# Festa de la Llum from Manresa: snow getaways for 21 February Three ski getaways with two nights and four day trips for Manresa's own holiday, 21 February: the day the rest of Catalonia works and the Pyrenean snow is at its best. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/manresa/getaways/festa-de-la-llum · Revisado: 2026-11-13 Origen: Manresa - [A ski weekend in the Cerdanya, an hour and three quarters from Barcelona](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/cerdanya/itineraries/cerdanya-ski-weekend-from-barcelona.md) (2 nights, Cerdanya): February is the surest month for snow at Masella and La Molina, and if the Llum falls on a Friday or Monday you have three days with one on pistes that are weekdays for everyone else. Masella floodlights ten kilometres for night skiing: it is the extra evening of the long weekend. - [Ski weekend at Grandvalira, two and a half hours from Lleida](https://www.geocalia.com/en/andorra/grandvalira/itineraries/grandvalira-ski-weekend-from-lleida.md) (2 nights, Grandvalira): With 215 km between Encamp and the Pas de la Casa, Grandvalira is the one that best fills two days in a row in the middle of February. The lift pass has dynamic pricing, which changes with the day: compare dates on its website, as a weekday usually works out better. - [A ski, Romanesque and spa weekend in the Vall de Boí, two and a half hours from Lleida](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/boi-valley/itineraries/ski-romanesque-spa-weekend-vall-de-boi.md) (2 nights, Vall de Boí): Boí Taüll is the highest resort in the Pyrenees, with its base at 2,040 metres, and in February it keeps its snow better than any other. It is three and a half hours from Manresa: only worth it with two nights, and the spa for windy afternoons. - [La Molina: a day on the slopes and a grill at Pista Llarga](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/cerdanya/itineraries/skiing-la-molina-and-pista-llarga.md) (Day itinerary, Cerdanya): If 21 February falls on its own midweek, La Molina is an hour and a half away via the Cadí tunnel and without the Sunday crowds. The green runs of the Pista Llarga suit beginners, and El Tirol serves food at the foot of the piste. - [Port Ainé: north-facing slopes and a buffet at the base](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/pallars-sobira/itineraries/skiing-at-port-aine-from-lleida.md) (Day itinerary, Pallars Sobirà): In February Port Ainé is in high season with its north-facing pistes in the best condition of the winter. Buy the lift pass online, since at the ticket office it costs five euros more, and carry chains: the climb from Rialp is long. - [Caldes de Montbui: Roman baths and a thermal soak](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/caldes-de-montbui/itineraries/roman-baths-and-el-safareig-soak.md) (Day itinerary, Caldes de Montbui): For those who do not want snow, February is the full season for Caldes's hot water, which wells up at 74 °C. El Safareig may close for a few days in winter for maintenance: confirm it is open and book your bath time. - [Ripoll: two monasteries and a greenway](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/ripoll/itineraries/ripoll-monasteries-and-greenway-from-manresa.md) (Day itinerary, Ripoll): In February the Ter valley is cold and empty, without the summer queues at Santa Maria de Ripoll or Sant Joan de les Abadesses. It is the quiet holiday, an hour away, for those who leave skiing for another year. ## The holiday that only Manresa has 21 February is a local holiday in Manresa every year: it is the day of the Llum (Light). The city remembers that in 1345 a mysterious light came from Montserrat to the church of the Carme and ended the lawsuit that had stopped work on the Sèquia, the canal that still irrigates the Bages. The festival is recognised as intangible heritage of Catalonia and is not just one day: the programme begins weeks beforehand, with the opening speech, the search for light and water, the Misteri de la Llum, Mass at the Carme and the Transèquia, the popular 26-kilometre walk around the Sèquia. The Fira de l'Aixada, the medieval market, fills the old town on a weekend that changes each year: check the programme before you leave. For the rest of Catalonia, however, 21 February is a working day. That is the advantage of this long weekend: the snow is in its best month and the pistes, if the day does not fall on a weekend, have a weekday crowd. ## Long weekend or single day? If the Llum falls on a Friday or a Monday, you have three days and it is worth sleeping away. The Cerdanya, an hour and a half away, is the nearest; Grandvalira, two and a half hours via Solsona and La Seu d'Urgell, the biggest; and the Vall de Boí, three and a half hours away, with the highest snow, only with two nights. If it falls midweek, do a day: La Molina via the Cadí or Port Ainé if you do not mind an early start. And if you stay for the festival, combine them: a day of snow and the Fira de l'Aixada or the Misteri at home. ## What the snow is like in February Almost every winter, February is the month of the best-settled snow in the Catalan Pyrenees, with cold days and powder after the storms. It is also the month of blizzards: windy days close the high lifts at La Tosa, Boí and Grandvalira. Check the report the night before and the webcam in the morning, and have an indoor plan in mind. ## The icy road The C-16 as far as the Cadí is well maintained, but beyond the tunnel the N-260 and the La Molina road may require chains. Port Ainé and Boí are reached by long mountain roads: carry chains in the boot even if the forecast is good. For Andorra, bring your ID card or passport, and expect a queue at the La Farga de Moles border on the way back from a holiday. ## What to book beforehand Beds in Puigcerdà, Soldeu and Taüll on a February weekend go quickly: if the Llum makes a long weekend, book as soon as you know. The lift pass, always online: it is cheaper than at the ticket office and saves you the queue. Ski classes for children, especially on Saturdays. And in Caldes, the thermal bath time slot. ## First ski days for the little ones Masella has a snow garden from age three and courses from age four; La Molina, the Pista Llarga, long and green to start on. In Grandvalira, the Magic Gliss toboggan run in Canillo is for those who do not ski. The El Safareig bath, in Caldes, is only for over-thirteens. ## If snow is not for you The Ter valley in February is silence: the two monasteries of the Ripollès, with a coat, and the flat greenway. Or Caldes de Montbui, fifty minutes away, with its Roman baths and water at 74 °C. What makes no sense is the high Pyrenees without skis on a blizzard day. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### Is 21 February a holiday in Manresa? Yes, it is the local festival of the Llum every year. In the rest of Catalonia it is a working day, unless it coincides with a weekend. ### When is the Fira de l'Aixada? On a weekend around the Llum that changes each year. The programme is published on the Festa de la Llum website. ### Which resort is closest to Manresa? La Molina and Masella, in the Cerdanya, an hour and a half away by the C-16 and the Cadí tunnel. ### Do I need to carry chains? It is wise to carry them always in February, especially for the La Molina road, the climb to Port Ainé and the one to Boí Taüll.