Andorra is de jure not part of the Schengen Zone but de facto acts as if it were. As such, I was already expecting to get off at the border when we finally got there, except that the bus did not stop and nobody from immigration actually dared to tell us to. I don’t know whether this is always the case so it’s always better to have your passport ready. Shoulder shrug. Move on with life. It took us more than four hours from Barcelona Sants because the bus broke down, which added an hour of waiting time for the replacement and then there was also an accident at the highway which added another 15 minutes or so.
You will get off at the bus station next to a roundabout. The moment you alight the bus you will immediately notice how the mountains will be stalking you from everywhere. I feel like people who live here mainly use those mountains to orient themselves as to where they currently are. Since we arrived past 10, I decided to head straight to my hotel and leave sightseeing for the next day. And that was the first surprise for Andorra la Vella. I had to tug my luggage up a hill with cobblestoned alleys. Exercise.
The next day was surprisingly warm and the sun was out almost the entire afternoon, which was a pleasant surprise because I was expecting freezing conditions here given its location. That meant I had a nice stroll without even having to wear layers. The first stop was Casa de la Vall just across the street. This 16th century historical house is a heritage property and houses the General Council of Andorra. Right behind it is a garden with rocks you can climb for a panoramic view of the city. If that’s not your thing, there is a plaza right in front of it overlooking downtown below.
There is an elevator which takes you a few floors down to street level for a better view of the plaza dedicated to seven poets. Since it was not operational when I was there, I decided to just head east and get lost in Andorra la Vella’s cobblestone alleys where I stumbled upon the Comú d'Andorra la Vella which is right next to the church of St. Esteve. These two always seem to be on everyone’s laundry list of attractions to see, so I was a bit surprised that they were that close to the hotel.
What happened next was a leisurely stroll along Av. Princep Benlloch, which I believe to be the main shopping street here. It was just lined up with shops selling everything from electronics to katanas. A short stop for refreshments at McDonalds came next before I found myself at Pont de Paris. They all look so far on the map but since you are heavily distracted by all the window shopping while walking, you just don’t notice. Pont de Paris is the bridge where you will find a Salvador Dali clock and the Andorra La Vella sign. They also built a mini park there with wooden benches so it’s a good chill out spot.
Cross the bridge and you end up in a large area of shopping centers including Illa Carlemany, a mall which hosts Andorra la Vella’s only cinema. What’s with Andorra and shopping anyway? I never bothered to find out because I am not a big fan of shopping but I’m guessing goods are tax-free? I mean that’s what these microstates are mostly about, right? That’s for you to find out because I don’t care. Hahaha. In any case, the snow capped mountains were very visible wherever I went, as if inviting me to ski, which is unfortunately an activity that I never liked. But that’s another option for you!
Overall, has it been worth it? I like Andorra, it’s chill. In terms of old world charm and cheaper cost of living, though, I believe Malta still wins. I’d still put Andorra a few notches above San Marino and Liechtenstein. Monaco? We’ll find out next month. In the end, they are too small for me. I’d probably survive for a week before craving big city chaos yet again.
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