Many people wonder exactly what to do in Andorra la Vella when they are not out on the mountain. If it is either for hiking in the summer or skiing in the winter.
I was there in the winter and explored Andorra la Vella throughly, because I do not ski. I love a good hike, but I am horrible as a skiier or snowboarder, something I should work on as a Norwegian.
Therefore I got to explore the capital city and I have made an itinerary for you on where to start and what to see for a day.
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Where to stay in Andorra la Vella
€€€ Yomo Centric – Check availability here
€€ Hotel de l’Isard – Check availability here
€ Tudel – Check availability here
Explore Andorra la Vella
Start your day by walking around in Barri Antic, better known as The Old Quarter. This is the oldest part of Andorra la Vella and has houses dating back to the medieval times. The Old Quarter has houses built by stones and small streets with cobblestones. It is a nice way to start your day, by just walking around the area. It is usually very quiet and some of the streets are so narrow that a car can barely pass through it. I walked around here a bit aimlessly as I find it fun to just walk around with no aim, because then I will suddenly come across something unexpected. Such as a well with the carved people holding hands.
Visit Casa de la Vell which lays in Barri Antic. This building is now a museum, but between 1701 to 2011 it was used by the Andorran government. The entrance is €5 which also includes an audio guide which will take you through the history of the building. The inside is very interesting and is definitly worth a stop. I liked the tour a lot more than I thought I would, but if you want a guide you will need to pre-book it.
There are some cute cafes in Barri Antic, maybe you would like to stop at one of them while making your way back to the city centre. I went to the supermarked instead, just because I wanted to walk around more.
Make a short stop at La Noblesse du Temps in the city centre. The five meter tall sculpture has only been in Andorra la Vella since August of 2010, but it is already becoming an iconic landmark for the city. Take a few pictures and walk over Pont de Paris, the white bridge behind the sculpture.
If you are traveling alone and want to take a photo, it is a little triangle there where you can place your phone. It will act as a tripod and it has the perfect view towards Pont de Paris.
Spend some of your day shopping at Avinguda Meritxell. Maybe you do not think of Andorra la Vella as a place for shopping, but due to the low taxes in Andorra it is an amazing place for duty-free shopping.
Avinguda Meritxell also has a lot of variety in stores and there will definitly be something for everybody there. If you are visiting in the winter you can always just enter the stores to heat up your body.
After the shopping trip walk up to Caleda. The spa has a lot of package deals and a large variation of treatments, so you can definitly enjoy yourself here after all the walking. If you want to have dinner here, that is definitly possible as they have a restaurant.
Make your way back to the hotel for a relaxing evening or maybe you want to head back out to explore the bars. The bars and restaurants in Barri Antic are very popular and there were a lot of people in them when I walked past on my first evening in Andorra la Vella. You will definitly be able to find a good bar or restaurant to end your day with.
FAQs about Andorra
How do I get to Andorra?
You will have to go by car or bus as the country is located in the Pyrenees which makes it difficult to have an airport or a railway. Check out how to get to Andorra here.
Does Andorra use Euros?
Yes, Andorra uses Euros (€) as their currency. So if you travel from either France, Spain or Portugal you do not need to exchange your money.
Is one day enough for Andorra?
It is enough to explore the capital, Andorra la Vella, but if you want to go hiking or skiing it is not enough. Andorra is located in the mountains and is famous for it`s slopes during the winter and beautiful hikes during the summer. Therefore you want to stay 3 days to explore it all.
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