Snowy villages: 11 landscapes that dazzle when the snow falls

Millions of people get excited when they see the first snowflakes fall. These same people are those who do not understand staying at home when, during the cold months, part of the Spanish geography turns white when snow falls. These lines are designed for all of them. For those who chase the villages where a snowy getaway is better than a spring getaway. They are also counted by many.

Piornedo, Lugo

Piornedo

Piornedo is, in itself, a fascinating village. | Shutterstock

The mountains of Lugo may not be as popular as the Mariña, but they are just as attractive. In winter it is even more so, as Piornedo, located at an altitude of 1,100 meters in the middle of the Ancares mountain range, proves. This village stands out for its ancestral architecture: the pallozas, stone structures with a cone-shaped roof made of rye straw. Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, it has a museum where you can discover the ancient history and way of life. All around, hiking trails everywhere and incredible views.

Piornedo snow

Snow covers Piornedo, in the middle of the mountains of Lugo. | Shutterstock

Views that improve when the snow covers these pallozas and their surroundings. This climatological phenomenon is common in the mountains of Lugo. Something that, of course, has traditionally caused great difficulties to its inhabitants. Life is now easier, but Piornedo has not moved away from its historical isolation.

Benasque, Huesca

Benasque

Benasque is one of the best known villages in the Pyrenees. | Shutterstock

The Benasque valley is the heart of the Aragonese Pyrenees. It is peace and movement, immensity and closeness. A visit to this corner of the Spanish geography leads to a state of surprise and tranquility in perfect balance. The village of Benasque is the ideal place to stay to discover this environment, with a perfectly preserved medieval historic center and traditional architecture that pleases the visitor.

benasque snow

And it is also one of those snowy villages to discover. | Shutterstock

When the snow reaches its rooftops and turns everything into a white field, the sensations increase. One tends to think of northern European countries when looking for pictures like the one that subscribes these lines. Well: in Benasque you can find this very thing.

Salardú, Lleida

Salardú

The roofs of Salardú, characteristic sign of the place. | Shutterstock

The capital of the municipality of Alto Aran, located in the popular valley of the Catalan Pyrenees, is a kind of gateway to it. In medieval times it was a fortified village that still preserves remains of its ancient castle and some buildings from the 12th century. Around this town are peaks of significant height that impress any visitor. That is what the Pyrenees have.

Salardú snow

The snow accompanies during the journey to Salardú. | Shutterstock

When the snow falls, the direct contact with nature that Salardú offers intensifies and changes somewhat. Temperatures drop, of course, but the landscapes become beautiful. Surrounded by the Garonne and Unhola rivers, Salardú shines when the snow invades it.

Espot, Lleida

espot

Espot is a beautiful medieval village. | Shutterstock

There is evidence of Espot’s existence since the mid-9th century, making it one of the most interesting medieval villages in Catalonia. It is located in the valley of the river Escrita, on which rests a Romanesque bridge that is worth discovering. Espot stands out for the outdoor activities that can be performed in their environment, also characterized by a dozen lakes of glacial origin.

espot snow

And it looks like this when the snow invades it. | Shutterstock

When winter arrives in Espot, its ski resort bustles and the high mountain climate makes itself felt. Snow covers everything and those aforementioned features of the place seem to take on even more value. It’s cold, but it’s perhaps the best time to get to know the town.

Sotres, Asturias

Sotres

Sotres already impresses without the need for snowfall. | Shutterstock

When discovering Sotres, the first thing you do is wonder how it is possible that this village was born and grew in that exact spot. The highest village in Asturias is located at the foot of the Picos de Europa, at an altitude of 1,050 meters, between large peaks and small valleys. This stunning setting could only be more impressive in one way.

sotres snow

But how impressive it is when winter arrives. | Shutterstock

When snowflakes sprinkle peaks, plains and houses. The experience of an authentic mountain village in winter is had in this Asturian corner of the Concejo de Cabrales. You should not leave, of course, without tasting the cheese, which matures in the natural caves of the Picos de Europa.

Monachil, Granada

Monachil

Monachil, between the sea and the mountains. | Shutterstock

In the province of Granada awaits the pretty village of Monachil, which offers both mountain and beach. With regard to the former, which is what you are looking for here, its offer can be understood when you discover that the Sierra Nevada ski resort belongs to its municipality. The sierra can be enjoyed in a thousand ways, as it has from horseback riding routes to hiking trails such as the one that runs through the gorge of Los Cahorros. But when the snow falls…

Monachil snow

Monachil looks different when the snow falls. | Shutterstock

At that moment, you can enjoy pictures like this: snowy roofs and low, dense clouds that also cover the sunset. Monachil can be considered the ideal place to enjoy the Sierra Nevada.

Baqueira, Lleida

Baqueira

This is what Baqueira looks like without snow. | Shutterstock

Baqueira belongs to the municipality of Alto Aran and the houses that can be seen today were built as a result of the birth of the ski resort. This activity is the key element for the development of the area, although skiing is not the only thing that can be done in its streets. Baqueira offers activities both in the cold months and in summer, but it is always better to visit when the landscape becomes wintry.

baqueira snow

This is the most popular, and impressive, image of the place: covered in snow. | Shutterstock

Baqueira Beret was founded in 1964. With 160 kilometers, it is the largest resort in Spain and one of the most valued, for its facilities and for the quality of its snow. It is located in the north of the Pyrenees and that shows, also when it comes to enjoying the unique environment, which seems from another planet when the white dazzles the eye.

Morella, Castellón

Morella

Morella is one of the most beautiful villages in Spain. | Shutterstock

Just 60 kilometers from the coast is this medieval town, capital of the region of Els Parts. It has been declared a Historic-Artistic Site for the conservation of all its monuments, among which two can be highlighted. On the one hand, a wall that surrounds the population center for two kilometers. On the other, a castle through which Iberians, Romans, Mulsumans and Christians have passed. Morella is one of the most beautiful villages in the Valencian Community.

Morella snow

So Morella is, therefore, one of the most beautiful snowy villages in Spain. | Shutterstock

Although the Valencian Community is not usually associated with snow, it covers Morella at certain times of the year, when the cold arrives. The postcard that it leaves in its wake, taking into account all of the above, can be imagined. It is one of the most beautiful of all the Spanish geography, with the castle always watching.

Ochagavia, Navarre

Ochagavia

Ochagavia, the charm of Navarre. | Shutterstock

This village of Navarre is probably the most popular of the Pyrenean valleys in the north of the Community. Within the valley of Salazar, 15 villages coexist and make the visitor sigh, who feels immediately transported to another era, to another time. The surrounding forests change color as the seasons change and when the cold weather arrives they are dazzlingly white.

ochagavia snow

And its impressive postcard when the snow arrives. | Shutterstock

Ochagavia‘s cobblestone streets, stone houses and bridge over the Anduña River are worth seeing at any time, but with snow it’s a different story. You can feel the cold even in photographs, but it’s impossible to shake off the urge to walk among its icy trees.

Linares de Mora, Teruel

Linares de Mora

Linares de Mora, one of the most attractive villages in Aragon. | Shutterstock

In the heart of the Sierra de Gúdar, the village of Linares de Mora is an ideal option to get to know this beautiful land of Teruel. There is evidence of this settlement since the 12th century and its cobbled streets go in line with this detail. Its urban center has been declared a Historic-Artistic Site and an Asset of Cultural Interest. All around, hiking trails and hermitages nestled in nature.

teruel snow

When the cold arrives, the snow invades its streets to create this picture. | Shutterstock

A nature that also turns white. Surrounded as it is by mountains, it suffers the arrival of winter and its snow, which not only paints the houses with white: it hides them. It covers them almost completely. Linares de Mora is an ideal destination for lovers of this phenomenon.

Mogrovejo, Cantabria

Mogrovejo

Mogrovejo, a dream village. | Shutterstock

Surrounded by mountains, Mogrovejo could pass for any internationally famous Swiss village, but it is Cantabrian. Cantabria has many film villages, especially in the Liébana Valley where you can breathe something unique. Mogrovejo was the place chosen to film Heidi, Queen of the Mountain, a detail that illustrates quite well the sensations it conveys. It has been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest and Historic Site.

Mogrovejo snow

Mogrovejo is also transformed when the snows come. | Shutterstock

When the snows come to the valley to bathe the traditional architecture of the area, Mogrovejo, like the surrounding villages, offer an unforgettable image. Perfect for those who appreciate the effect this phenomenon has on the landscape.


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