Andorra: A Tiny Country in the Pyrenees Mountains of Europe, Andorra la Vella, Andorra

Nestled high in the Pyrenees between Spain and France, Andorra is a tiny, intriguing country that had long been on my travel bucket list. Its modest size-just 468 square kilometers-belies the immense charm packed into its mountainous terrain, where about 79,000 people call home. In my last two Europe visits, as much as I wanted to hit up this country, it made a miss on both occasions. And since then I had imagined what it might be like to visit this microstate, perched so high in the mountains and tucked away between two of Europe’s giants. When I finally got the chance, as part of my 2 month working holiday in South Europe, I knew I couldn’t pass it up. I carved out two days to explore its capital, Andorra La Vella, determined to soak in as much as I could in such a short span.

My journey to Andorra began with an early morning bus ride from Barcelona, for which I had to be up by 4am and get ready to take the 6am bus. I started from the hostel wandering through the quiet alleys of the Gothic Quarter on my way to the bus station, where the stillness of the morning seemed to match my own pensive mood. With every step, I felt a mix of excitement and high energy, though a bit sleepy -a familiar sensation for me as a solo traveler embarking on a ride to a new country. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).