Discovering Andorra La Vella, Andorra la Vella, Andorra

Counting the places I have visited is probably my only concession to any appearance of being vain. I have a couple of counts going. One, well documented in this blog, is my opportunistic chase after World Heritage sites. The other is the count of different countries that I set foot on. Seeing as Costa Brava is within a day-trip distance from Andorra, this year I finally added the small country to my list.

Even the most proud Andorreans would probably agree with the statement that there is not much in a way of must-see attractions in Andorra. There are ski resorts - which obviously were not of interest to me in August. There is a large mountain valley area recognized as a UNESCO site - which we will cover in a subsequent post. There are not really any famous landmarks or world-quality museums. With all that in mind, I budgeted less than two hours to get a feel of the country’s capital, Andorra La Vella.

The town anchors the valley that is home to most of the country’s population. A small river, La Valira, disects the capital and runs along the entire valley.

Quite possibly the most recognizable sight in Andorra La Vella is Dali clock on Plaça de la Rotonda.

That last building is Casa de la Vall, built in the 16th century and the ancient seat of Andorra’s Parliament. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).