Last year, I had a longer weekend to Andorra. I still love to think back to the lovely time I had there. In this Pictured Story, I give you an insight about you capital looked alike, about one year ago. Enjoy this visit to Andorra La Vella.
Andorra La Vella – Location & Transport
Andorra La Vella is the capital of the country of Andorra, located between France and Spain in the Pyrenees Mountains. The city has some 24,000 inhabitants and thus hosts every third Andorran citizen. With more than 1,000 meters above sea level, Andorra La Vella is the most elevated capital of Europe.
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Most travelers reach Andorra by car, either from France (typically Toulouse) or from Spain (Barcelona). Nowadays, Andorra is also having an airport, La Seu d’Urgell (LEU), which is in fact located on Spanish territory. However, there are just a few services by Air Nostrum ATR 72 per week. There are also some coach connections. Andorra does have a domestic bus public transport systems. Locals also love motorcycles and scooters. Of course, it is always most flexible to grab a rental car. For example, I had a rent with if Rent.
The key thing about Andorra and its capital are definitely: mountains. There is hardly a spot where you don’t see them. On a sunny day like the ones I had, this leads to amazing scenery and atmosphere in many spots. Another natural thing which defined Andorra La Vella is La Valira, the river, which is flowing to the city. There are some really famous and beautiful bridges over it. A key attraction of the city and the whole country is Caldea, which is one of the largest thermal baths in all Europe.
Just strolling through the city will also make you run into several sculptures. For example, the two pictures below feature The Nobility of Time and Calidea i la Dama del Gel. There are also quite some murals, which make it very interesting and versatile just strolling through the city – with relatively short distances between the attractions, of course. Arts is also represented in some art museums.
Of course, due to the country’s special tax and customs situation, Andorra and its capital is also a place of trade and consumption. Even when daylight fades over the mountain, the advertisements of the store light up all over the city center. There are also some shopping malls and department stores in the city center. Of course, key items of sale are alcohol, cigarettes and perfume, but you can get all major fashion brand, luxury article and also Spanish and French food, which turns it into a very interesting place for visitors as well.
