Belén navideño de San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Community of Madrid, Spain
4.0 (72 reviews) Spent 1-2 hours Ranking #9 in San Lorenzo de El Escorial Historic Sites • Historic Walking Areas • Architectural Buildings
Life sized nativity scenes.
Truly impressed by the biblical villages and scenes we came across all over town before Christmas. Tremendous effort by the locals who organize this and they are to be applauded. Where else would you run into a loaded camel train complete with drivers, shepherds with their flocks, Roman legionnaires, families planting veggies or harvesting olives? A delight for children of every age!
Address
Plaza de la Constitución, 28200 San Lorenzo de El Escorial Spain
Mobile
Website
http://www.aytosanlorenzo.es/
Current local date and time now
Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 12:22
User Ratings
4.0 based on (72 reviews)
Excellent
46%
Good
33%
Satisfactory
14%
Poor
1%
Terrible
6%
Reviews
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4Rocket_man_in_ESA 5:00 PM Oct 25, 2017
An extraordinary display
Nativity scenes are a traditional part of the Spanish Christmas. El Escorial takes this tradition to new heights with a Nativity scene that occupies most of the centre of town. The square turns into the village of Bethlehem with Roman soldiers, chestnut sellers, a bakery and all the kinds of activities that you would expect in a busy village. In the streets around you find processions of Wise Men on camels, animals of all kinds, stables, and an endless et cetera. There is a wonderful atmosphere in the streets, with crowds who come from many kilometres away to wander around, enjoying being part of this quite unique Christmas spectacle. There is always something new and unexpected to find in a corner. Children absolutely love being photographed alongside the camels or, more unexpectedly, the elephant and you can stand on the walls of the city alongside a legionary, looking at the view down to the monastery. If you want real chestnuts, there usually is a flesh-and-blood chestnut seller on the corner who will sell you a bag to munch as you wander around. It is definitely worth investing some time to enjoy the show.
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3831ada 5:00 PM Mar 3, 2018
A curiosity, tacky, unique and fun with family or friends
This is a tradition unique to Escorial lasting a few weeks every Christmas. The townsfolk dedicate lots of time and effort into making life size figures of various nativity scenes and setting them around the streets and squares of central Escorial. There are huts, arches and columns, fountains with actual water, market stalls, workshops, palm trees, figures going about their daily life all clad in robes and sandals. Life size animals too, including elephants giraffes and camels, and of course the nativity scene itself with the birth of Christ, as well as the unmissable contingent of Roman troopers. It is all made by hand, a hobby using cheap materials and simple fabrics and paint, it looks like a large school arts & crafts project gone wild. It is both fascinating and kitch. The thing to do is to buy roasted chestnuts in one of the street stalls and enjoy them while walking around, or have tapas in the main square in the aptly named "El Sol sale para Todos" restaurant - "The Sun rises for Everyone". Even in winter months it is usually sunny on that square at lunchtime. Good simple hearty food too.
