is the one in the gardens of the Caja Rural headquarters, which is located on Avenida de la Reconquista. The curious thing about this Nativity Scene and what makes it so special is that it has live animals.

In general, Toledo City Council itself publishes a route of nativity scenes, which can start from the nativity scene in the Plaza de Zocodover, considered to be the main square of Toledo and the nerve centre of the people of Toledo. In other years, concerts and various activities have been organised in the same place during the Christmas season. Of course, the Town Hall itself also has a Nativity Scene, which is usually one of the most beautiful.

Likewise, the different museums and cultural centres also take part in this initiative. And of course, Catholic buildings also have their own nativity scenes. My recommendation is to take a private walking tour of the city.

Toledo is one of those cities that takes on a special magic during the Christmas season, largely thanks to the lighting of its streets. Normally, the City Council schedules the switch-on for 26 November, although it depends on the year. Without a doubt, this is the ideal occasion to stroll through the different streets of the old part of the city during the evening.

At this time of year, Toledo's major monuments are illuminated with beautiful and colourful LED lights. My recommendation is to take a tour of the Christmas lights. A good starting point is the Bisagra Gate, which is one of the most important entrances to the city.

From here, you can walk to the Plaza de Zocodover, where you'll find an illuminated arch. Continue your route along Calle Comercio, which is usually covered by awnings with LED lights. Afterwards, walk to the Town Hall square, where you'll find the Christmas market.

Of course, you can't miss **Toledo'**s Christmas market. This is held in the Town Hall square from the end of November to the beginning of January. During these dates, the square is full of craft stalls, where you can buy everything from costume jewellery to clothing and home decorations.

The Toledo Christmas market also has food stalls where you can sample typical local sweets and local products. Of course, there are also various entertainment activities for families, as well as children's workshops.

If you are looking for things to do with children in Toledo, this is one of the best, as it also has a carousel where the little ones will have a great time.

Beyond the Christmas market, in the Town Hall Square you will also find the famous 'Heart of Christmas', a classic merry-go-round that always decorates the square at this time of the year.

If there's one typical wintertime Christmas activity, it's ice skating. Every winter, Toledo City Council creates an ice rink for locals and tourists. This is usually located in the fairgrounds of La Peraleda, although there have been years in which it has been installed in the Town Hall square, depending on the year.

You can rent skates at the rink if you don't have your own. The establishment also has a skating club that ensures the safety of visitors.

In addition to the ice rink at the Town Hall, another of the most typical ice rinks in Toledo is the one in La Vega Park. La Vega Park is one of the two great green lungs of the city, together with the Park of the Three Cultures.

This park is located between the famous Puerta de Bisagra and the Hospital de Tavera and is an oasis of tranquillity. The ice rink is usually open from 11am to 2.30pm and from 4pm to 8pm.

The Plaza de Zocodover is the meeting place for the people of Toledo. If you go sightseeing in Toledo, you will come across this square on more than one occasion without even wanting to, as it is the place where many important streets in the city meet.

Concerts, street markets, craft fairs and other events in the City of Three Cultures are held in this square. It is precisely in the Plaza de Zocodover square where the New Year is celebrated.

In general, a verbena is organised on 31 December to welcome in the New Year. Normally, this verbena features orchestras of typical Toledo musical groups, as well as fireworks that are launched from the Alcázar.

If there is one thing that makes Christmas really taste like Christmas, it is Christmas sweets. In addition to the classic mantecados and the exquisite turrón, one of the most typical Christmas sweets in Spain is marzipan.

Although it is now enjoyed in practically all the autonomous communities of Spain, the truth is that marzipan originated in Toledo. Legend has it that it was the nuns of the convent of San Clemente who, during a famine suffered by the population, devised a dish with the only ingredients they had in their possession: sugar and almonds.

So, if you go to Toledo at Christmas, you must try the province's marzipan. There are many places where you can find this sweet, although, as with everything, some are better than others. Firstly, all the city's convents sell marzipan at this time of year, such as San Clemente, Comendadoras de Santiago and San Antonio de Padua.

In addition to the convents, there are also typical pastry shops and bakeries in the city famous for their marzipan. These include the Santo Tomé bakery, the Mazapán San Telesforo pastry shop and Mazapanes Conde.

One of the most fun plans for children and families is the Three Kings Parade. This tradition is celebrated in all the cities of Spain and has its origins in the 19th century in the Fargue neighbourhood of Granada. Toledo, of course, also has its own Three Wise Men parade.

As in the rest of the cities, it is held on the 5th of January and starts in the afternoon. Every year, the Three Wise Men leave from the Buenavista Civic Centre, which is just a few minutes' walk from the parish church of Santa Teresa.

From here, the floats set off along Avenida de Portugal, moving along Avenida de Barber. The route continues along Avenida de la Reconquista, passing through the Puerta de Bisagra and ending in Plaza de Zocodover.

If you go with children to Toledo at Christmas, you can't miss the parade. Remember to take appropriate shoes for the occasion and a bag to keep the sweets in.

Migas is a typical dish made with stale bread, garlic and different meats and vegetables, such as bacon and peppers. They are typical of Extremadura, Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha and Aragon. In fact, it is said that it was in Aragon that this recipe was born. Depending on the place, the dish varies slightly in the accompaniment with which it is served.

In the case of Toledo, migas navideñas are very typical. These are eaten in the morning and afternoon of 24 and 31 December. During these days, many of the bars in the historic centre and neighbourhoods of Toledo prepare their own recipe for migas, which the locals can enjoy in the street with their friends.

In this way, the streets of Toledo fill with people who come together to kick off Christmas with this delicious dish. Although this is done in most areas of the city, one of the most typical is the Santa Teresa neighbourhood.

During the month of December, Toledo organises the Feria del Dulce (Sweets Fair). This tasty and fun event has been held in the city since 2017.

It takes place in the Centro Cultural de San Marcos, a 13th century building that, after being destroyed during the Spanish Civil War, was vacated. In order to give it a new use, today it is used as a space for exhibitions and events.

One of these is the Sweets Fair, where you can sample the most typical sweets of the city and the Castile-La Mancha region. During the fair, the San Marcos Cultural Centre is filled with stalls in which 7 convents and 10 bakeries from Toledo participate, offering for sale Christmas sweets made by themselves.

The San Silvestre race is an athletic race that is held in most cities around the world on 31 December. The name of this sporting event is due to Pope Sylvester of the Catholic Church, who died on 31 December 335.

This race originated in Sao Paulo in 1925 and was the idea of the journalist and director of the newspaper La Gaceta, Cásper Líbero. That first race was 6.2 kilometres long, although today the distance is 15 kilometres. This race is held in the early hours of 1 January and starts just before midnight.

Toledo also celebrates San Silvestre. Every year, around 5,000 of the city's residents set off from Calle Cardenal Talavera, opposite the Bisagra Gate, to take part in this sporting event. The finish line is in the same place, where family, friends and spectators wait to applaud the participants.