Andorra la Vella

Overview

Cradled in a green valley, 10km northeast of Spain's Catalonian border, Andorra's lively, traffic-choked capital is the bustling gateway to the nation's spectacular mountain country. At 1023m high, it's Europe's loftiest capital. Beyond the mega-department stores, strip of duty-free shops, famous spa complex (the largest in Europe) and pop-across-the-border novelty, Andorra la Vella is a friendly-enough city with a sprinkle of charm still to be found in its valley panoramas and tiny cobbled old quarter, the Barri Antic, home to the 16th-century Casa de la Vall. But for most travellers, it's more of a well-equipped stepping stone towards the snow-dusted ski slopes, high-altitude trails and mountainous majesty of the Andorran Pyrenees.