The Christmas lights
The city lights up in late November and keeps the display running into early January, with a different commissioned design each year for the major avenues.
Passeig de Gràcia
The most spectacular stretch, with illuminations hung over the street and modernista facades lit behind them. Go after eight, when the shops close and the traffic thins out.
The old city
Tighter, lower installations that suit the narrow streets and pull an enormous evening crowd. Walking from the top of the Rambla to El Born takes twenty minutes and stays lit the whole way.
Outlying neighbourhoods
Districts that already compete with themselves on street decoration in summer put up their own displays. Fewer visitors, considerably more local atmosphere.