Spain at Easter ?
 

We have an invitation to spend March 26th to April 1st in Seville .
I know it is Semana Santa ... How bad ( crowded) is it?
Has anyone spent the Easter weekend in Barcelona?
We love Barcelona, but I am not sure how "dead" it is on that weekend.

Danon,

I would say “Go for it!” Obviously, you have accommodations. About ten years ago I took a tour of Spain during April vacation. I knew it was Holy Week that year but had no idea how impressive the experience would be. Semama Santa is just HUGE in Spain. Processions are held all day through the streets in Seville. The costumes, statues being carried through the streets, the flowers, incense, tapestries are remarkable. Lines of penitants are dressed in conical caps. There is so much to see. Families gather, dressed in their best – respectful yet in a holiday mood. When you turn on local TV there is extensive coverage of the Holy Week events across the country, but Seville is the heart of the observances. Enjoy!

Snow blocked most roads around Madrid when we were there a few years back about that time of year. The Guadarrama Mountains were snow covered. We almost froze going to El Escorial and The Valley of the Fallen. Seville, of course, is much farther south.

thanks for the info.
The weather is something I am also worried about. Easter is rather early next year.

spent Easter break in Barcelona in 2008 (Easter was in March that year.) The weather was "crisp" but certainly not too cold! Great time to visit...very festive!
Safe travels

thanks again...decisions...decsions

If you have a place to stay I would go Sevilla for Semana Santa. I also assume your hosts are sevillanos and know their way around Semana Santa. It will crowded but that is part of the festivities.

Easter Sunday 2010 is 4 de abril! April 1 is Holy Thursday. If you have to leave on the first you'll miss the biggest and most famous Religious Processions in Sevilla.

It is very crowded (w/Peak season prices) in Sevilla that whole week.

One Good Friday, we day-tripped from Madrid on AVE; caught an Exterior loop Bus on c/Kansas City and got off at el Portál de la Macarena. It was a mob scene, and the temperature was 95F! After the Procession had ended, we had lunch: prices were outrageous! We caught the 20:00 AVE back to Madrid and arrived at Puerta de Atocha at 22:30.

It certainly won't be "dead". We were in Barcelona at Easter a few years ago (having previously visited at other times of the year). The city was certainly busy, especially along La Ramblas which was a bit of a mob scene, especially when the easter religious procession came along the street. THe gothic cathedral was also very crowded as you'd expect. Other parts of the city were fine though, and the weather was pleasantly warm.

thanks again. our hosts will be out of town... I guess they have seen enough processions!

ttt

thanks again. our hosts will be out of town... I guess they have seen enough processions

Maybe their cats know the best retaurants and vantage points for the procession.

good suggestion Adu! meow.....meow

I don't wish to bother our hosts with too many questions .. they were kind enough to offer a beautiful apt. in the center of town.
Also, the comments of Fodor's crowed are always interesting.

I would go and enjoy.

Sometimes I think we overplan our trips and miss the the joy that is the unexpected. Sevilla is such a beautiful town as it is.

thanks Adu,
..We usually do a minimum of planning,
my husband has a real problem with crowded places...ergo the concern.
The last time I visited Seville was more than 20 years ago - in August of all times!
BTW, booked a table at Tia Pol ( your suggestion for tapas) for Wednesday. Leaving for a week in NY tomorrow. The weather looks good!

No one has noticed that this trip is not during Easter 2010? Easter week is later.

On 2010 Easter will be on April 4th. Why is Easter not on the same date every year?
The answer is complicated and based partly on the difficulties of calculating dates according to the Jewish calendar, and partly on the desire to forge a new and separate Christian identity.
Simplified rule: Easter to be the first Sunday after the Full Moon following the Spring Equinox, March 21, unless that Full Moon fell on a Sunday (in which case Easter would be the following Sunday).

Damon

Enjoy Tia Pol, please let me if you enjoy it as well.

Enjoy our city. If you have any questions wtite to me at my screen name at AOL.