Land of Four Seasons

Andorra, a dwarf mountainous state located between France and Spain in the Pyrenees, is one of the smallest countries in the world. Despite its small size, Andorra is an important financial center, a popular tourist destination and a duty-free zone that attracts Europeans for shopping. Let's look at what you can do in this country in different seasons.

Winter - skiing and skateboarding!

The ski season in Andorra lasts from December to April, exactly when winter sports lovers from all over the world gather here. Andorra is home to one of the most accessible winter resorts in Western Europe - the famous Grandvalira, which combines many slopes and routes of varying difficulty. The quality of the trails here is considered the best among the Pyrenees resorts in France and Spain, second only to the Alpine routes.

The largest resort in Andorra is Pas de la Casa, offering more than 100 kilometers of ski slopes. Amateurs and professionals, snowboarders and skiers gather here. The resort offers ski schools for all ages and kindergartens for the little ones. Various package offers are also available that allow you to use the ski lifts at all resorts in this country at once.

The Pyrenees also has special trails for snowshoeing and dog sledding. For lovers of cross-country skiing and sledding, there is a winter base Naturland, where you can go tobogganing or try ziplining.

Spring - spa and cultural program!

Andorra is also famous for its thermal springs and spas. One of the most famous is Caldea, which offers the possibility of visiting with the whole family or in the company of friends without any therapeutic purposes. And by the way, this resort is considered the largest spa center in Europe! Another popular spa is Inúu, which is designed for personalized treatments and does not accept children under 16. In addition, many hotels in Andorra have small spa centers offering a variety of programs. Some of them have heated outdoor pools where you can enjoy swimming and views of the still snow-capped mountains.

Spring in Andorra is the ideal time for a cultural program. In the city of La Cortinada there is a Nature Center, located on the territory of an ancient mansion of the Rossel family. Here you can learn about how people developed local lands over the centuries. Andorra also has several interesting museums, such as the Ethnographic Museum of Casa Cristo, the Museum of Sacred Art, the Automotive Museum in Encamp, the Comics Museum in La Massana, the Museum of Orthodox Icon Painting in Ordino, the Matryoshka Museum in Escaldes, the House-Museum of Rural Life of Areny-Plandolit , Forge Farga Rossel and many others. Classic art is presented at the Carmen Thyssen Museum.

Andorra also has well-preserved Romanesque churches and monuments. On its territory you can find more than 40 such monuments, including the churches of Santa Coloma and Santa Armengol, Esglesia Sant Roma de les Bones, as well as the Cathedral of Sant Joan de Caselles in Canillo.

In Andorra La Vella, the country's capital, popular places for walking are the main square Plaza la Poble and the old quarter of Barri Antique. The area is home to the castle of Sete Panis and the medieval fortress of Casa de la Vall, which is now the seat of the Andorran government. These places attract tourists for their historical and architectural value.

Summer - hiking in the mountains and shopping!

During the summer season, when the heat in nearby Catalonia or southern France becomes unbearable, Andorra begins to seem like an ideal destination for tourists who do not like to sweat. Here you can enjoy the coolness of the Pyrenees mountains and discover the beauty of mountain nature. Andorra has 54 easy trekking routes that are suitable even for children. You can stroll through nature reserves, including Madriu Perafita Claror, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This reserve is home to more than 800 species of flowers, some of which can only be seen in the alpine meadows of the Pyrenees. From Ordino you can take routes to the Tristaina Glacier Circle, Lake Estagno and the botanical gardens of the Sorteny Valley Nature Reserve. From La Massana you can walk to the Comapendrosa Valley, where tall Scottish pines grow. If you want to see the pastures and dwellings of the Pyrenean shepherds, it is recommended to take a walk around the parish of Saint Julia de Lauria.

Of course, you shouldn't miss the opportunity to go shopping. Even in usual times, thanks to the absence of duties, goods in Andorra are 25-40% cheaper than in neighboring Spain and France. And during the summer and Christmas sales season, many things can be bought at even lower prices!

The main stores are located in three cities of the principality - the capital of Andorra la Vella, Escaldes and Sant Julia de Lória. And not only in these three cities, but also on three avenues passing through the capital and Escaldes - Avinguda Princip Benlloch, Avinguda Meritxell and Avinguda Carlemany.

Fall - gastrotourism and wine!

When the summer heat gives way to cool and humid conditions in the Pyrenees, it's time to explore the local cuisine. One of the main elements of Andorran gastronomy is its amazing mountain cheeses. During the cold season, it is customary to cook raclette and fondue here. The most famous Andorran cheese is “tupi” and it is said that moonshine is used to make it! Young cheese from different types of milk is placed in a small clay pot (hence its name), then filled with milk with the addition of alcohol, olive oil and garlic and thus ripened. It is served both as a separate appetizer and as an ingredient in salads. If you're looking for the best cheese delicacies, head to Cheese's Art in Escaldes.

Andorran cuisine is also known for its sustainability. Hunting season begins in fall, so the menu often includes game dishes, hare and wild boar. The meat is stewed with vegetables and mushrooms and is called “sevits”. With the onset of fishing season, you can try Andorran trout, fried with almonds and jamon. On rainy days, you can warm up with trincia (a traditional Pyrenean dish of stewed cabbage, potatoes, garlic and bacon), escudella (a soup with seasonal vegetables and pork) or porcini mushrooms in a creamy saffron sauce with morels and hot peppers.

In Andorra today you can try national cuisine in unique high-mountain houses known as bordas. Previously used to store grain and livestock, they have now been converted into restaurants where you can taste the ancient traditional dishes of this Pyrenean country.

In addition, Andorra has very good high-mountain wine made from grapes grown in the Pyrenees valleys. Five family-run wine houses - Borda Sabaté 1944, Casa Auvinyà, Casa Beal, Celler Mas Berenguer and Casus Belli - offer a variety of wines. The tradition of producing local wines dates back to the 15th century.
   
Andorra, despite its modest size, can offer a huge variety of leisure activities that will appeal to tourists with different values. But, since the country is not part of the European Union, communication tariffs here are very high and many travelers forget about this. We advise you to remember this and purchase mobile Internet for Andorra from fedafone in advance and always stay in touch without fear of receiving a large bill!