A Bright Christmas in Ourense

Ourense is adorned with light and colour to receive Christmas, without a doubt one of our favorite holidays. Discover all the surprises that await you here, enjoy a different Christmas to the heat of the hot springs.

Two events mark the beginning of Christmas in the city of As Burgas: the ceremony of turning on the lights, which will take place on December 5th from 7:00 pm at the Main Square, and the opening of Baltar’s nativity scene on December 13th, which, as every year, extends its visiting hours: a gem of Galician art and an authentic symbol of Ourense’s Christmas that you can not miss.

Lights and colours flood the city these days, inviting you to stroll calmly to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere, where there will be plenty of street theatre, live music, the aroma of the churro and chestnut stalls. The most sought-after selfies will undoubtedly be those of the large tree in the Main Square, the Christmas village installed at the Padre Feijóo Gardens, next to the Tourist Office, and the Japanese Garden in St. Lazarus’ Park. Here, for the first time, will be installed a tent with augmented reality devices where you’ll be able to interact with the stars of these holidays, Santa Claus and the Three Wise Men.

The +400 activities of this Christmas programme include classics such as videomapping on the façade of the City Hall (on December 21st and 28th and January 4th), the 15th edition of  the Children’s Theatre Festival, the traditional Contest of Christmas Carols at St. Euphemia’s Church and the visit of Serguey Radchenko’s Russian National Ballet, that will perform the works Sawn Lake and the Cinderella at the Auditorium on December 12th and 13th.

Sports and thermalism also have their space this Christmas, with proposals such as the thermal yoga sessions at As Burgas (every Saturday in December), the Artistic Swimming Festival or St. Sylvester Day’s Race. The thermal spaces will maintain their usual opening hours, although note that on December 24th, 25th and 31st and January 1st and 6th As Burgas pool will remain closed.

LOCAL SHOPPING, PASSPORT TO DREAMS

Ourense’s local stores are also the protagonists this Christmas, in a city of shop windows and pleasant shopping streets that is a real delight for lovers of shopping. To reward the trust in local stores, Ourense repeats the “Passport to Dreams” campaign, where your purchases will enter a raffle for gifts including trips, invitations to spas and lunches and dinners in local restaurants.

The traditional Parade of the Three Wise Men on January 5th will end with a firework show over river Miño as a final touch to these holidays.