Andorra la Vella, Andorra

Andorra la Vella.

Andorra la Vella is the capital of the Principality of Andorra. It is located high in the east Pyrenees, between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish that surrounds the capital.

The city's old town is characterized by old stone streets and houses. The central Església de Sant Esteve (Saint Stephen) church is part of the area that guidebooks often label as a picturesque part of the city.

Tourist Office of Andorra la Vella, +376 750 100, e-mail: info@oficinaturisme.ad.

Climate

Andorra la Vella has an oceanic climate (Cfb, according to the Köppen climate classification), with mild summers and chilly to cold, snowy winters. The average annual precipitation is 812.3 mm (32 in). Temperatures are lowered by the altitude compared with lowland areas.

Get in

There is no train station or airport in the co-principality.

By bus

Bus companies operating international lines via Andorra la Vella:

• Andbus (Novatel), Estació Nacional d’Autobusos d’ Andorra, C/ de la Cúria, +376 803 789, e-mail: info@andbus.net. Operates from Andorra la Vella to Toulouse (€64 roundtrip), Barcelona (€56 roundtrip) and Girona from Estació Nacional d’Autobusos d’ Andorra station.

• Alsa. Operates between Andorra and Spain.

• Montmantell. Operates between Andorra and Lleida. Also operates twice daily bus to L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre train station in France.

Within Andorra, Interurbana. operates seven bus routes and all of the lines either start at or has stops in Andorra la Vella.

Get around

You should be able to walk around most of Andorra la Vella. The town is really in two parts. There is the newer section at the north end of the town that is very commercial with lots of shops. The other half is the older half, down across the river and to the south and west. This also has shops, places to eat and the historic part.

If you stay in either of these areas, you can easily cover on foot, but walking from the end of one half to the other will take a good half hour or more, so it may be worth taking the local bus which is cheap. Be sure to read the timetable and routes carefully on the bus stop.

What to See in Andorra la Vella

• Església de Sant Esteve (Church of Saint Stephen), Plaça Príncep Benlloch, +376 730 003, e-mail: info@oficinaturisme.ad. 10AM-1PM & 3PM-7PM. Dated from the 12th century. It is in the old part of the Andorra la Vella. Free-guided tours otherwise the church is open to tourists outside of mass hours. free.

Church of Saint Stephen.

• Church of Sant Andreu, Sant Andreu St., +376 827 117. M-Sa. Romanesque church dated from the 12th century. It is obligatory to reserve by phone.

Church of Sant Andreu.

• Casa de la Vall, Carrer de la Vall. M-Sa 09:30-13:00 & 15:00-19:00; Su (May-Oct only) 10AM-2PM. Dating from the 16th century, it was the former seat of the Consell General (Andorran Parliament). Access is by guided tour only. Tours are on the half hour and last about a half hour. Reservations are required for the tour, so it's best to stop by and reserve a tour in the morning and return during your tour time. €5/adult, €2.50/concession.

Casa de la Vall.

• Bridge of la Margineda, Santa Coloma. This bridge dates from medieval times but is still in perfect condition. Nearby there is a metallic sculpture made by the Valencian sculptor Andreu Alfaro.

Pont de la Margineda.

• Rec del Solà and Rec de l’Obac. Paved ways with handrails illuminated in the night. They are 2.5 km long. Starting point: Collegi Sant Ermengol road and Tarragona avenue, respectively.

• The town square. This is a surprisingly peaceful place with a panoramic view of the Valley of Andorra.

• Parliament building and old town. The parliament building is a relatively modern building and you can walk around up the hill behind it and go onto the roof where there is a type of mini park. On a nice day, there is a great view out over the valley across and looking south towards Santa Coloma. From here you can head back up the hill slightly to the right and visit the old church of St Esteve. Behind it is an interesting little area filled with narrow streets which is clearly the original location of the settlement.

• Park Central. 06:00-24:00. Park with small pond.

• El Portal de la Vall, c/ Prat de la Creu 74-76, baixos (ground floor of the Comú building), +376 823 000, e-mail: portal@madriu-perafita-claror.ad. M-F 09:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00; June 26 - Sept 7 08:00-15:00. This visitor center has useful information on the leisure activities offered in the Madriu-Perafita-Claror valley, as well as facts on the tasks carried out to manage the valley and promote the values that have made it a UNESCO Human Heritage site. free.

• Rocks in the Street Museum, Pl. de la Rotonda. Formed by different specimens of sedimentary, magnificent, metamorphic rocks and high-quality fossils from Andorra, it is accompanied by a panel with explanations. free.

What to Do in Andorra la Vella

• Caldea, Parc de la Mola, 10, +376 800 999. You can visit the spa/sauna/swimming complex Caldea at the nearby Escaldes-Engordany. It is located at the top of the town in the large glass spire structure.

• Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley. The cultural landscape of Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley, which was inscribed in the World heritage list in 2006, can only be accessed on foot. It offers great hiking and climbing possibilities in summer and in winter ski mountaineering or walking with snowshoes is an option.

One entrance to the valley is a short bus ride or just over an hour walk from the oldest part of Andorra la Vella. See Escaldes-Engordany for details.

Buy

The best bargains can be obtained in electronic goods and jewellery. High cost items tend to be cheaper than anywhere else because of the low tax.

The great thing about the electronic goods like digital cameras is that there are a huge range of shops and a huge stock range, so you really get to see all the different makes and models.

Some of the larger shops seem to stock a lot of brand label clothing. Don't miss out on the Via Moda Group, a chain of stores under different names, especially during sales.

There are loads of ski gear shops. Shop around.

• Pyrenees, Avinguda Meritxell 11. Department store with several floors. There are various family friendly restaurants, a large electronic goods floor, designer label floors, and a supermarket notable for interesting Andorran and Spanish specialty foods and red wines.

• Andorra 2000, Avinguda Tarragona 26. Supermarket sells electronic, clothes and food.

• Llibreria La Puça (Llibreria La Puça & El Rebost del Padrí), Carrer de la Vall, 18, +376 827 726. M-F 10AM-8PM, Sa 10AM-2PM 5PM-8PM. Small bookshop and cafe that sells a wide range of books in Catalan and many international languages including children's books. They also sell beer including Alpha Brewery beers in bottles.

Eat

There are reasonably priced restaurants, although many of them tend to be Italian restaurants serving pizza and pasta. You find almost nothing open after 22:30. El Vesuvio in nearby La Massana serves Italian and Moroccan food until 24:00.

• Bar Restaurant Nou, Avinguda Doctor Mitjavila.

• Fresc Co, Avinguda Doctor Mitjavila.

• L'Escenari de pizzes, Avinguda Doctor Mitjavila.

• Lizzaran, 86 Avinguda Meritxell.

• El Japo, 65 Avinguda Meritxell.

• El Refugi Alpí, 73 Avinguda Meritxell.

• La Mossegada, 73 Avinguda Meritxell.

• La Piazza, Carrer de l'Aigüeta.

• L'arroseria, Carrer de la Vall.

• L'Alternativa, 8 Plaça Guillemó.

Drink

Drink and spirits especially are very good value in the supermarkets. Especially at the Hiper Andorra.

• La Birreria, Carrer La Vall nº 3, +376 816352, e-mail: labirreria@andorra.ad. 17:00-23:00. Small beer-tasting shop.

Sleep

There are no four- or five-star international chain hotels. The only well-known chain hotels are Novotel, Holiday Inn and Ibis. The remaining hotels are almost always independently operated.

• Husa Centric Hotel. Located centrally in the main shopping area. This is part of the Husa chain in Spain.

• Hesperia Andorra la Vella, Avinguda Doctor Mitjavila, +376 880 880. Located in the heart of the capital, this hotel offers some fantastic views of the Pyrenees. Rooms from €59.

• Pension la Rosa, Antic Carrer Major 18, just south of Avenue Princep Benloch, Andorra la Vella, +376 821 810.

Budget

• Hotel Sant Jordi, Princep Benlloch 45, +376 876 200, e-mail: comercial@janhotels.com. Check-in: 14:00-24:00, check-out: 12:00. Cheap price, no air-conditioner, breakfast buffet is either included in the booking or available for €4.50/person. Double room €40/night.

Mid-range

• Hotel Ibis Andorra, Avenue Meritxell 58, +376 873 601.

Splurge

• Novotel Andorra, Prat de la Creu s n, +376 873 603.

• Holiday Inn Andorra, Carrer Prat de la Creu, 88, +376 874 444.

• Hotel Andorra Center, Carrer Dr. Nequi, 12, +376 824 800. Nice 4-star hotel in the center of the town. Andorra Center is part of the Best Hotels chain.

Connect

The stretch of Avinguda Meritxell in downtown Andorra la Vella and Avinguda Carlemany that continues Av. Meritxell in the adjacent Escaldes-Engordany has free public WiFi.

Cope

• Oficina Nacional de Turismo, Carrer del Doctor Vilanova 13, e-mail: info@andorra.ad. Information for tourists; they give also the maps of Andorra.

Go next

Andorra la Vella is not a bad location if you want to go skiing because you can get either the local bus or the "Snow" bus up to most of the ski resorts. Most hotels during the ski season should have details.

The old town is worth visiting. It is up on the hill to the West and South of the main modern part of the town. It is quite old and quaint. You should cover it in about 2 or 3 hours. (Wikivoyage)