We reached Andorra la Vella towards the end of September, after travelling through the French Pyrenees and crossing into Andorra. The change was immediately noticeable. After travelling through smaller mountain towns and villages, we found ourselves in a much more developed urban environment, with busy roads, large commercial areas and buildings extending along the narrow valley of the Valira. At the same time, the mountains rise directly around the city, making it clear that this is still a Pyrenean capital.
We stayed at the Canrodes motorhome area. The area itself was modern, clean and well organised, with the services we needed and Wi-Fi included. We found a place without difficulty for our 23-foot motorhome. The position beside the river was pleasant, although the nearby road was busy and the traffic noise was noticeable. At €36, the stay was not particularly cheap, especially as the departure time meant that it was not a full 24-hour stay, but having all the services included made it convenient for visiting the capital.
Andorra la Vella is the capital of the Principality of Andorra and stands at approximately 1,050 metres above sea level, making it the highest capital city in Europe. The city occupies the central valley of Andorra, where the Valira forms one of the main natural corridors through the country. Its modern appearance can make it easy to forget that the settlement has a much older history, but the historic centre has preserved a very different character.
The oldest part of the city is the Historic Centre, formed by areas including Pui, Puial, Cap del Carrer and Barri Antic. Its narrow streets, small squares and traditional houses have survived despite the enormous expansion of the capital during the twentieth century. Walking through this part of Andorra la Vella therefore feels quite different from walking along the commercial avenues and gives a much better impression of how the settlement looked before the modern city developed around it.
The most important historic building is Casa de la Vall. The house was built in 1580 by the Busquets family and was purchased by the Consell General in 1702 to become its meeting place. The Consell General itself dates back to 1419, making Andorra’s parliamentary tradition considerably older than the modern appearance of the country might suggest. Casa de la Vall remained the seat of the country’s parliament until 2011 and is now open as a museum explaining Andorra’s political and institutional history.
Another important building in the historic centre is the Church of Sant Esteve. Its origins go back to the twelfth century and it is one of the most significant Romanesque buildings in the capital. Parts of the original structure, including the semicircular apse and bell tower, have survived, although the church was restored in the twentieth century. Its presence among the much newer buildings is another reminder of how dramatically the city has changed around its historic core.
The modern identity of Andorra la Vella is strongly connected with commerce. The capital has extensive shopping areas, particularly around Avinguda Meritxell and the central streets, and shopping has become one of the most visible aspects of the city. But there is much more to the capital than its shops. The parish also contains historic churches, bridges, museums, sculptures and routes leading towards the surrounding mountain landscape.
One of the most interesting aspects of Andorra la Vella is therefore the contrast between its different layers. There is the old mountain settlement represented by the Historic Centre and Casa de la Vall, the Romanesque heritage represented by Sant Esteve, and the modern capital with its shopping streets, traffic and dense development. Beyond all of this, the mountains remain immediately present, enclosing the city and giving it a very different character from most European capitals.
For us, Andorra la Vella was also an interesting change after travelling through the French side of the Pyrenees. It was no longer simply a mountain village or a stop surrounded by open countryside, but a busy capital where the modern life of Andorra is concentrated. Our motorhome area gave us a practical base from which to experience that contrast, with the river and mountains nearby but also the traffic and urban environment that come with staying in the centre of the country.
Andorra la Vella therefore left us with a rather different impression from the mountain settlements we had visited earlier in the journey. It is a compact capital with a surprisingly long political and architectural history, but at the same time a very modern commercial city. The combination of the historic streets, the old parliament, the Romanesque church, the Valira and the steep Pyrenean landscape makes it one of the places where the different sides of Andorra can be seen together.