demanding day hikes inthehigher,moredemanding dayhikes remote reaches oftheprincipality. the snowshave melted, there’s inabundance,ranging great fromfamilystrollsto walking inallthePyrenees.some ofthemostdramaticsceneryandbyfarbestskiing And,once andbuckledwithscarcelyaflatsquaretiny, politicalanomaly,rucked metre toitsname,has official language. onhistoricalinterest Though short andmonumentsofconsequence,this ofbeingtheonlycountryinworldwhereAndorra hasthedistinction Catalan isthe can becompletely alone. Tucked intothePyrenees andwedgedbetweenSpainFrance, million visitorsannually(mostofwhomjustpopintoshop),there are stillareas where you machines. and snowmaking over 50millioneurosinmountaincafésandrestaurants, chairliftsandgondolas,carparks development riskspoilingthesidevalleys. Inthelastfive have years,itsresorts invested roads andyou’lldiscover villagesasunspoiltanyinthePyrenees. Andorra laVella’s tawdryembracetopurralongoneofthestate’s onlythree secondary ministate. andshopping. one-town skiing They mightaddthatit’saone-road, Slip Andorraintotheconversation andpeoplemaytell you,withhorrororjoy,thatit’sall Andorra 396 © LonelyPlanetPublications 

Although Andorra,witharesident populationoflessthan80,000,absorbswellover 10 A warningthough:itmaynotbethesameafew yearsfromnow.Greed anduncontrolled They’re righttosomedegree, butalsovery wrong. yourself free Shake ofthecapital HIGHLIGHTS Trampafew trailsthat of thewalking Steep yourselfinthewarmmineral orwalkthequietcoun- Cross-country ski Crossthespectacular AREA: 468SQKM around thread through theprincipality,especially waters ofthespace-age tryside above ( p410 ), thehighestroadpassin La Rabassa 45) n and ( p405) Port d’Envalira Port Caldea (p403)

V UMRTM:HG 2C AVE SUMMER TEMP: HIGH22°C, LOW 12°C ( p400) (p408) La Rabassa Ordino

Caldea POP: 76,900 Port d'Envalira Soldeu Andorra lonelyplanet.com one-sixth of theactual populationat the time) Andorrans whowere eligibletovote (lessthan being a‘coprincedom’, 75%of the9123native to ’sheadof state. French controlpassingfromthecountsof Foix thecoprincesdown thecenturiesand between powerful neighbours despite recurrent tension saved Andorrafrom beinggobbledupbyits political equilibriumthat,over thecenturies, This originallyfeudal created setup a peculiar of shared sovereignty thetworivals. between documents, thePareatges, asystem established Foix tothenorth,Andorra’sfirst constitutional thebishopsandFrenchbetween countsof Seu. Urgell, inLa alsobased tothebishopsofcounts, Andorralater passed d’Urgell, Fromthe Seu inadjacentCatalonia. Sunifred, Countof Urgell, was La base whose the Valls d’Andorra(Valleys of Andorra)to 803. In843hisgrandson,CharlesII,granted tured theregion fromtheMuslimsinAD credited toEmperor Charlemagne, whocap- By tradition,Andorra’sindependenceis History History les Truites Barcelona (215km) d'Urgell (10km); To LaSeu Estany de (2756m) (2260m) Port de ANDORRA Baiau S PAIN Port de In March centuries of 1993,after seven In the13thcentury,after asuccessiondispute Cabús CG1 Pic d’Enclar (2382m) Pic deComaPedrosa Vincenç d'Enclar Capella deSant SANT JULIÀ DE LÒRIA (2942m) Ski Area Coma Pedrosa Refugi de Pic deCarroi CG3 Pal SkiArea (2334m)

La FargadeMoles Riu Ordino-Arcalís ANDORRA••History Pal CG3 Ski Area Arinsal Massana Sant JuliàdeLòria Estanys de Coloma l’Angonella Tristaina Estanys de Santa (2300m) La Ordino ANDORRA LA VELLA

bu

CG2

del

Valira Nord Pic deCasamanya Riu ORDINO Escaldes La RabassaCrossCountrySkiArea Caldia (2740m) Bordes de l'Ensegur (2180m) Coll d’Ordino (1980m) ESCALDES-ENGORDANY Sorteny Borda de Pic del’Estany (2915m) Collada delsMeners Estany del’Estany Soldeu- (2713m) (2339m) Pic delaSerrera ENCAMP Ski Area Riu (2913m) El Tarter

Valira so villages andhamlets–some withjustafew and 29km fromeasttowest. Mostof its 40or 25km fromnorth tosouthatitsmaximum, thathugthem.Itmeasuresmountains amere apairofsentially major valleysand thesteep Andorra, intheheartof thePyrenees, ises- Environment over Europe. theworld, especiallyEastern Andorra increasingly attractssavers fromall almost tax-free, no-questions-asked banking, iently andprofitably neutralinboth).Withits to FranceinWWII(Andorraremained conven- during theSpanishCivilWarandgoods ofdubious smuggling French goods toSpain latter alegitimate progression fromthemore centre for skiing andduty-free shopping,the Principat (Principality)d’Andorra. powers. Thecountryretains itsfullnameof function asjointheadswithmuch reduced thecoprincescontinueto people, although full sovereignty inthehandsof theAndorran coprincedom’. Thenewconstitutionplaced as anindependent,democratic‘parliamentary opted inareferendum Andorra toestablish de l’Illa Estany

Since the 1950s Andorra has developed as a asa Since the1950sAndorrahasdeveloped d’Orient CG2 Les Bordes d'Envalira CANILLO Port deVall Soldeu F RANCE (2518m) Civera Montmalœs S PAIN Ski Area Estany de Estany de d’Envalira Juclar (2408m) Port Portella Blanca Pas delaCasa Pas delaCasa Ski Area 0 3 miles 3 5km 0 0 To PortéPuymorens(4km); To Aix-les-Thermes(21km); Latour-de-Carol (16km); L'Hospitalet Perpignan (130km) Puigcerdà (25km); Puymorens Toulouse (155km) Col de N20

397 ANDORRA ANDORRA ANDORRA ministers, programmesinturnhave whose to cap degovern threemeet orfourtimesayear. Itappointsa shopping, bankingandtourism, which together Andorra’s oncheapeconomy isbased tax-free Economy Andorra laVella. 1978 bydividingthefast-growing parishof Escaldes-Engordany,wascreatedseventh, in existed sinceatleastthe9thcentury.The of Europe,butnotafullmemberof theEU. dorra isamemberof theUNandof theCouncil all Andorrancitizensover 18cannowvote. An- cap degovern tolaria, thecurrent headof state, was elected be approved San- AlbertPintat bytheConsell. each of theseven has28members –fourfrom General Consell which since1419.The hadrun theshowever delaTerrafrom theConsell Council), (Land Council),tookover (General General Consell In 1993thecountry’selected parliament,the &Politics Government basic togoodEnglish. workingintourismspeak people andthose Spanish residents Young have littleCatalan. know onlyasmattering of French andmany Spanish andFrench, butplentyof Andorrans Local lore speaksCatalan, hasitthateveryone canspeakSpanishnearly everyone fluently. But of theAndorranparliament,is Catalan. dorra’s populationwasonlyaround6000. bear inmindthat,scarcely50years ago,An- intoasuburbofcomfortably yourhometown, (6.5%) andothers. While76,900soulsmayfit are (13%),French Spanish(37%),Portuguese Engordany) are Andorrannationals.Therest Vella andthecontiguousparish of Escaldes- (well over halfof whomlive inAndorrala A mere 36%of Andorra’s76,900inhabitants Population &People Moles, isstillahealthy838mabove level. sea Farga est point,ontheSpanishfrontieratLa de whilethelow- mountain, Andorra isthehighest the Valira d’OrientandtheValira delNord. AndorralaVella,capital, attheconfluenceof river, theRiuGranValira, isformednearthe dozen people–are inthevalleys.Themain 398 The state language,The state enforcedbya1999law Of Andorra’s seven ’sseven Pic deComaPedrosa (2942m)inwestern Women gained suffrage as late as 1970, and aslateWomen gainedsuffrage as1970,and ANDORRA ••Population&People in2005. (primeminister) whochooses parròquie (parishes) –who , sixhave about upgrading a small airport near La about upgradingasmallairportnearLa Estació delNord. Four busesdaily (€20,3½hours)to/from Barcelona’s Andorra atPas ontheeastern delaCasa, south of AndorralaVella. Theotherenters d’Urgell Seu inSpain,21km climbs infromLa –isbyroad.Oneroute across themountains The onlywayinto Andorra –unlessyoutrek &Away There Getting economic activity. daysrepresentsthese onlyaround1%of total main, tobacco growing andcattleraising), vast majority are SpanishandFrench. in, shophardanddrive day),the outthesame the 11millionannualvisitors (very manydrive account forsome80%of thecountry’sGDP. Of Alsina Graells any Andorrantouristoffice. sodo check withthecompanyor seasonally, listed here may vary Some of thebusservices BUS continues… Thetalking flights. d’Urgell, enablingittotakeSeu commercial below). details to Andorrabybus(see north). Bothcitiesandtheirairportsare linked (180km celona (225kmsouth)andToulouse The nearest major airports are of those Bar- AIR 30% cheaper thaninFrance. about 20%cheaper thaninSpainanda good border withFrance. Discussions have underway longbeen petrolinAndorrais Top upyourtank; The residual (inthe agriculturalsector shop orski. pennies count,checkbefore youeat,sleep, element.Iftheothers includeitasanextra this modestimpositionwithintheircharges; palaver fromthelocals!Someplacesabsorb passesandthelike. Andoh,thefussandski applied topricesforhotels andrestaurants, 2006, arelatively taxwas modest4%service many ways,waswayoutofkilter. InJanuary excess of15%,Andorra,ananomalyinso taxes intries slappingonvalue-added It hadtocome. Withneighbouringcoun- A TAXING SITUATION ( % 826 567;www.alsinagraells.com) lonelyplanet.com France Caldea ( p400 ). stopoutside highspeedAVEMadrid-bound train.Services withthe daily to/fromLleida(€17,2½hours)toconnect La Seu d’Urgell(€2.50,40minutes). La Seu dorrana.com) HourlybusesbetweenAndorralaVella and Autocars Novatel Novatel Autocars Nadal Autocars lonelyplanet.com side of town. Avinguda deTarragona, aroundthesouthern Avingudaby taking deSalou,which becomes It’s possibletobypasstheworst of the latter drivers andAndorralaVella’s jams. traffic Two problemsare therecklessness of local in populated areas and90km/helsewhere. The largely ignored limitis40km/h speed CAR &MOTORCYCLE Around Getting Novatel Autocars Toulouse’s busstation(€21,3½hours). Nadal Autocars Montmantell Viatges Andorrana La Hispano Barcelona’s airport. .com) Five minibusesdaily(€26,3½hours)to/from to/from Toulouse’s airport andtrainstation. to/from Toulouse’sairport station (€21,3¼hours). (€26,3¾hours),callingbythecity’sSantstrain airport in French &Spanish)Sixbusesdailyto/fromBarcelona’s the Englishtranslation! signs, towhich,foryoursafety, weappend we cameacrossthefollowingmonolingual is opaquetothevastmajorityofvisitors, French. also inSpanish,Englishandsometimes ism isAndorra’slifeblood, mostnoticesare ments andthelike. However, sincetour- publicity, restaurant menus,announce- Legally, Catalan isobligatoryforallsignage, MIND HOWYOUGO jump. Alternatively, justjumpwhen thelocals Risc Allaus = Risk ofavalanche Allaus = Risk Risc Caiguda deNeu=Watchoutforsnow Perill: ZonaVoladures =Beware: Falling sliding fromroofs stones But notalways;even thoughCatalan ( Twice each Friday andSundayto/from TwiceeachFriday % ANDORRALAVELLA••Orientation ( Two minibusesdaily(€29,3½hours) % 805 151;www.autocarsnadal.com ( 803 789;www.andorrabybus ( % % 807 444)Fourbuses 821 372;www.hispanoan the Colld’Ordino. Thisalternative isoften thescenicallystrikingrouteby taking over avoid thismotorist’snightmareor Canillo, Massana of and those Ordino orLa Encamp s/n) policestation Main Emergency andtravelmaps. comprehensive rangeofwalking new travelbooksinSpanish,French andCatalan,plusa and Fiter ofantiquarian iRossell 31)Asplendidcollection JaumeCaballé Llibreria Bookshops INFORMATION southwest. Colomatothe Engordany totheeast,andSanta villageswith theonce-separate of Escaldesand heavily artery. trafficked The townnowmerges Carrer Major Street) (OldHigh issplitbythis Antic(HistoricQuarter) aroundAntic Barri toAvinguda Thelittle deCarlemany. toAvingudaguda delPríncepBenlloch de street, thenameof which changes fromAvin- strungoutalongonemain Andorra’s capitalis ORIENTATION electronics andluxurygoods. Its mainpreoccupation isretailing duty-free andonlyrealcapital townof theprincipality. ofrounded bymountains upto2400m,isthe Andorra laVella ( 1030m pop 22,900/elevation ANDORRA LAVELLA timetables. ist offices carryafree leafletgivingcurrent the principality’sthree mainroads.Tour- 555) Six routes, runby PUBLIC TRANSPORT blocking theroad. duringwinter duetodriftsofimpassable snow If you’re theparishesof drivingbetween August orSeptember. temperate mountainwarmth,chooseJuly, andhigh seasonforvisitors. Forwalking season(DecembertoApril)istheThe ski VISIT TO WHEN , radiate out from Andorra La Vella, radiate out fromAndorraLa along ( Cooperativa Interurbana % vey ( 872 000;Carretera del’Obac -yah, means‘old’),sur- % /fax 829454;Avinguda ( %

399

806 ANDORRA ANDORRA ANDORRA Mon-Fri, 9am-noonSat)TheFrench postoffice. Mon-Fri, Sun Jul-Sep, 10am-1pm&3-7pmMon-Sat Oct-Jun) Sun Jul-Sep, Vilanova 13; [email protected]; EdificioDavi,Local C,Carrer del Doctor €2.80; National tourist office National tourist office tourist Municipal Information Tourist La Poste Spanish postoffice. 10; iTelègrafs (Correos) Correus Post deMeritxell Hospital NostraSenyora Services Medical Future@point E-Café Access Internet 400 Avinguda Fiter iRossell) 11pm Mon-Sat,10am-11pmSun) 9am-1pm SunSep-Jun) Alsohaspan-Andorrainformation. 9pm dailyJul&Aug,9am-1pm3.30-7pmMon-Sat, [email protected]; Plaçade laRotonda; [email protected]; Spain (10km) Valira (1km); To Camping 1 3 2 ANDORRA LAVELLA h h Pyrénées DepartmentStore.. Papanico...... El Faisà...... Can Benet...... Borda Estevet...... EATING Hotel Pyrénées...... Hotel Florida...... Hôtel deL'Isard...... Hostal delSol...... Andorra ParkHotel...... SLEEPING Església deSantEsteve...... Casa delaVall...... Caldea SpaComplex...... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES Spanish Embassy...... National TouristOffice...... Municipal TouristOffice...... Llibreria JaumeCaballé...... La Poste...... Meritxell...... Hospital NostraSenyorade Future@point...... French Embassy...... French Consulate...... E-Café...... Correus iTelègrafs...... INFORMATION ANDORRA LA VELLA •• Sights & Activities ANDORRA LAVELLA••Sights&Activities 8.30am-2.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-1pmSat)The 8.30am-2.30pm Mon-Fri,

(Carrer del’Alzinaret 5;perhr€2.40; Baixada (Carrer dePere d’Urg1; 10am-11pm Mon-Sat,10am-10pmSun)

h del Molí del ABCD (Carrer delaSardana6;perhr 9am-1pm & 3-7pmMon-Sat,10am-1pm 20 ( % ( % 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 820 214;sindicatdinicia- (Carrer de Joan Maragall (Carrer deJoanMaragall 827 117; D2 C2 C2 B2 A3 B2 C1 D2 C1 C1 C2 B2 H1 D2 C2 E2 H1 E2 E2 D1 D1 C1 E2 G1 h Seu d'Urgell(21km) Lòria (6km);La Santa Juliàde Coloma (2km); To CG1;Santa 8.30am-2.30pm (Historic Quarter)

Avinguda

la Vall la Antic Car

( Barri Antic Casa de Casa 19 h % h 13

7.30am- 21 Be Príncep del 871 000;

rer Carrer 9am- Major

Carrer del Do

de l'Alzinaret

Nequi 29 Carrer del Doctor

Vilan nlloch ctor

ova Avinguda de Tarragona (bypass) Tarragona de Avinguda 14 16 30 Looking like somefuturisticcathedral,it’sa 23 del Poble SpaComplex Caldea &ACTIVITIES SIGHTS Vall are flanked byattractive stone houses. dela The narrow cobbledstreets around Casa waslittlemorecipality’s capital thanavillage. the heartof Andorra laVella whentheprin- byAvingudabisected was PríncepBenlloch, Antic,intrusivelyThe Barri and artificially Antic Barri Rotonda. 10-minute walkupstream fromPlaçadela and theenticing‘fullhandcare’. isa Caldea including ‘Turkish exfoliation’,‘bodyscrub’ hour entranceticket. hydromassage, are allincludedinthethree- pools, plusTurkish baths, saunas, spas and ofkept 32°C.Aseries other ataconstant springs, itsheartisa600-sq-metre lagoon after exertions Fed inthemountains. byhot wonderful placeforsomesoothingrelaxation h www.caldea.ad; Parc delaMola10;adult/child€29.50/22; In Escaldes,the 10 Guillemó Plaça de 2 Plaça Plaça Princep

You cansignonforawholerange of extras, Carrer 10am-11pm, lastentry9pm) Benlloch 18 22 25

Riu Plaça de Rebés la de

31 Gran Llacuna ὈὈ Valira 15

Carrer Caldea spacomplex Caldea

Carrer del Prat les Canals les 24 Avinguda de Meritxell 11 isEurope’slargest.

Carrer del de la Creu la de lonelyplanet.com

3 Doctor Molines Doctor 4 ( Carrer de la %

Sobrevia 17 800 999; les Canals

28 Carrer 26 constructed in1580asahomeforwealthy modern andhaslittleof interest apartfrom onitseastern side,thechurchapse ismainly 11th century.ApartfromtheRomanesque days alignednorth-south,dates backtothe

de Sant Esteve de SantEsteve lonelyplanet.com building since1702.Downstairs is asAndorra’sparliament family, hasserved The delaVall Casa glass windows. some wonderfullywarm,glowingstained- Carrer

Ca

Andorra laVella’s parish church, Carrer del % Road Conditions % % % Weather &Winter SnowConditions USEFUL PHONENUMBERS

rr Casa delaVall Casa Carrer er de Bonaventu Carrer de la Creu Grossa

des Closes de Guillemó 848 884(Spanish, French &Catalan) 848 851(Catalan) 848 853(French) 848 852(Spanish) Carrer de Pere d'Urg Pere de Carrer Prat 7

de la Creu Carrer de la C

Bonaventura 5 Carrer de la Sardana la de Carrer H G EF Plaça dela Rotonda ra 27 (Avinguda delPríncepBenlloch) Arm 9 reu

Carrer de 1

Riberaygua ANDORRALAVELLA••Sights&Activities e Gr ngol (House oftheValley; Carrer delaVall) o

ssa

Carrer de Joan Maragall Joan de Carrer

I'Aigüeta

Carrer Ciutat de Consuegra de Ciutat

Avinguda Avinguda de Meritxell de Avinguda Capella de St. Andreu

Consell d'Europa

El Tribunal de El Tribunal Avinguda del Doctor Mitjavilla Casa-Grau Roig(26km);France(26.5km)

Carrer Na Maria Pla , these , these Església Soldeu-El Tarter(15km);Pasdela

Carrer Sant Andreu

Encamp (4km);Canillo(10km); To PoliceStation(500m);CG2; Carrer del Fener Riu ,

Gran Avinguda de Carlemany de Avinguda Valira del Pratde laCreu. you down tothecarpark belowonCarrer The liftinthesoutheastern cornerwhisks gathering place, especially intheevening. it’sapopularlocalvalley andmountains, office building.Givingsplendidviews of the occupies theroof of amodern government ‘People’s Square’, justsouthof PlaçadeRebés, Plaça delPoble at thelastminute. individualscan oftenthough in besqueezed aheadinsummertoensureweek aplace– languages, includingEnglish. Bookatleasta 9.30am-1.30pm SatNov-Apr) 3-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-1.30pm& 6.30pm Tue-Sat, 3-6.30pmMonMay-Oct, tours parishes waspresent. There are free ing representative fromeach of the seven itcouldonlybeopenedifakey-bear-because wasguaranteed documents.Security official Keys) onceheldAndorra’smostimportant Claus delesSet L’Armari the cosiestparliamentchambers intheworld. The Corts E scalde ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ , thecountry’soneandonlycourtroom. Sala delConsell Carrer de la Unió ( % Avinguda Fiter reservations 829129; reservations La Massana(5km); 6 Ordino (7km)

Carrer To CG3; i Rossell

Esteve Public LifttoPlaçadelPoble.. LaSeud'Urgell...... Buses toSantaColoma& Casa...... Buses toCanillo&Pasdela Bus Station...... TRANSPORT Forum Filatèlic...... SHOPPING La Borsa...... Cervesería l'Albadia...... DRINKING

0 0 Avinguda del Fener del Avinguda , upstairs, hastobeoneof

Albert (Cupboard of the Seven (Cupboardof theSeven 8 h Prat delRoure Poliesportiu

9.30am-1.30pm &3- Calle Josep Viladomat Josep Calle 0.1 miles in several in several 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 12 C2 D3 E2 D3 C2 C2 B2 200 m guided

401

1 3 2 ANDORRA ANDORRA ANDORRA welcoming modernhotel sitsonaquietside rer delaLlacuna15;s/dinclbreakfast from€37/45) 402 a goodrestaurant (menú €15,mains€10 to the more impressive the views.Ittoo runs you go, beyond.Thehigher and mountain for oneattherear, overlooking thevalley are double-glazed andhave abathtub.Ask family-runhotel.comfortable, All61rooms 110; French &Spanish;Avinguda 36;s€56-80,d€71- deMeritxell Parking is€12. kling chandeliers andtwo-tonetablecloths. lan, French andSpanishdishesamidspar- Cata- (menú €15,mains€9to€14)serves (€69perperson). Itsrestauranthalf-board youhave season, totake Inhigh cep Benlloch. Avingudafrom thetraffic-clogged delPrín- furnished. Ask foroneattherear, wellaway pealing darkwoodworkandare attractively oozing style,its70roomshave plentyof ap- the principality.Constructed in1940and ranks amongthemostantiquebuildingsin manesque church ortwo,Hotel Pyrénées ps .com; Avinguda delPríncepBenlloch20;s/dfrom€35/56; larger ones. vary considerablyinsize;askforoneof the up forthemorrowinminigym.Rooms a feature of allrooms,thentoneyourself guests), orsteepyourselfinthebathtubthat’s skiing orhiking,relax (free inthesauna to street. inafter ahardday’s If youstagger closure expiry. duetolease time of writing,itwasbeingthreatened with cheapseveral eateries justbelow.Sadly,atthe square, isnoproblem,andthere sonoise are back onthenorthernsideof asemipedestrian has 12spruce,excellent-value rooms.It’sset lemó 3;s/d€14/28) caravans. theresidentto huntfindaspacebetween small indoorswimmingpool.You’llhave h Avinguda deSalou;sitesperperson/tent/car €5.35/5.35/5.35; are essential. when advancereservations major SpanishandFrench publicholidays), Augustand (essentially season high capital’s egory, hike theirpricesby20%ormore inthe inthebudgetMost hotels, exceptthose cat- SLEEPING Camping Valira Camping Hôtel deL’Isard Hôtel Pyrénées Hotel Hotel Florida Hotel Hostal delSol year round; p ANDORRA LAVELLA••Sleeping ) ) After the Casa delaVall After theCasa andaRo- Behind theattractive stone façadeisaBehind s Thisfriendly,family-runplace ( ( % ( % ) Justwestof town,ithasa % ( % ( % 820 105; www.hotelflorida.ad; Car- 820 105;www.hotelflorida.ad; 823 701;fax822363;PlaçadeGuil- 722 384;[email protected]; 876 800;www.hotelisard.comin 860 006;www.hotelpyrenees This cuisine and everything àlacartecuisine andeverything atthislong- well-stocked supermarket. will enjoychoosing fromtheshelves of its plate; €7.25). Onefloordown,self-caterers varietiesofthe seven dish of fromoneof theday(€4.65),orselect andfollowitwiththe buffet the self-service plateat prices. Pileyoursalad (€4.95)high megastore offer great fare atvery reasonable The top-floor cafeteria andrestaurant of this cuisine. or twogoodrestaurants specialisinginlocal In theheart of Anticyou’llfind one Barri EATING Parking is€18andwi-fi isavailable. you’d expectfromsuch aprestigious venue. fallsshortofviews. Reception,however, what have awindowandbalconywithpanoramic sage showercubicle,and bathandseparate spondingly large, equippedwithahydromas- from theoriginalgarden.Roomsare corre- orchids and avenerable olive tree, retained rant. Thevastpublicspaceisbedecked with original Park daystherestau- Hotel, these parent, thelovely slate roofed, stonewalled above hotel, openedin2006,rises star its s €76-101,d€130-180; muntanya, lan twist tothemenu.Try its faremeaty mountain withastrongCata- 2; menú€35.50,mains €15-18.50) room withitsattractive stone-cladwalls. ground-floor barorupstairs inthedining intheintimate restaurant.established Eat €13-20; preferences. its mainsoffer somethingforallpockets and crisp white tablecloths andgleamingglasses, wards bothFranceandSpain.Trim,with where the cuisinegives more thananodto- finefood, ful place,committed toserving h andbeseen. it’s alsoaplacetosee mains. Funatmiddayandvibrantnight, from €2.95andarange of and sandwiches mains €9.50-13) included intheroomprice. €14.50). P Borda Estevet Borda Estevet Benet Can El Faisà Papanico store Pyrénées department Andorra Park Hotel Tue-Sat &lunchSun) h Tue-Sun, closed 1-15Jul) ( % a selection of aselection meats andsausages ( Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com This cheery place does tasty tapas tapas tasty Thischeery placedoes arking costs €15andbreakfast is % ( % 823 283;CapdelCarrer 4;mains€9-18; 867 333;Avinguda PríncepBenlloch4; ( % 828 922; Antic Carrer Major 9;mains 828 922;AnticCarrer Major ‘ThePheasant’ isadelight- pnais 864 026;Carretera delaComella ( % plato combinado 877 777;Carrer lesCanals24; (Avinguda 21) deMeritxell Here’s aplacefor It’s international lonelyplanet.com graellada de ) This five- (mixed guing GoldenCockAward. accolades andcommendationsistheintri– liqueurs andspirits.Amongthechef’s many experience witha sizzled onhotslates. Concludeagreat eating lonelyplanet.com Príncep Benlloch. Andorra pass bythebusstop onAvinguda del forall otherdestinationswithin lemó. Those Sant Juliàcallby the stoponPlaçadeGuil- d’Urgell Coloma and viaSanta Seu toLa Buses THERE& AROUND GETTING themselves inheaven. coin- andphonecard-collectors willfind steps besideCarrer deJoanMaragall 2,stamp-, (until 7pmonSunday). pour in,shops remain open until9pmdaily in JulyandAugust,whentheeager hordes lest theymiss abuck ortwo. OnSaturdayand thebigstoresthough thebreak workthrough normally 9amto1pmand4pm8pmdaily, inEscaldes.Openinghours areCarlemany ell andintoitscontinuation,Avinguda de lloch, thelengthof Avinguda deMeritx- eastern partof Avinguda delPríncepBen- dorra laVella’s duty-free shopsborderthe Mostof 40 inhabitants. one forevery An- Andorra hasover 2000shops –more than SHOPPING is fairlymoribund. once theshopshave AndorralaVella closed, intermittentances etc.These apart, events information about festivals, danceperform- thetowntouristoffice( Contact p400 ) for ENTERTAINMENT weekend of heavy tippling. bottle thanyoucouldpossiblymanage ina andmore classicsondraught eight inthe drinkers, beer The placeforserious withover wearsevening on… like life, really, onlyrathermore fun asthe It’s sumption. Someyouwin,somelose. drink fluctuates con- accordingtothenight’s computer-controlled screen; thepriceof each three. Keep aweather eyeontheelectronic, a littleflutter? Here youcanindulge inall and againthechance todance?Enjoy Tarragona 36; Borsa La DRINKING At l’Albadia Cervesería Forum Filatèlic (The StockExchange; (The h 11pm-3am Tue-Sun) ANDORRALAVELLA••Drinking digestif ( % ( % 822 894;Altell4D) 820 825;CapdelCarrer 2) % from its table fullof fromitstable Like adrinknow 827 657;Avinguda de upthe , Spain. of PlaçadeGuillemó alongthemain roadto guish there. Thechurch is2.5kmsouthwest inthe1930s andstilllan- for conservation Dei manesque murals,exceptoneentitled century. Allthechurch’s 12th-centuryRo- in the12thcircular belltowerwasraised the centuries.Thefour-storey, freestanding oldest church, much modifiedover hasbeen from the9thcentury,andprincipality’s of Coloma,mentionedindocuments Santa The pre-Romanesque formof theChurch Església de SantaColoma least anhour. gler foraday?’,itrhetorically asks).Allowat a 15-minutesmug- film(‘Whohasn’tbeen optional English audioaccompanimentand and cigarette andcigar making.There’s an with thetrappingsof tobacco cultivation, Threeand smuggling. roomsare furnished tory, itrecalls thepleasurablesinsof tobacco 2.30pm Sun). PalauDoctor 17;admission€5; the splendid Six kilometres southof AndorralaVella is Sant JuliàdeLòria la Vella costsaround€20,oneway. horse ridingandmore. fromAndorra Ataxi summer, there’s biking,walking, mountain snow playgroundforyounger children. In trailsandagan runs,dogsleds,snow-shoe groomed cross-countryskiroutes, tobog- larly forfamilies.Inwinter, ithas15kmof playground,particu- wonderful mountain up againstthefrontierwithFrance,isa 798; www.larabassa.ad inFrench &Spanish) port oraccommodation), Sant JuliàdeLòria(there’s nopublictrans- 2050m elevation At theendof drive a20kmzigzagging from Rabassa La AROUND ANDORRALAVELLA station. the huge open-airparkjustnorthof thebus beneath PlaçadelPoble or,atlesscost,in Drop yourcarinthemultistorey carpark nightmare; you’re much better offwalking. tion onAvinguda deTarragona. Andorra laVella iscompact,andatraffic Call themainbussta- use buses Long-distance (Lamb of God),were (Lamb taken toBerlin % Occupying aone-timetobacco fac- 863 000toorderataxi. Museu delTabacMuseu h 10am-8pm Tue-Sat, 10am- La Rabassa ( % 741 545;Carrer , hunched ( % Agnus

403

759 ANDORRA ANDORRA ANDORRA Major, Sispony;admission€2.40; Major, 6.30pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2pmSun) 1pm &3-7pmMon-Sat,9am-1pmSun) museum. 17th-century restored andrural farmhouse Saturday. from 7amto9pm Monday to half-hour Massana about every La dino passthrough tempting. cuisineandgrills andisequally in mountain sive andmore informal.Italsospecialises Km1.5) Carretera deArinsal of more subtlefare. grills androasts,butoffers anampleselection is astylish upmarket choice specialising in Km0.5; mains€16-23) wine. ofAndorran cuisineandagoodselection areArinsal tworestaurants offering quality Massana, is to La and Pal. a brandnewcabinlift,covers bothArinsal Massana’s La 1250m pop 3000/elevation LA MASSANA the pistes. here andthe snowsare thelasttomeltfrom earlier on theplusside,skiingusuallystarts ofcolder thanthose eastern Andorrabut, Theslopescanbeconsiderably season). high (€27/69.50 perday/three days–€32/82.50in (www..com) withacommonliftpass centres) toformtheskidomainof Vallnord at least;there’s thetwo noliftlinkbetween havesana recently (administratively, fused walking. Ordino-Arcalís and,insummer,soul-stirring esque oldbridges. Upthere istheskiarea of gushing streamsfarmhouses, andpictur- most beautifulparish,withitsslate andstone Parròquia d’Ordino,forusthecountry’s CG3 continuesnorthintothemountainous and Pal, you.Fromit,the haslittletodetain and gateway totheskicentres of Arinsal Massana, 6kmnorthofLa AndorralaVella ANDORRA NORTHWESTERN 404 The four small ski resorts and La Mas-The foursmallskiresorts andLa Just outside La Massana onthe roadto Just outsideLa Buses between AndorralaVella between Buses andOr- In Sispony,1kmoff theCG3atentry NORTHWESTERN ANDORRA •• La Massana ANDORRA••LaMassana NORTHWESTERN Borda del’Aví tourist office tourist low-beamed andpopular, , ( % Casa Rull Casa issmaller,lessexpen- Borda Raubert 835 154; Carretera de Arinsal 835 154;Carretera deArinsal h , apredominantly ( % 9.30am-1.30pm &3- ( , at the base of, atthebase % 835 693; 836 919;Carrer ( % h 835 420; 9am- p @hotmail.com; d€40,half-board perperson€30; sana, hasgoodskiingandsnowboardingfor sana, it’s afurther1½totwohours of vigorous around 1½hours Fromhere, fromArinsal. and simplemealsforallcomers. just above thisnaturallake snacks anddoes refuge, mountain Andorra’s onlystaffed is west to ern extremity, atrailleadsnorthwest,then than thetitle. office. Walkdescriptionsare altogether tauter Massana La of on the Paths of the Vall d’Ordino&the Parish up acopyof For anexcellentwalkingguideinEnglish,pick Walking with avertical dropof 1010m. linked byacabinliftandhave 63kmof pistes to thePal sector. are Thecombinedstations Massana A fastcabinliftcanrushyoufromLa Skiing slopes, makingitidealforfamilies. ( après-ski scene. of Thesmallerskistation beginners andintermediates, andalively Arinsal ARINSAL &PAL SKIAREAS have roomsupconsiderably. Most brightened is onthemaindrag. none); each of theplaceswerecommend here of shadeand greenness. equipped site hasanoutdoorpoolandplenty s .com; sitesperperson/tent/car€4.95/4.95/4.95; Camping Sleeping the optionof walkdown. apleasant chairlift (adult/child €6.80/4.75return), with Serra and August,youcanridethelongLa riding,go-kartingandarchery.horse InJuly biking, time activities,includingmountain Pal, inparticular,offers awealthof summer- Activities Other point. ra’s highest walking to Coma Pedrosa % The steepish walkuptothelakeThe steepish takes From Aparthotel Crest north- atArinsal’s Hotel ComaPedrosa Hotel (PalAll accommodationisinArinsal has ) ) Thenew owners of thiswelcomingplace Between Pal thislarge, andArinsal, Between well- 737 000) ( % Estany delesTruites , 7km from La Massana, hasgentler, 7kmfromLa 737 020) Pic deComaPedrosa Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com ( Thirty-six Interesting Itineraries % (€2)fromeitherparish’s tourist ( , 5km northwest of La Mas-, 5kmnorthwestof La 327 955;perperson€8; % ( 836 613;www.campingxixerella % 737 950;hotelcomapedrosa (2260m). (2942m),Andor- lonelyplanet.com h h h Refugi de Refugi Jun-Oct) Apr-Nov; Apr-Nov; Nov-Sep; Nov-Sep; Pal , grilled meat. inArgentineanit specialises dishesof juicy taurant until 11pm,then taurant ofnear thebase thecabin lift.Apubandres- Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com beside Restaurant el MolídelaPlaça, occupies beside Restaurant the snow’saround,callby in summer,itcanbealmostmournful. When fairlythrobsafterIn winter, Arinsal sunset; Entertainment outdoor barbecuesonthesmallterrace. fondue dishes(€14)andinsummeritdoes main chairlift. andmeat Itsspecialityischeese restaurant, onitsownupthehilltowards trythis snack andsandwichjointsinArinsal, ner dailyJul-Aug) Tue-Sun, 4.30-11.30pmMonSep-Jun, lunchSat&Sun,din- otic fare chicken such asChinese (€11.50). chefs are Argentinean anditalsohasmore ex- andpizzas(both€7.50to€9.75).Butits pastas offers –andindeed as Italian theusualstaple popular place,openyear-round, billsitself elMolídelaPlaça Restaurant Eating theSolanainsistsonhalf-board. season, Inhigh intheskiseason. advance isessential wellin isawallof hillside.you see Reservation attractive views,whilefromtherear onesall have facingthefronthave abalcony;those freepool andsauna, toguests.All95rooms choicecomfortable withacovered, heated €46/66, half-boardperperson€55; operators. bar. Inwinter, it’sfullyoccupiedbyskitour ing justbehindandyoucanrelax inthecosy rooms have abathtub,there’s free publicpark- Bar Cisco Refugi delaFondue Refugi Hotel Solana Hotel €30; B&B perpersonwithshower€22.50,bathroom Hostal Pobladó AUTHOR’S CHOICE more at the heart of theaction. more attheheart point (€3perhour),andyoucouldn’tbe walkers. There’s alively barandaninternet or withotherskiers contact place tomake day walks. It’sfriendlinessitselfandagreat offonsummering inwinter andfortaking right besidethecabinlift,handyforski- h Dec-Oct; Dec-Oct; ( h As achange fromtheplentiful ( % 4pm-2.30am Dec-Apr) NORTHWESTERN ANDORRA••Ordino NORTHWESTERN i 737 999;www.hotelsolana.com; s/d ( % ) HostalPobladósits ( 835 122;[email protected]; % ps 839 599; discoteca Surf Surf ( % , upthe lane (meals €8.50-13) This isavery 835 281) ) h upstairs, noon-11pm This , and SpainspecificallyforAndorra. of issuedbyFrance uponset stamps and set diovisual (available presentation inEnglish), for nonphilatelists. There isa15-minute au- hours north fromthecoll. can enjoy expansive panoramas,is sometwo hours. Coll d’Ordino firwoodstothe upthrough dino, apathgoes 1kmeastofFrom thehamletof Or- Segudet, Walking 10am-2pm SunSep-Jun) 10am-2pm SunJul&Aug, 9.30am-1.30pm &3-6.30pmTue-Sat, adult/student€2.40/1.20; Museum; i Plandolit,the of itsrichlyor Catalan, furnishedinterior. guidedvisits,inSpanish which offers half-hour 9.30am-1.30pm &3pm-6.30pmTue-Sat, 10am-2pmSunSep-Jun) €2.40/1.20; iPlandolit d’Areny Museu Modified inthemid-19thcentury,it’snow families, theAreny Plandolits,wasbuiltin1633. The ancestralhomeof oneof Andorra’sgreat Museums beside theCG3. Esportiud’Ordinosports complexCentre & 3-6pmMon-Sat,9am-1pmSunOct-Jun) h it. sluices through is pedestrianonlyandachuckling stream are constructed inlocalstone,itsmainsquare is acharming littlevillage. Allnewbuildings Despite allitsongoingdevelopment, Ordino 1300m pop 1600/elevation ORDINO Massana andArinsal. La daily between Massana andPal. La (€0.90) between Massana andfour andArinsal, La between (€0.90)dailyalso atleastninelocalbuses Vella Massana. viaLa There forArinsal are (€1.50)leaveNine dailybuses Andorrala &Away There Getting fare. Mex inTex-(mains €10.50to€12.50)specialises regular live music.Theupstairs restaurant DJand withanightly stone walledandfuggy, ski sceneinthedownstairs bar,low-beamed, a wonderfuloldbarn.There’s alively après- In the same grounds as the Museu d’Areny groundsastheMuseu In thesame The In winter a special ski bus runs eight times In winter a specialskibusrunseight 8am-7pm Mon-Sat, 9am-5pm Sun Jul-Sep, 8.30am-1.30pm 8am-7pm Mon-Sat,9am-5pmSunJul-Sep, Pic deCasamanya tourist office tourist h (1980m),reached inabout 1½ 9am-9pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2pm Sun Jul & Aug, 9am-9pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2pmSunJul&Aug, Museo PostaldeAndorra Museo isfunandinteresting even ( % (2740m),where you ( % 737 080;www.ordino.ad; 836 908; adult/student 836 908;adult/student h 9am-9pm Tue-Sat, iswithinthe (Postal 405

, ANDORRA ANDORRA ANDORRA tinada Sun) boomerang, thisspacious48-roomhotel has meat andfish dishes (€9.50to€15). .campingansalonga.com; sitesperperson/tent/car€5/4/4; ments that nestlebesidethe CG3,northof trails leadfromthe small settle- Exhilarating Walking 6.30pm Tue-Sun Jun-Aug). sawmill is asmallworkingwater-powered Opposite gildedaltarpieces. finely wrought 12th-centuryfrescoes andfour well-preserved esque (both withEnglish option). follows a10-minute slide-video presentation Andorra’s floraandfauna. Aguidedvisit free; pretation Centre; e h T D’ORDINO VALL to Saturday. from7.15am to9.15pmMonday half-hour to/fromAndorralaVellaBuses (€1)runevery &Away There Getting filling midday a snacky, alsohasplentyof anddoes tapas taurant Quim weddings andotherrites of passage. much favoured bywealthyAndorransfor the Coma’spleasures isitssuperbrestaurant, have abalconygivingfineviews.Notleastof and Jacuzzi. Allexceptthetop-floor eyries attractive rooms,allwithparquetflooring pis son inclbreakfast €37-65,withhalf-board€48-75; family ortwocouples.Parking costs€5. two large rooms(€96)are split-level idealfora speak English,allroomshave abathtubandits attractive barisgoodvalueformoney.Staff church, this21-room family-runhotel withits pi 100; www.santabarbara-hotel.com;Plaçad’Ordino;s/d€45/60; the village. enjoys anattractive valleysite justoutside h Bordad’ Camping Sleeping &Eating 406 Hotel Coma Hotel SantaBàrbaradelaVall d’Ordino Hotel In the same village,In thesame thetiny, partlyRoman- Casa León Casa mid-Jun–mid-Sep; offers awiderange of andàlacarte tapas h Centre d’Interpretació delaNatura d’Interpretació Centre isagoodmultimediaintroductionto NORTHWESTERN ANDORRA••VallNORTHWESTERN d’Ordino Església deSantMartí ) Above themainsquare andfacingthe 10am-1pm &3-5pmor4-8pmTue-Sat) (adult/child €2/1; ) Curlingaroundthehillsidelike a ( , nextdoor,friendlyandmore % % ( % menú 835 977;menú€12.50-18.50; 837 939;adult/student/child€2.45/1.75/ 736 100;www.hotelcoma.com; perper- s Thislarge, grassyoption h (€10). ) approx 10am-1.30pm&3.30- ( h ( % Jul-Aug) 850 374;www (Nature Inter- in has some h flour and Bar Res- ( h % La Cor- Dec-Oct; Dec-Oct; Tue- 738 738 the Riudel’Angonellavalleytoagroupof per person/tent/car€3/3/3; Mitxeu Camping Sleeping there’s anoldshepherd’shut. eastwards to the way. the tod’Arenes (2539m)andPicdeCasamanya all three peaksandcontinueviatheColl king fromBordadeSorteny youcouldbag hourssummit. Inabout eight of trek- tough l’Estanyó west via 30 minutes) oracoupleof hours southand you cangonorthto ers pass Another headseastuptothe ofsettlement Count onthree hours toget there. lakes, the & the Parish of LaMassana ing Itineraries onthe Paths of the Vall d’Ordino Ordino. Armyourself with & Jul-Sep) (adult/child one way€5/4.10,return €7.60/4.50; landmark. From there, the the paved inwinter) isauseful road(closed Arcalís. in accommodation summerwalking. There’sand spectacular no area reach 2700mandprovide challenging of therugged peaksinthisbeautiful Several SKIAREA ORDINO-ARCALÍS the valley. andthesmallcommunitiesof El Serrat serve linkingOrdinoandArcalísalso Hourly buses &Away There Getting copiousmealsfor guests. does favourite withbothwalkers andskiers and friendly place,300msouthof thevillage, isa half-board perperson€33; with itsownspring. Andorra’s mostbeautifulcampinggrounds north of Llorts,it’ssmall,basic–andoneof goes southeastto goes hut(1969m).Fromtheremountain atrail road leads4kmeasttotheBordadeSorteny Restaurant La Coma (2200m)attheendof La Restaurant From A trackleadswestfrom From slightly northofFrom slightly smaller theeven Pensió Vilaró Coll d’Ordino (2713m,about1½hours), fromwhere whisksyou upto2625m. (2915m),Andorra’ssecond-highest Arans Pic delaCabaneta Estanys del’Angonella Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com Bordes del’Ensegur (1385m),atrailleadsnorth- ( El Serrat ( % % , enjoyinggreat viewsalong 850 225;s/dwithwashbasin€20/35, Estany del’Estanyó 850 022;[email protected]; sites h h Pic delaSerrera (1600m),asecondary Dec-Oct; Dec-Oct; Jul–mid-Sep) (2863m)to Llorts Thirty-six Interest- (see (see p404 ). Creussans chairlift Creussans (2180m), where (2180m),where , atabout2300m. p Collada delsMen- This simple, Some200m (1413m)up ) (2339m). (2913m, h Dec-Apr Pic de CG2, displaysabout 80vintage cars andmo- December toearlyMay andlate Junetoearly it canbecoldandwindy.There are 14lifts There’s of adecentselection runsbutgosh, better forbeginnerandintermediate skiers. 600) The slopesof the Skiing lonelyplanet.com about 1km northof Encamp, dates fromthe bone-rattlers racers. to sleek torcycles, plusover 100bicycles fromold & 3-6.30pmTue-Sat, 10am-2pmSunSep-Jun) h tomobile Museum; The Sights &Activities smoked-glass cube. 100m southof Encamp’stownhall,astriking 1pm &3-7pmSat,9am-5pmSun) ( on eithersideof theCG2.The Encamp isreally littlemore thanasprawl 1300m elevation ENCAMP and grandeur. ofrival those northwestAndorraforbeauty summer walksaroundSoldeuandCanillo theboxedskiing (see text, right ), whilein Andorrahastheprincipality’s best Eastern ANDORRA EASTERN six insummer. and Ordinoandtheskistation, (€1) between thereIn theskiseason are daily upto12buses &Away There Getting menu. offering bothsnacksandafullSeptember, LaComa Restaurant Eating lakes, the ridge toagroupof beautifulmountain eastwards acrossthehill,thennorthandover Comaleads La The trailbehind Restaurant Walking 1940m and2625m. covering 26kmof between pistes atelevations lake takes about30minutes. % Most of the 9am-9pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2pmSunJul&Aug, 9am-1.30pm , inAndorra’sfarnorthwestern corner,are 731 000; Museu Nacionaldel’Automòbil Museu Estanys deTristaina h 9am-1pm & 3.30-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am- 9am-1pm &3.30-7.30pmMon-Fri, % EASTERN ANDORRA••Encamp EASTERN Església Sant RomàdelesBons 832 266;adult/student€2.40/1.20; Ordino-Arcalís ski area ski Ordino-Arcalís ( h 10am-6pm) . Thewalktothefirst isbesidetheCG2, isopenfrom , besidethe tourist office tourist (National Au- ( % 739 , Wed-Mon Sep-Jun) great whenthesunshines butoh, howthewind ski areas of Pas and delaCasa Grau Roigare a wayof linkingintothesystem. Theexposed d’Envalira pass. and GrauRoiglieoneithersideof thePort skiers andyoungBritsoutfornocturnalfun, ofstations Pas afavourite delaCasa, of French At Andorra’seastern extremity, thelinked ski ties), are bothvery popularwithBritish skiers. has thebulkof theaccommodation andfacili- El Tarter and,2kmtoitseast, Soldeu (which is family-oriented andremains ourfavourite. has adifferent character. thesmallest, Canillo, ofEach thefive skiresorts within Grandvalira GRANDVALIRA SKIAREA 9.30pm daily. 15minutes 7amand Encamp every between (€1.25)runfromAndorralaVellaBuses to &Away There Getting Roig andPas skifields. delaCasa 1300m to2500m,givingaccesstheGrau northern endof Encamp,haulsyoufrom &Jul-Aug) Dec-Mar patron, which wasdestroyedbyfire in1972. shrine totheVirgin of Meritxell, Andorra’s architect RicardoBofill, itreplaces theoriginal signed bytheinternationally renowned Catalan Meritxell camp, theaustere (see Catalunya p299 ). Nacionald’Artde Museu now inBarcelona’s arethe apse reproductions of theoriginals, 12th century.TheRomanesquefrescoes in The skiingdiffers too. isessentially Canillo Funicamp ( is thecombinedsnowfieldsof umbilical liftandjoinforces. Theshort result agreed toinstall a er’s slopesandfortunes, after decadesofjealouslyeyeingeachoth- El Tarter andPas delaCasa–Grau Roig, ofSoldeu– resorts In thewinter of2003,theski SNOW MATES €37/97.50. the combinedarea forone/three days,cost perhour.96,000 skiers Liftpasses,validfor and acombinedlift system that canshift sive in all thePyrenees, with193km ofruns % To the right ofTo theright theCG2,3kmnorthof En- 801 060) ( h (adult/child return €10.50/7.50; 9am-9pm daily Jul & Aug, 9am-1pm & 3-6pm 9am-9pm dailyJul&Aug, 9am-1pm&3-6pm , farandawaythemostexten- loomsover De- thehighway. , thelongbubbleliftat Santuari de Nostra Senyora de de deNostraSenyora Santuari Grandvalira h operates

407 ANDORRA ANDORRA ANDORRA .ad; Plaça Major; perperson inclbreakfast Dec-Apr€40-59, .ad; PlaçaMajor; bag. yourownsleeping you need asit’soften sixand season full.Dormssleep the rest of theyear. Ring aheadduringtheski summer andasahostel forall-comers for functions asachildren’s holidaycampin dm €13,half-board€19; thequietest. from thehighway, camping groundsand,sinceit’sthe furthest h sitesperperson/tent/car€3.50/3.50/3.50; @yahoo.com; SantaCreu Camping Sleeping &Eating Majesty Aina ( below ). Insideisarare stucco round, youcancollectthekey fromHostal Esglesià deSantJoanCaselles is thesplendid11th-centuryRomanesque covers SoldeuandElTarter. A littlebeyond main roadattheeastendof thevillage, also .ad; from Soldeu). ture walk thatfollowsthevalleydownstream delGallo,aneasy6.5kmsignedna- Ruta La are endlesspossibilitiesforwalking(including swimming pool,isopenyear-round, andthere de Gel climbing routes andaclimbingwall.The clambering, guidedwalks,four a summeractivityholiday.Itoffers canyon for gentlereven base paceandisadelightful the French frontier. can zigzagallthewaytoPas and delaCasa links intotheGrandvaliraslopessothatyou a quietfamilywinter holidayspot.Acabinlift 7km toitseast,yetidealifyou’re lookingfor small bycomparisonwithSoldeu–ElTarter expandingskivillage, isapleasant, Canillo 1500m elevation CANILLO weather forecast. yourself webcamifyoudon’ttrusttheofficial latest snow conditions,includingasee-for- a rundownontheresorts and,inwinter, the more picturesque. black runsintothevillages are and steeper El Tarter are woodedand segment pleasantly can lash.Thelowerreaches of theSoldeu– 408 The website www.grandvalira.com gives Hostal Aina Hotel Bonavida Hotel The helpful adoptsan Once thesnowsmelt,Canillo h mid-Jun–Sep) EASTERN ANDORRA••Canillo EASTERN 9am-1pm &3-7pmMon-Sat,8am-4pmSun) sports complex,withitsicerinkand andafine16th-centuryaltarpiece. It’sthegreenest of five Canillo’s ( % tourist office tourist ( % 851 434;[email protected]; ( h % 851 300;hotel.bonavida@andorra Sep–mid-Jun) 851 462;camping_santacreu ( % ( h 751 090;www.vdc Jul &Aug). Thisplace v í a ferrata Christ in Christ , onthe Year- Palau -roc.com; Soldeu;half-boardperpersonwinter€30-68,sum- quieter and more relaxed. isaltogetherback fromthemainhighway, scene. El Tarter, justdownthevalleyandset hotels are here andthere’s anactive après-ski cially popularwithBritishskiers. Themajor Soldeu, thelarger of thetwovillages, isespe- 1700m elevation SOLDEU &ELTARTER and skatingbelow. entertainment youcanwatch theswimming good spotforasnackandhasfree wi-fi –for cally associate withgoodcuisine. Thebarisa plex, itisn’tthekindof placeyou’dautomati- mains €7-14) dishes ingenerous quantities. and French Catalan uptasty Luluserves Cal of character andoften packed tothegills, timate (it’sdividedintosmallbooths), full €7.50-10; are ampletoo. breakfast hasreal espresso coffee anddinners beyond.Thecopiousbuffet and mountain rooms have balconiesoverlooking theriver the musclesatday’send.Mostof itscosy andJacuzzia minigymwithsauna torelax couldn’t bebetter placedforskiers, andthere’s telecabin, theBonavidaball fromCanillo’s €34-40; Jun-Oct retera General s/n,ElTarter;retera General half-board perperson€46-83; bikes foranominalfee. local band)andguests canalsohire mountain tion (oneof the owners in a playsleadguitar walks andhikes. It’sarelaxed, laid-back op- and experiencedwalkers, canarrange nature Anglo-Andorran owners, bothskiinstructors mer €27-45; spectrum. splendid exceptionsateach endof the price winter.throughout There are, two however, Most hotels are inthrall tothetouroperators Sleeping western end of rides. horse Soldeu,does bike andwhizdown. from where youcanwalkorhire amountain reaches,August, whiskingyouuptothehigher child €8.50/7return) alsooperate inJulyand Centre d’EquitacióCalbo Centre andSoldeu(adult/ The telecabins inCanillo Palau de Gel Restaurant Palau deGel Cal Lulu Hôtel delClos Hôtel RocdeSantMiquel Hotel h h Part of thePalau sportscom- deGel ( % closed Mon&Tue excepthighseason) Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com closed May & Oct) &Oct) closed May ps 851 427;menú€14,mains€16-18,pizzas ( % 851 500;www.grupnordic.ad; Car- ) Onlyawellcastsnow- ( % The pleasant young The pleasant ( ( % % 800 840;menú€12.50, lonelyplanet.com 851 079;www.hotel 852 101) , atthe In- €11-20) El Tarter, thisattractive 54-roomhotel, built Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com are equippedwithabathtubandmosthave a and adistinctlyScandinavian feel. Allrooms haswoodeverywhereinto themountainside, h lonelyplanet.com Sun) the skislopes. onitsterraceearly tograbatable overlooking (€7.50to€9).Arriveusual pizzasandpastas reasonably specialities,plusthe pricedItalian €7-13) burgers (around€9). meals, well-filled andwhopping sandwiches terrace overlooking full thepistes. Itdoes restaurant Bruxelles Hotel Eating be deterred bythegloomyreception area. Don’t for singles/doubles)duringtheskiseason. all withbathtub.Itrequires (€80/92 half-board the Confortisafamily-runhotel, with30rooms, .ad; s/d/tr/q€58/70/95/119) costs €9. including fourforthehandicapped.Parking friendly, English-speakingplacehas62rooms, d €50-90,tr€69-124; obliged todropdownSoldeueat. Bothhotels have restaurants, soyouaren’t off). jected gondolaliftconnectingthefieldstakes thismaychange(though in2008ifthepro- skifields,pricesdropsignificantly de laCasa theSoldeu–ElTartertween andGrauRoig–Pas be- Bordesd’Envalira,equidistant ward toLes balconies overlooking theskislopes. upwards forfourstoreys, mostroomshave Hotel Village, withitsinternal atriumsoaring range of aquaticandfitnessactivities.AtSport discount attheir intimate lounges andbars. Guestsget a30% vast openspacesare broken downintomore store, where woodworkpredominates andthe of Alpinechalets onthescaleof adepartment €42-69) person Dec-Apr€68-122,May-Nov Village Hotel Sport €37-60) half-board perpersonDec-Apr€58-100,May-Nov Hotel Nordic, opposite. Parking costs€6. an extra€9.Guestshave accesstothepoolof overlookingbalcony. Those theskislopesare Borda del’Horto Austria Hotel Restaurant Fontanella Restaurant Confort Hotel If you’re prepared topush just2.5kmeast- Hotel Sport closed Nov; Thisupmarket restaurant, 1km westof This restaurant does arange Thisrestaurant of does very Aceru lc withasmallopen-air Acheerful place pn ( % ( ( % % EASTERN ANDORRA••Pas EASTERN delaCasa h 870 600; www.sporthotels.ad; Soldeu; 870 600;www.sporthotels.ad; ( ( % 735 555;[email protected]; % 852 288;hotelconfort-b.env@Andorra Sport Wellness Sport ) Next door to Hotel Austria, NextdoortoHotel Austria, Dec-Apr; Above themainroadin 851 622;mains €12-16; 870 500;Soldeu;half-boardper ( ( % % pi 871 750;Soldeu;mains 851 010;Soldeu;menú Imagineapair Thisfamily- spa withits ) h and Tue- regularly. Alsoonthemaindrag,Stone both feature dayandlive musicevery bands 282) station. station. is inakiosk opposite theAndorrancustoms 856 275; frustratingly long. impossible toget abedandliftqueues canbe from mid-February toearlyMarch, it’snear especially theFrench winter school holiday on aduty-free shoppingorgy. season, Inhigh principally toFrench visitors anddaytrippers dry andarchitecturally bleakplace,catering largest of Andorra’sskiresorts, isafairlytaw- Pas ontheFrench delaCasa, borderandthe 2050m elevation PAS DELACASA L’Hospitalet. Pas and theFrench delaCasa railheadof travellingbuses AndorralaVella, between a break from noonto3pm)until8.30pm. Bordes d’Envalira. Theyrunhourly(with Les ElTarter, passingbyCanillo, Casa, Soldeuand AndorralaVellapass) between andPas dela there are (justflashyour ski free shuttlebuses 8amand8pm.Inwinter,and Soldeubetween Vella (€2.50)andontoElTarter toCanillo runatleasthourlyfromAndorrala Buses &Around There Getting ball andoccasionallive music. hasbroadbandinternet foot- access,table Bar impressive skiingnextday. the maindrag,rockuntilfartoolate toallow its neighbour, Fat Albert,bothone blockfrom ping oncethefirst and snowsfall.Pussy Cat sceneatSoldeu–ElTarterThe night gets hop- Entertainment topped pizzasandTex-Mex. fondues(€13to€16),largedoes andlavishly chairs andbenches asheavy aschurch pews.It pair,hasrobustwoodfurnishings,its Belgian heaving pub.Therestaurant, runbyayoung is atonceintimate bar,restaurant and,below, and inthevillage of ElTarter, ‘TheMosquito’ offeringfarmhouse goodcuisine. walls, it’sacongenial, attractively restored dining. Withitslowbeamsandwhitewashed where youcanbesure tofindAndorrans El Tarter, isoneof few placesinthevalley Pas delaCasa’s All fourvillages are alsoontheroute of El Mosquit and,three doors away, h 9am-1pm &3-7pmMon-Sat, 9am-4pmSun) ( % 851 030) tourist office tourist Off the main highway themainhighway Off Aspen Avalanche ( % ( % 855 292;fax 851 974) ( % 409 852

, ANDORRA ANDORRA ANDORRA round, thevastconcrete has Hotel Central of onFrench dishes based cuisine. lunch apairofand grilledmeats.Itdoes bargain Klan, offer arange of fondues(€13to€16) Si-Ski- Époque,which alsostylesitself Belle Catalunya 12;rperpersoninclbreakfast €27-51,half-board mains €12-15,menú€9-12.50) half-board perpersonDec–mid-Apr€43-59) rer Abelletes5;s/d/tr/qApr-Nov€30/50/66/80,compulsory 410 and adjacent Plaça Sant Josep, itpoundsfrom and adjacent PlaçaSantJosep, nightlife. aroundPlaçadel Vaquers Centred or eat,itcompensates forinitsskiseason What Pas lacksinplacestosleep dela Casa Entertainment (€8.50) andarichly dinner. variedbuffet anexcellentvaluelunchtime does market, therestaurant of Hôtel Fontd’Argent but don’texpectgourmetcuisine. restaurants of aroundthebase theskislopes For more fare, substantial trythebattery of and burgers untiltheyooze outof yourears. In Pas youcaneatsandwiches delaCasa, Eating school holidays. compulsory atweekends and during French is year-round. half-board Intheskiseason, €39-63) value foryoureuro. represent, inPas currency, good delaCasa itdoes could goforthecuisine. Thatsaid, bland, unexceptionalrooms,andthesame partially orfullybytourcompanies. sincesomanyhotels arela Casa occupied reasonably pricedaccommodationinPas de July andAugust,it’salmostimpossibletofind extent, and,toalesser During theskiseason Sleeping helicopter flights. building, dogsleddingandshort, 10-minute treks,activities, includingsnowshoe igloo 053) a climbingwallandmore. squash, pools, solarium,hydromassage,sauna, ally strikingleisure complexwithswimming The Activities Activitats d’Aventura Activitats Tristaina Tristaina La BelleÉpoque laMuntanya Hotel Central Hotel in Grau Roigrunsavarietyof funsnowy Centre Esportiu Esportiu Centre menús ANDORRA DIRECTORY ••Accommodation ANDORRA DIRECTORY Thiswelcomingplaceisalsoopen ( % andoffers animaginative range 739 739;Carrer Bearn20-24) ( % ( % ( % 855 375;www.hotelcentral.ad;Car- ( % 855 173;Carrer deCatalunya12; 856 830) (Adventure Activities; (Adventure Activities; The newowners of La 855 318;fax898;Carrer is anarchitectur- Open year- More up- menú % 355 Cuban rhythms play andrumisking,a 3am) ACCOMMODATION ANDORRA DIRECTORY in thePyrenees. all directions, roadpass at2408mthehighest over Portd’Envalira withdramaticviewsin drivebe missing outonthe spectacular upand pushed fortimeortheweather’spoor,you’ll andGrauRoig.Butunlessyou’re de laCasa Pasing the2.8kmtolltunnel(€5.70)between Andorra laVella andPas delaCasa. There daily(€4.50)between are buses eight &Away There Getting Saxon heartiness. alternative totoomuch Latin Anglo- pleasant €19). restaurantand alsoapleasant (mains€13to hip pubwithitsresident DJ,alessnoisybar a smallerscale,ismore versatile. There’s the après-skiers, asdo of theBritishsnowcrowd,alsopacksin Milwaukee West EndandBillboard,bothonCarrer Maià. at onwards.Danceawayyourbruises sunset ing facilities. fireplaces anddrinkable water, butnocook- one are and free. unstaffed Mosthave bunks, are fromtheroadandallbut somedistance of Andorra’s 26 grounds, manybeautifullysituated. therecompensation are great several camping their prices. travellers. Theyalsosometimes failtopost others simplydon’ttake inindependent while times wildly,orinsistonhalf-board, some- some placesputpricesupsubstantially, months,and inJulyAugust.Duringthese Andorra asadestination. tour operators forexample,offer inBritain, istosignupforapackage.season, Allmajor the cheapest option,especiallyduringthe ski ifyou’reIndeed, inoneplace, happytostay tors comeasmembers of anorganised group. low onbudget accommodation.Mostvisi- is on‘touroeuros’, Andorra, which survives You don’t need to make reservations atany tomakeYou don’tneed reservations March to December from fullest are Hotels Vertigo, nextdoortoUnderground andon Drivers canavoid Portd’Envalirabytak- There are noyouthhostels inAndorra. In andnearby Habana ClubLatino (Carrer Bearn; Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com Underground refugis refugis Kyu h (Plaça delsVaquers; (Plaça delVaquers) (mountain huts).All (mountain 5pm-1am) ( h lonelyplanet.com afavourite , 8pm-3am). , where h 5pm- comprehensive listingand,whiletherest of d are merely indicative. the informationisreliable, thepricesitquotes lonelyplanet.com can bewet. Ordinointhe northwestand June 20°C, dropping toaround10°C atnight. tember, whentemperatures climbwellabove of thecapital. hundred metres fromthebazaar-like bustle beginsonlyafewthe soaringmountains, more than50 network of marked trails. all of refuges Andorra’s26mountain and reguts d’Andorra option isthe by theSpanishmapcompanyAlpina. Another comes onitsheels Close Éditions. (1:50,000), producedbyRando The best walking mapis Walking ( Rabassa p403 ), nearAndorralaVella. centre with 15kmof marked forest trailsatLa There’s a great littlecross-countryskiing CROSS-COUNTRY €20 perday. per day,whilesnowboardsgofor€17.50to according toresort andseason. for 15hours of pricesvarying groupclasses, if you’re inasmallgroup)and€71to€101 one-on-one tuition(much cheaper perhead normally runsfromDecembertomid-April. for beginners andintermediates. Theseason and often windieryetlessexpensive. and Ordino-Arcalís ( p406 ), ismore limited of theVallnord Pal complex,Arinsal, ( p404 ) valira skiarea ( p407 ). Skiinginthefourresorts the-minute information dorra European resorts. Touristoffices and work outcheaper of thanthose manyother boarding inthePyrenees, anditsskipasses Andorra boaststhebestskiingandsnow- DOWNHILL Skiing ACTIVITIES ’ Allotjaments Turístics, Tourist offices stockafree booklet, The best season forwalkingisJunetoSep- The bestseason The longest andbestrunsare intheGrand- Andorra’s unspoiledbackcountry, where Downhill ski-gear hire costsaround€10 Ski school costs around€35perhourfor –especiallyso Skiing isgoodforalllevels ( % 864 389; www.skiandorra.ad) 864 389;www.skiandorra.ad) Mapa iGrans deRefugis Recor- estanys ANDORRA DIRECTORY ••Activities ANDORRADIRECTORY (1:50,000),which pinpoints (lakes) liehiddenamong . Andorra but it’sfarfroma Andorra &Cadí offer up-to- (1:40,000), Ski An- Ski Guia la Vella) Creu 34,AndorralaVella) Andorra laVella); -ad.org inFrench) mas Day). Andorra) and25December (Navidad; Christ- (DíadeMeritxell,September of patron saint tion Day),Good Friday (ViernesSanto),8 14 March (DíadelaConstitución;Constitu- Public holidays fallon1January (AñoNuevo), HOLIDAYS Spain France sions inAndorra: reciprocalFrance andSpainmaintain mis- inAndorra Embassies &Consulates Spain France Andorra hasembassiesinFranceandSpain: Andorran Embassies &Consulates EMBASSIES &CONSULATES pelled bysomecollective deathwish. bendsasifpro- mountain around thetight rank amongEurope’smostreckless, hurtling Vella’s mainarteries. Andorrandrivers must jamscanclogAndorrala valleys andtraffic Roads followthefloorof Andorra’stight DANGERS &ANNOYANCES ish andFrench borders. smugglers are fairlyrigorousonbothSpan- wine, and300cigarettes. Spotchecks for of spiritsor3Lof lighterspiritsorsparkling include5LofThese stillwine,either 1.5L France oranyEUcountryfromAndorra. free allowancesforgoodsentering Spain, Tourist offices carryaleafletoutliningduty- CUSTOMS uges country. dotted aroundthehigh for free inanyof ref- Andorra’s26mountain (2756m) inthenorthwest. tothechallenging pass crosses PortdeBaiau Civera pass (2518m)inthesoutheastand Atlantic, enters AndorrabythePortdeVall ish Pyrenees fromtheMediterranean tothe fordaywalks. excellent bases orSoldeuineastern AndorramakeCanillo 73, 28009Madrid) French andCatalan;Placed’Andorre 1,75016Paris) Walkers andcross-countryskiers can sleep The GR11 trail,which traverses theSpan- Mp pp400-1; (Map pp114-15; (Map Mp pp400-1; (Map ( % 01 40060330;www.amb-andorre.ad in Embassy Consulate % % % (Carrer delesCanals38,Andorra 820 013;Carrer delPratdela (Carrer 7, delaSobrevia 91 4317453;CalledeAlcalá 736 730;www.ambafrance

411 ANDORRA ANDORRA ANDORRA Environment. cipauté d’Andorre viaFRANCE’. (except fromSpain)istoaddress itto‘Prin- one yourletter willbetransferred. kinds of postboxes, thewrong butifyouuse reliable French system. There postal are two is better routed theswifter through andmore regular French orSpanish stamps. within thecountrygofree. Youcan’tuse national mail,sinceletters fordestinations onlyforinter-within Andorra–andneeded They’restamps. validonlyforitems posted systempostal withtheirownAndorran France andSpaineach operate aseparate of itsown. service Andorra hasnopostal POST this commerciallymindedcountry. side frontcover. andATMs Banks aboundin theeuro.uses Forexchange thein- rates, see notafullmemberofThough theEU,Andorra MONEY (96.0MHz). (93.3MHz and98.9MHz); andAndorraUno Andorra 7(101.5MHz); RàdioValira Andorra (RNA;91.4MHz and94.2MHz); (ATV). alongwiththelocalAndorraTelevisiónTV, d’Andorra are Catalan, The principality’stwodailypapers, bothin MEDIA www.turismeandorra.com info. www.skiandorra.ad www.andorra.ad RESOURCES INTERNET 412 hotel association. Local radio stations includeRàdioNacional Local radiostations The bestwaytoget aletter toAndorra International mail(exceptletters toSpain) ANDORRA DIRECTORY •• Internet Resources ••Internet Resources ANDORRA DIRECTORY . Youcanwatch SpanishandFrench Diari d’AndorraDiari Siteof and ofTourism the Ministry For skiing and practical wintertime wintertime andpractical Forskiing Maintained bythelocal Maintained and Periòdic within Andorra, formation) hasmultilingualoperators. Moll deBarcelona,EdificioNord,PlantaBaja27,08039) 28001); sentatives abroadinclude: sentatives andphonecards. bothstamps ity andsell information aboutthewholeof theprincipal- smaller onesaroundthecountry.Mostcarry office inAndorralaVella ( p400 ) andseveral There’s amunicipalandnational tourist TOURIST INFORMATION tobacconists for€3and€6. etarja % by thelocalnumber. TocallFrance,dial Spain fromAndorra,dial Andorra’s countrycodeis TELEPHONE try of soread purchase, thefineprint. andneartheSpanishborder.Casa goods cluster inAndorralaVella, Pas dela French these dairyproducts. Shops selling petrol and,above all,alcohol, cigarettes and clothing,perfume, goods, sportsgear, shoes, dorra isanAladdin’scave of cheap electronic An- tax, With lowcustomsdutiesandsales SHOPPING national IDcard. forthem.Butbringyourpassportor enough that ifSpainorFranceletsyouin,that’sgood areVisas theauthoritiesreckon notnecessary; VISAS UK Spain France SW18 2RF) To phone, use eurosoranAndorran To phone,use ( Directory ( assistance Andorra’s touristoffices ortourismrepre- Some warrantiesare validonlyinthecoun- 00-33 thenthelocalnumber. % Madrid ( (phonecard),soldattouristoffices and Barcelona 020-8874 4806;63WestoverRd,London % 01 42615055;26Ave del’Opéra,75001Paris) ( % ( % 91 4317453;CalledeAlcalá73, % 93 5088448;WorldTradeCenter, 119 forinternational in- % % 111 fornumbers % lonelyplanet.com 00-34 followed 376. Tocall tel- lonelyplanet.com the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright theterms and conditionsonoursiteforalonger wayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake © LonelyPlanetPublications 413