Fairies Foul and Foulies Fair…
Many are the stories of encantades (enchantresses) and bruixes (witches) woven into the folklore of the Pyrénées-Orientales.
And every October, the little village of Tresserre embraces the darker side of Catalan folklore with the wonderfully witchy Festa de les Bruixes.
Festa de les Bruixes 2026
Friday 16th – Sunday 18th October 2026
Tresserre
The witches are returning to Tresserre for three days of festivities in the heart of the Aspres.
For one weekend, the village celebrates the legends, superstitions and stories surrounding the bruixes that have been passed down through generations of Catalan folklore.
The full 2026 programme is still bubbling away in the cauldron, but the festivities will take place over Friday 16th, Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th October, with witch-themed artisans taking over the old village centre on the Sunday.
We’ll update this page with the full programme as soon as the witches decide to reveal it.
And before anybody asks: no, this isn’t Halloween.
Witches have been causing trouble around here for considerably longer than pumpkins have.
Witches, enchantresses and things that go bump in the Catalan night
Stories of witches and magical beings run deep through Catalan and Pyrenean folklore.
The encantades are generally described as mysterious female supernatural beings or enchantresses, often associated with isolated places, caves, springs and mountain streams.
Their presence can still be spotted on maps today in names such as Cova de les Encantades and Roc de les Encantades.
Then there are the bruixes.
Witches were blamed for all manner of misfortune, from bad harvests and sick animals to storms and general unexplained nastiness. Unsurprisingly, generations of Catalans developed a few tricks to keep them at bay.
Which brings us to the rooftops.
Look up!
Travel around the older villages of the Pyrénées-Orientales and you may spot curious pieces of stone, tile or iron sticking up from rooftops.
These are known as espanta-bruixes, literally “witch scarers”.
In the Roussillon plain, they could take the form of tiles curving upwards from the ends or corners of a roof. Elsewhere they appeared in different shapes and materials, all supposedly designed to discourage an airborne witch from making herself comfortable on your house.
One particularly fabulous version is the cua de gall, or “cock’s tail”, made from terracotta tiles cut and shaped to resemble the feathers of a rooster.
The logic was simple enough.
If you’re a witch flying around the Roussillon looking for somewhere to land, a roof covered in uncomfortable spikes probably isn’t your first choice.
And if it also keeps evil spirits away and brings a little prosperity to the household below, even better.
Examples of these old witch deterrents can still be spotted on buildings around the region today, so next time you’re wandering through an old Catalan village, stop staring at the café terraces for five minutes and look up.
You never know what you might find.
Fancy a career change?
Of course, avoiding witches is all very well. But what if you’ve decided you’d rather become one?
Various Catalan legends contain suitably peculiar rituals for joining the profession, often involving nudity, isolated locations, repeated actions and mysterious incantations.
One particularly colourful version claims that the aspiring witch should head to the beach, remove all her clothes, roll around in the sand seven times, draw three circles and perform the appropriate mysterious mutterings without being seen.
If successful: congratulations, you’re a witch.
If unsuccessful: you’re simply naked on a beach in the Pyrénées-Orientales rolling around in the sand.
Choose your beach carefully.
Festa de les Bruixes, Tresserre
Friday 16th – Sunday 18th October 2026
Three days celebrating the witches, legends and folklore of Catalonia in the village of Tresserre.
Full 2026 programme coming soon.
Keep an eye on this page and we’ll add the programme as soon as it’s released.
Until then, behave yourselves.
The bruixes are watching.
