Andorra

Visited: July 2004

Duration of visit: 3 days

Capital city: Andorra la Vella

Population: 80.000 (2004)

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

• Camping in the open-air to connect with beautiful nature.
• Duty free shopping in Andorra la Vella at lower prices than anywhere around Europe.
• Visiting La Casa de la Vall, the seat of Andorra’s government in the highest capital city in Europe at 1,023 meters above sea level.

The Principality of Andorra is a unique, tiny country, compressed between two giants: France and Spain, right in the Pyrenees. The only country in the world that uses Catalan as its official language has two princes: The Bishop of Urgell and the president of France. The influence of its only neighbors is obvious.

Located high in the eastern Pyrenees mountains, Andorra is a small country, with lovely mountain scenery, attractive destination in Europe.

It is known for its superb ski hills in winter, hiking and mountain biking in summer, and for tax-free shopping the whole year through.

Andorra was part of my overland trip in Western Europe. When the curvy road from Toulouse started to rise, I mainly encountered motorhomes, which pass each other with difficulties on narrow road.

With my old Renault Megan, I was one of the few who arrived at the camp with a tent and camping gear, while others enjoyed the greater comfort of a motor home. In the summer, camping in Andorra is the cheapest way to spend a night, while it offers an excellent opportunity to meet other visitors and connect with the nature.

Andorra de la Vella is the highest capital city in Europe at 1,023 meters above sea level and, for many visitors, the main attraction in the country. With approximately 22,000 inhabitants the capital is small enough to traverse it on foot, while exploring a bustling main street, boasting many shops and dining opportunities. The city’s main street is lined with shops selling everything from souvenirs to local arts, crafts and luxury goods.

The top (or the only real) attraction in the capital is La Casa de la Vall, the seat of Andorra’s government. It was originally built in 1580 as a manor house and fortress with small turrets on each wing, designed to defend the building against potential invaders. In 1702, it became the seat of one of the oldest and most continuous parliaments in Europe, the Consell General, first created in 1419.

Meetings of representatives of the country’s parishes were held there and it also served as the judicial headquarters. In 2011, the General Council moved to a new building, also in Andorra la Vella.

Andorra is often seen as a popular shopping tourism destination because the entire country is a huge tax-free zone. That’s why shopping centers around the country are many, huge and offer a large variety of high-quality products of the world-leading brands for excellent prices. They offer everything – from clothing and cosmetics to food and beverages, small, medium and big electronics, fashion, accessories, perfumeries and a bit of everything else.

I had no special plans for shopping in Andorra, my budget was limited. Nevertheless, I bought a watch that was actually cheaper than in other countries and I didn’t have to pay value added tax.

When crossing the border with Spain, it was confirmed that the customs officers carefully inspect and ask how many purchases have been made. Since Andorra is not a member of the European Union, imports to neighboring Spain and France are limited. Cigarettes and alcohol, in particular, are the goods that are more strictly controlled due to their perceived lower price.

Andorra has the most tourists per capita in the world; with over 10 million visitors per year and a population of only 77,000.

The vast majority of the visitors to Andorra are Spanish and French citizens who travel there for shopping and fuel at lower prices.

The nature orientated tourism attracts thousands of independent campers in the summer and skiers in the winter. Without your own vehicle, it is practically impossible to visit Andorra properly, stop on the way or access areas outside of the capital.

All in all, Andorra was a nice stopover on my way from France to Spain. With nonintrusive marketing, hospitability and low taxes the country convinces the visitors in a very subtle form to spend more money than originally planned, buy things that were not on the list and attracts with landmarks that were not known to an average visitor in advance.