Backpacking in Andorra: Andorra la Vella
Posted: May 13 2024 | Tagged: Andorra
Having backpacked Pas de la Casa, Canillo, Escaldes-Engordany, Ordino and La Massana, all of which truly inspired me, I set out to backpack Andorra la Vella, the capital of Andorra.
I might have mentioned already that I enjoyed my time in Andorra. It's compact, clean and much cheaper than the other countries in Western Europe. Yes, Andorra is (almost) tax-free. The country has no capital gains, inheritance, or sales taxes. And nor does the government impose any tariffs on imports and exports. The main drag is a shoppers' paradise with many Duty-Free stores.
For me, it felt like a Latin version of Switzerland. And not just for the obvious wealth here. The official language in Andorra is Catalan which, if compared to Spanish, is like, for me at least, comparing Swiss German and German though Miss CDMX thinks it's more similar to Portuguese.
So beyond duty-free shopping, what is there to see in Andorra la Vella?
These are my top sights in Andorra la Vella of course it's not a comprehensive list but at least it's my list.
For me, it felt like a Latin version of Switzerland. And not just for the obvious wealth here. The official language in Andorra is Catalan which, if compared to Spanish, is like, for me at least, comparing Swiss German and German though Miss CDMX thinks it's more similar to Portuguese.
So beyond duty-free shopping, what is there to see in Andorra la Vella?
These are my top sights in Andorra la Vella of course it's not a comprehensive list but at least it's my list.
Pont de Paris
The Paris Bridge spans the La Valira river, which runs through Andorra la Vella. It was inaugurated in 2006.
The bridge, which has an avant-garde design, is 13 meters long and has two steel spheres of 2.20 meters in diameter each and the bridge is also known locally as The Bridge of the Balls.
The bridge, which has an avant-garde design, is 13 meters long and has two steel spheres of 2.20 meters in diameter each and the bridge is also known locally as The Bridge of the Balls.
It looks quite spectacular at night when it's illuminated:
La Noblesa du temps - de Salvador Dalí
La Noblesa du temps is a sculpture by the artist Salvador Dalí:
Parc Central
There are a couple of arty statues and the Passarel·la del Parc Central bridge.
Jo en tu:
Jo en tu:
Mira - This is how children are depicted. Glued to their phones:
The bridge:
Plaça dels Set Poetes
In the Lidia Armengol Square are the "7 Poets", the work of Jaume Plensa which was inaugurated on January 21, 2014. 7 poets (one for each of the 7 parishes in Andorra) sitting on columns that go 10 meters high.
It's quite hard to get all 7 in one shot. At night they are illuminated.
It's quite hard to get all 7 in one shot. At night they are illuminated.
Casa de la Vall
The Casa de la Vall was built at the end of the 16th century and was the ancestral home of the Busquets family. In 1702 it was acquired by the Consell General, the Andorran parliament, and used as its main headquarters until 2011.
Andorran coat of arms:
La Dansa (Francesc Viladomat)
La Dansa, designed by Francesc Viladomat portrays 2 dancers performing the traditional dance of Andorra and celebrates the centenary of the new reform between 1866 and 1966:
New Parliament of Andorra
The New Parliament of Andorra has been the headquarters of the General Council of Andorra since 2011.
La Tapeta
La Tapeta is a small but great little bar in the Barri Antic, the old town. I went during the day and had my first experience of drinking a vermut:
And one evening I met with fellow traveller @theaustriantraveller (on instagram) for a couple of canyas:
On my last full day, I returned with my laptop to get another blog post finished and enjoy a pastis:
Then it was just to prepare myself for for the ride back to Barcelona with Direct Bus.
