Andorra - tiny but great

Friday 31st March

Andorra is a tiny country completely inside Spain. It is mountainous. These photos are looking towards the mountain ranges in Andorra.

 

 

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One of the first things we noticed about Andorra was a different architecture. There was little of the ancient stone buildings of France and Spain. 

 

  

 

   

 

And different art works in the street. 

 

We soon learned that Andorra’s economy visibly benefits from its high altitude and the consequent extended skiing season. In fact it snowed during the  night we spent in Andorra la Vella (the capital city). There were skiiers everywhere and an apre-ski culture in full swing, at a time when the snow has melted in southern France and in Spain. The elevation here was over 2000m.

 

  

 

  

 

Outside the city the architecture changed again, with more stone buildings, but these were modern, and almost invariably of very dark stone. No doubt this has advantages in a place covered with snow for most of the year. 

 

   

 

 

It also has cheaper goods than the surrounding Spain and probably benefits from Spaniards and French people coming in to buy cheaper goods such a wine. We found a place selling wine and spirits by the 5 litre plastic bottle, out of huge casks. When we were leaving Andorra, crossing in to Spain, there were police stopping cars to search for alcohol, presumably to ensure the import duty was paid. 

 

We liked Andorra. There was a young and energetic vibe there and friendly locals. Worth a visit particularly if you enjoy snow sports.