Andorra

Andorra is a tiny country, located between Spain and France. Being the 16th smallest country in the world by land and the 11th smallest by population, Andorra is mostly famous as a ski- destination. Due to its size, it is perfect for a weekend trip as well. Its capital, Andorra la Vella, the main place of interest for us, is the highest capital city in Europe- above 1000 metres.

Lili’s 5 good-to-know tips when travelling to Andorra:

• Andorra is located to the north of Spain and the only way to reach it is via land transport from Spain or France. The closest airport to Andorra is La Seu d’Urgell, located 10 km to the south on the territory of Spain.
• Andorra is a duty-free area which makes is also suitable as a shopping destination.
• The tiny country is located quite high in the mountains, so better check the weather conditions before you go. We visited it in May, but the temperatures were around 0 degrees.
• If you arrive by car and your hotel does not offer a parking (which is the case with most of the hotels in the town center), you can use one of the couple public parking in the city center. The daily parking is around €12-15.
• Andorra is actually not part of the EU, but still the main currency is Euro.

  

We spent literally less than 24 hours in Andorra. We arrived quite late in the evening from Barcelona. Upon landing at Barcelona airport, we rented a car. The ride took us around 2,5 hours. The first part was highway, but then we took a mountainous road. It is quite easy to reach Andorra. Basically you just need to drive straight. A GPS helps of course.

The next morning we took a stroll and after 2 hours we have seen all interesting places in the city center. After some time for shopping and a nice lunch in typical local restaurant, we were ready to go back to our starting point Barcelona.

From the moment you enter Andorra, you will see the sign “Naturlandia”. Actually Naturlandia is the adventure park in Andorra, located at around 2000 meters height near the village of Sant Julià de Lòria (yes, surprisingly Andorra is not only one town- it has a few more small towns). Both in summer and in winter, the park offers all kind of activities: nature, sports, educational, recreational and entertainment for small and big. The name though fits so much to Andorra, that it is like a narrative. It is also shown on different souvenirs as well.

What to see and do in Andorra la Vella for a day?

As mentioned above, Andorra is popular as a ski resort. Many people come here for a week-vacation. In any case, the things below might be useful also for those who come either for a weekend, or for a longer stay.

Once again, Andorra la Vella is the capital of the tiny country Andorra. At the end of the article you will find the legend about the creation of one of the smallest countries in the world. And here are our recommendations how you can spend your day in Andorra la Vella.

• Do some duty-free shopping

Although shopping might not be the main reason for your trip, it is worth visiting some shops. Besides premium brands like Prada, Versace, etc, you will also find Zara, Calzedonia, Adidas, etc. The prices are around 30% lower vs the prices for example in Austria (I could make comparison of the same goods). Besides clothes shops, you will see a lot of shops for electronics, perfumes and jewelry. The most popular shopping streets are Avenue Meritxell and Avenue Carlemany. Illa Carlemany and Pyrenees Andorra are the two best-known and most-visited upscale shopping malls in Andorra.

• Take a walk in the old part of the city

The old part of Andorra la Vella is very, very small. You will be done with it in about an hour. Many of the streets are pedestrian, with cute small shops and cafes. Unfortunately the weather was not good when we visited it, but I assume during the summer it is very charming to have lunch/ dinner in one of the restaurants.

• The Church of Sant Esteve

This is the main landmark of Andorra la Vella. Originally  this Romanesque building was constructed around 1100s, but over the last decades it was subject to many changes. The access to the church is free during the summer. When we visited it though, it was closed. You will as well notice several religious statues around the church. Even if you do not enter, you can still admire the majesty of the church with the mountains at the back.

• Casa de la Vall

This building used to be once the Parliament Building of Andorra. All the functions of the Andorran government, administration and justice were in the same building. 

The needs of growth meant that other premises had to be used and led to the building of a new home for the parliamentary institution in 2011. We did not enter, but they also offer guided tours even in several languages. In front of the building you will find a small square with nice view to the city.

• The clock (La Noblesse du Temps)

This sculpture which has very strange shape is designed by Salvador Dali (and that is why it is often referred to as Dali Clock). It is located on one of the bridges at Piazza Rotonda over Gran Valira River.

• Puente de Paris bridge

It is a hanging bridge over Gran Valira River, made of steel. I’m not sure whether there is something special about it, but it offers nice view to the river underneath.

• Take a small walk

on one of the hills in order to admire the view. Andorra la Vella is located in a small valley among the mountains and from above it looks even cuter.

The hotel we had chosen is not something I can recommend. Yes, it was very cheap (40 Eur for a room for 3), but it was more a hut rather than a hotel. As mentioned above, we visited it outside the high ski season and maybe this is the reason for the lower prices.

Our impression is that also the prices in the restaurants in Andorra are not high. They are comparable with those in Spain. We had lunch in a very nice local restaurant which I can only recommend. Its name is Mama Maria. For the food lovers we can mention that Escudella is often referred to as Andorra’s national dish. Locals eat it prevalently in winter and also at Christmas. If you a meat fan, you will definitely like it. It contains different types of meat- chicken, veal, meatballs, pig snout and sausage. It also features potatoes, cabbage and white beans or chickpeas. At some places they also add large pasta shells- sounds a bit heavy, doesn’t it? It was summer by the time we visited Andorra, so it was time for lighter food.

We hope we managed to capture your attention and convinced you that Andorra is good idea for a weekend trip. In the end it is another country ;). For more ideas for weekend escapes, visit the special section on the blog.

The legend about how Charlemagne (Charles the Great) founded Andorra.

In the year 711, a storming force from North Africa crossed the Mediterranean sea landing in Europe. The Moorish invasion of the Iberian Peninsula began. However, the people of the Iberian Peninsula continued doing their daily activities not thinking much about the approaching vessels as they were similar to trading vessels- the ones they did business with on a regular basis. After realizing what was happening, they fled to the hills in hope that it was just a temporary attack. But it turned out the Moors had more in mind than just a temporary attack. The army conquered one town after another moving towards the north.

Charles the Great, the ruler of the Frankish Kingdom, today’s France, was not going to give his lands so easily. He put a strong fight against the Moors with the help from the inhabitants living in the Pyrenees Mountains. In return Charles founded Andorra for the inhabitants of those lands.