Getting in the Christmas spirit … in Vigo, Spain

The last week of November found me at work in Galicia’s largest city – Vigo.

I’ve been several times in this Atlantic coastal city, although always in late summer/early fall, so it was interesting to see it in the colder months. And it was a surprise to see that Vigo now touts itself as the European city with the most Christmas lights.

The weather was not on my side during my week in Vigo, but all the festive holiday lights managed to put me in the holiday spirit.

The locals informed me that the mayor decided recently to celebrate the holiday season with a bang – calling on the city to create a light display “that could be seen all the way to New York”.

I’m not sure how much of that is urban legend, but apparently Vigo’s famous lights has created an uptick in holiday visitors who come to see the Galician city’s now-famous lights. And I’m told they stay up – by popular demand – well beyond the traditional twelve days of Christmas.

I wrote about (to my great surprise) getting in the Christmas spirit last year in Madrid. It was a nice twist to enjoy more holiday decorations a year later in another Spanish city.

During the time of year when it’s darkest, this is definitely a great idea to transform the urban landscape into one of joy. I enjoyed watching all the kids out – and liked how the decorations were created so that you could walk inside and examine the lights from that unique angle.

So if your travels take you through Galicia, don’t miss out on the Christmas lights in Vigo.