Treasures of Traveling in Andorra
Have you heard of Andorra before? If you don’t live in Europe, most likely you haven’t heard of this small landlocked country located between Spain and France in the eastern Pyrenees Mountains of the Iberian Peninsula. Andorra is the sixth smallest nation in Europe and 11th smallest county in the world if you are looking specifically at its population. Otherwise, it’s the 16th smallest country in the world based on its land mass. It might have a small population, but is a huge tourist destination for millions of people throughout the year. Tourists flock to Andorra for its winter sports which include multiple ski resorts to its abundance of summer time activities like hiking and mountain biking opportunities that abound in all corners of this tiny country. I can’t forget to mention this country’s stunning natural beauty! Every direction you turn there is a beautiful view of mountain peaks to small towns and villages tucked into the valleys.
Interesting Facts about Andorra
Even though Andorra is located within the European continent, sandwiched between France and Spain, it is not officially part of the European Union, but they do use the Euro for their country’s official currency, so if you are traveling there from Spain or France, you won’t have to exchange the currency you are already using. The official language of Andorra is Catalan, which is generally spoken in Catalonia, in the northeast region of Spain. Since Spain’s official language is Spanish, Andorra is the only country in the world where the official language is Catalan, but don’t feel afraid to visit if you don’t speak Catalan because most locals speak multiple languages including Spanish, French, English and Portuguese. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have the ability to speak four or five different languages? Another interesting thing about Andorra is that even though it has a parliamentary representative democracy with a chief executive and general council that are elected by the Andorran people, it also is a co-principality with the President of France and the Catholic Bishop of Catalonia, Spain as co-princes of Andorra. Just think about that for a second. That means the president of France is also an elected monarch, although he is not elected by the Andorran people. Kind of crazy that the President of France is also royalty!
Andorra la Vella
Even though Andorra is a small country, it has over 10 million visitors each year. Since most people aren’t aware of Andorra, the majority of those visitors are from the neighboring countries of Spain and France. One of the main places visited within Andorra is its capital city Andorra la Vella. The city is nestled in one of the many valleys of the Pyrenees Mountains and since the entire country of Andorra is located within these Pyrenees Mountains, Andorra actually has the highest capital city in Europe, with an elevation of 1,023 meters (3,356 feet) above sea level. That’s a fun fact to know, just in case you might be on Jeopardy one day. Since the entire country has such a high elevation, the tourism industry in Andorra consists of skiing, hiking, biking and any other mountain sport as the average elevation throughout the entire country is 2,000 mergers above sea level. Andorra la Vella is a great place to start your visit to Andorra and explore the surrounding countryside.
La Gran Valira River
When you start your visit to Andorra la Vella, a great starting point is the Gran Valira River as it cuts through the entire city so it makes for a wonderful way to start exploring. If you get lost in the city, just make your way back to the river to gather your bearings.
The River Walk
Andorra la Vella has river walks located on both sides of the Gran Valira River. It’s great if you want to walk, run or just take a stroll along the entire river front of the city. Each section of the river walk is divided up and has a different name based on the area of the city that you are in. Two sections that are in the central part of the city are the Cami Prada Casadet and the Cami del Parc Central.
Parc Central
There are only a couple of parks and green spaces along the Gran Valira River in Andorra la Vella and the main one is Central Park or Parc Central. It is located in a central part of the city, hence the name and is a lovely park for families as there are plenty of things for children to play on and both children and parents can feed the ducks. You can also view the river and just sit and relax and listen to the rushing water. During the springtime, this is a great park to visit and see the beautiful pink flower blooms from the trees that line the river. After walking around the city, take a break or enjoy a picnic from within this park and see the beautiful views of the mountains in all directions.
Shopping Streets of Andorra la Vella
Since Andorra is located between two countries, it’s a great place to shop because of its tax haven status benefits. The maximum tax on goods and services is 4.5%. That is a significant discount for their French neighbors to the north (20%) and their Spanish neighbors to the south (21%). Take some time and roam the shopping streets as you will find a large selection of things to buy that are duty free. You can easily find everything from luxury brands to watches, jewelry, perfume and everything else you can think of. The largest number of shopping complexes in Andorra are located in the capital city of Andorra la Vella.
Plaça Del Poble
As you make your way closer to the historical center of Andorra la Vella, you should stop in this small square that is actually the rooftop of a modern government office building and parking deck. This square has benches to sit on and enjoy the splendid views of the mountains that surround Andorra. You might just choose to park your rental car here so for some people this might be the start of your visit to Andorra la Vella if you are just passing through for the day.
Esglesia de Sant Esteve
Esglesia de Sant Esteve (Church of Saint Stephen) was built in the 12th century and part of the original Romanesque temple is still preserved. This church also has a stone bell tower, a pipe organ and ornate wooden decorations on the inside of the church. It is located in the older historic central part of Andorra la Vella, directly across the bridge from Placa del Poble.
Solá Irrigation Canal Trail
If you would like to briefly step away from the downtown hustle and bustle of Andorra la Vella, you can take a walking trip to the Sola Irrigation Canal Trail. It’s a beautiful trail and as you’re walking along it you will have great views of the city in the valley, as well as the mountains in the background. It’s a nice trail to explore and get a little bit of exercise, especially if you need a break from walking up and down the shopping streets of Andorra la Vella. Also, if you love cats, this is a trail you will want to visit as you will randomly come into contact with multiple cats from the neighborhood. They seem to hang out along the trail.
Sant Vicenç d’Enclar
If you want to hike a little further and explore a little more outside of Andorra la Vella, you will probably want to visit Sant Vicenç d’Enclar, an old Romanesque church, sitting along the mountain side. It is quite the climb, but you will be rewarded with wonderful views over the entire valley of Andorra la Vella! It’s well worth the effort of hiking about 45 minutes to an hour.
Riu d’Enclar
If you already made the effort to climb up to Sant Vicenç d’Enclar, you might as well continue a little further through the woods to see the Enclar River. You will be surrounded by forest and if it’s a hot day, it will be much cooler in the shade. You will start to hear the sounds of rushing water as you get closer to the river. It’s just a nice relaxing place to visit after your hike up the mountain.
Important things to know about visiting Andorra.
Andorra has no airport or train station so the only way to visit this country is to arrive either by bus or rental car. The easiest cities to visit Andorra from are Barcelona, Spain or Toulouse, France. You can make it a day trip, but it’s best to spend the night to give yourself a little more time to explore. If you only plan to shop duty free, then a day trip might work, but if you plan to do any type of outdoor activities, like mountain hiking in the summer or skiing in the winter, I definitely recommend to stay for a few days or make a long weekend out of your trip. You can travel through Andorra by bus, but the easiest way to see the country is to rent a car as there are many small charming villages to explore.
Treasures of Traveling in Andorra
There are many wonderful treasures of traveling to visit in Andorra. From museums and churches in the capital city of Andorra la Vella, to spectacular views of endless mountain ranges, there is a tremendous amount of exploring to do throughout this tiny country. Whether you decide to visit Andorra during the summer months or the winter months, there are plenty of things to do. Winter sports are what attracts the majority of people to Andorra as it is one of the best places to ski in Europe because it is located in the Pyrenees Mountains and has four main main ski resorts. Andorra is also a very safe country to visit. There is very little crime and in general, year after year, they do not have any homicides. If they have a bad year, that usually means there has been one homicide. Andorra has such a low crime rate for multiple reasons. They have such a small population with low unemployment and a high standard of living. Just know that you will probably have a splendid time on your vacation to Andorra and most likely won’t have any issues. One of the main reasons there is probably so little crime in Andorra besides it being so small is because there are only two entrances into and out of the country and both are land borders patrolled by the police.
— Luke Keeler
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