Hello. I am planning a two-week visit to Spain, and it's the week before and the week after Easter. I understand Holy Week is a very special time in Spain, and I'm looking forward to experiencing it. But I have a few practical questions. Are shops, restaurants, etc. closed during the week? What about on Easter? We're not a religious family, and I wouldn't want to offend anyone by trying to do touristy stuff during this time - just wondering what to expect.
Thanks for your help!

differs in various parts of the country.....
We were in Seville for several days just before Easter ;it was unbelievably crowded, many streets were closed part of the day and night for processions , the shops and restaurants were open for business.,hotels were very expensive ...

no, shops and restaurants and bars are not closed an entire week just because it is the week before Easter. THey wouldn't miss that kind of opportunity to sell things, bars and restaurants like to sell food to those visiting and viewing the processions.

Things are likely to be closed Good Friday and Easter Sunday, although museums may even be open on those days (and HOly Thursday, which is an official national holiday), sometimes with reduced hours.

If things were closed, you wouldn't be able to do the things you want to do, so you can't offend anyone. I would just be respectful of certain traditions, some processions are meant to be watched in silence, for example, and people may dress up more (on the streets) when in public than usual. Of course many museums are closed Monday, anyway.

Spain holy week was amazing! And I'm an atheist. It is just a really fun time. We found everything open. Definitely watch some processions. The music and floats are really cool. Just be sure if you are traveling about, that you will be trapped in a town until the processions are over. They shut down all the roads!

Shops and restaurants will be open and crowded during these weeks especially in the southern part of Spain. Hotel prices will be doubled and they book quickly so make reservations ASAP. That said, if you like crowds and don't mind paying extra, it's an interesting time and very worth seeing-as is the opening of churches to let people see the icons before they are placed on the floats.

Holy Week is a fabulous experience in Spain. I spent Holy Week in Málaga in 2012 and will return again this year. The hotel (Don Curro) was about $100 per night, including breakfast, for a single. It's a few dollars more this year. Nice hotel very close to the route of the processions.

I rented a chair for $100 for the week, and I intend to do that again, as the spectators are 5 to 10 deep along the route. You can also take "pot luck" and just sit in any seat until the "owner" shows up. My hotel arranged this with the "owner" of the seat, who came to show me where the seat was located and to advise me to bring a sandwich along so I wouldn't have to fight my way through the crowd. Having my own seat really added to the enjoyment.

In Sevilla, hotels raise their prices during Holy Week, sometimes doubling them. That doesn't seem to be the case in Málaga.

http://www.semana-santa-malaga.com/e...ek-malaga.html

Good advice, all - thank you! I'll be mainly in Seville and Granada for the week. Already booked the hotel, so all set!

Holy Week 2015 in Sevilla is one of the top travel highlights of my life. I'm Catholic so yes, the spiritual appeal to me was very high, but even someone who isn't religious will greatly enjoy the pageantry and sensory aspects of the processions. You will absolutely have a wonderful time.

Holy Week in Sevilla is unlike anything anywhere, the most important celebration of the year, fiesta and devotion hand in hand, everyone plus thousands of vistors out on the streets, in bars and restaurants almost 24/7 for the whole week.

This clip gives you an idea of the atmosphere, wonderful Diana Navarro singing a flamenco inspired saeta in central Málaga, just around the corner from Don Curro which Pegontheroad mentioned above: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0HHdxt5_kY