Andorra
Europe · Andorra la Vella · AD
Andorra is the small mountain principality of the Pyrenees, a country tucked high in the valleys between France and Spain that has built a modern success on the winter ski and the duty-free commerce of its shopping. The capital of Andorra la Vella, the highest capital city in Europe, spreads its modern avenues along the valley floor beneath the peaks, while the mountain world around it, from the ski resorts of the Grandvalira and the Vallnord to the deep valleys, the lakes and the high trails of the interior, carries the natural life of the nation. The country runs the chain of the romantic churches, the small stone masterpieces of the Romanesque era that cling to the valleys and the hillsides, and the winter season turns the whole place into a busy, cheerful Alpine resort world. Compact, wealthy and spectacularly set, Andorra is the smallest of the Pyrenean escapes.
Overview
Andorra is a country in Europe. Its capital is Andorra la Vella and the international dialling code is +376. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include Catalan. Local currency is the Euro (EUR). We also list 1 city in Andorra: Andorra la Vella.
The Great Ski of the Grandvalira and the Runs of the Snow
The winter season is the engine of the little country, and the ski areas of the Grandvalira and the Vallnord, among the largest of the Pyrenees, spread their lifts and their runs across the high valleys between the mountain passes. The snow record of the principality, fed by the maritime storms of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, is among the most reliable of the whole chain, and the slopes, from the wide gentle runs of the beginners to the steep faces of the experts, carry the families and the keen skiers of the region. The snowboard parks, the cross-country trails and the off-piste itineraries round out the winter life, and the après-ski of the resorts, the restaurants, the spas and the busy shops, keeps the valleys cheerful into the nights. It is a compact, friendly, genuinely Alpine winter destination.
The Romanesque Churches and the Valleys of the Stone
The little country holds one of the densest collections of the Romanesque churches in the Pyrenees, and the small stone masterpieces of the valleys, with their Lombard bell towers, their painted wooden retables and their mountain settings, are the quiet treasures of the land. The church of the Sant Climent de Pal, the Chapelle of the Santa Coloma across from the capital and the ensemble of the town of Encamp preserve the finest of the medieval architecture, and the museums of the sacred art in the valleys hold the paintings and the gold of the high Romanesque era. The walks between the churches, through the villages and the fields of the high meadows, are among the most atmospheric of the whole range. The valley of the Madriu, the wild glacial valley of the south-east, is a world heritage of the grand mountain landscape.
The Shopping Streets and the Commerce of the Principality
The commerce of the principality, the historic duty-free trade that has filled the country's banks for a century, is the everyday engine of the valley towns, and the streets of the capital and the town of the Pas de la Casa run the linked arcades of the shops, the perfumes, the electronics, the spirits and the tobacco of the cross-border trade. The shoppers of the region, the day-trippers from the French and the Spanish sides and the longer stays of the resort season, fill the pavements of the high street, and the prices of the goods, among the lowest in Europe, draw the crowds of the weekends and the holidays. It is a bright, busy, thoroughly modern commercial life that the visitor either enjoys or dodges for the mountains, which rise within a few minutes of the shop windows.
The Lakes of the Tristaina and the Walks of the High Valleys
The summer country of Andorra is the world of the walking and the lakes, and the circuits of the high valleys, from the lakes of the Tristaina above the Ordino valley to the green basin of the Incles, carry the footpaths and the mountain shelters of the principality. The lakes of the north, the chains of the glacial tarns beneath the peaks of the boundary ridges, are the classic goals of the walks, and the routes cross the pastures, the pine forests and the high passes that run the border of the country. The views from the crests over the whole chain of the Pyrenees, from the Pic of the Coma Pedrosa, the highest summit, to the great massifs of the French side, give the sense of the whole range at once. The walking is easy, the air is thin and the scenery is superb.
The Spa of the Calories and the Thermal of the New Centre
The modern principality has put a fashionable face on the traditional thermal cure, and the great spa centre of the capital, the Caldea, with its glass pyramid and its lagoons, has become the emblem of the new Andorra with its cascades, its saunas and its treatments run by the thermal waters of the deep springs. The evenings of the valleys spread the restaurants of the country's table, the hearty mountain cooking of the escudella, the grilled meats and the cheese, alongside the tapas and the wines of the neighbouring regions, and the shopping couples easily with a long afternoon of the pools. The country is small, spotless and welcoming, and the combination of the mountain sport, the shopping and the spa makes it a complete, easy escape of the year round.
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- Capital
- Andorra la Vella
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Languages
- Catalan
- Calling code
- +376
- Internet TLD
- ad
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter Andorra.
Which nationalities can enter Andorra?
Current visa status for tourism for the origins we cover, with links to the detailed requirements.
Cities (1)
All cities →Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to visit Andorra?
For the origins we track, Andorra requires a visa for tourism (Morocco: visa required). Entry rules depend on your passport, so confirm the current requirements for your own nationality with our entry requirements tool.
What is the capital of Andorra?
Andorra la Vella is the capital of Andorra, and the country sits in Europe.
What currency is used in Andorra?
You pay with Euro (EUR) in Andorra. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in Andorra?
The languages we list for Andorra are Catalan. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for Andorra?
The dialling code for Andorra is +376 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which cities in Andorra do you cover?
Our guide lists 1 city for Andorra: Andorra la Vella (capital).