Andorra la Vella

Andorra la Vella, Andorra

Andorra la Vella is the capital of the Principality of Andorra. It is located high in the east Pyrenees, between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish that surrounds the capital. 

As of 2015, the city has a population of 22,886, and the urban area, which includes Escaldes-Engordany plus satellite villages, has over 40,000 inhabitants. 

The principal industry is tourism, although the country also earns foreign income from being a tax haven. 

Andorra

Postcards from my trip to Andorra

Meritxell is a village in Andorra, located in the parish of Canillo in the north of the country near the French border. Our Lady of Meritxell is the patron saint of Andorra.

In the village is the Basilica of Our Lady of Meritxell, which replaces the original Romanesque style sanctuary burnt down in a fire in 1972. It houses a replica of the Romanesque carving of the Virgin that was also destroyed in the fire.

Photos from my trip to Andorra 1988

Sanctuary

  The new Sanctuary of  Our Lady of Meritxel

The Nostra Senyora de Meritxell Sanctuary is located in the central part of Andorra. It is the most important place for the Catholic Church in the Andorra. You will find there two churches: the older one, which is a monument of Romanesque Style and a new sanctuary, designed by the famous Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill. His inspirations for the project of the new sanctuary were the Andorran landscapes, its mountains and valleys. 

Nowadays, the day of the Holy Virgin of Meritxell is one of only four bank holidays in Andorra (8th September). The Holy Mary of Meritxell is the patron saint of this traditionally religious country.

Meritxell is a part of Ruta Mariana (The Marian Route) a pilgrimage route connecting 5 Marian shrines in Spain, France and Andorra, around the Pyrenees Mountains. It comprises of the following sanctuaries:

Lourdes in France
Montserrat in Spain
Meritxell in Andorra
Torreciudad in Spain
Zaragoza in Spain

Andorra

Andorra officially the Principality of Andorra  is a sovereign landlocked microstate in Southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. 

Andorra is the sixth-smallest nation in Europe, having an area of 468 km2 (181 sq mi) and a population of approximately 85,000. Its capital Andorra la Vella is the highest capital city in Europe, at an elevation of 1,023 metres (3,356 ft) above sea level. The official language is Catalan, although Spanish, Portuguese, and French are also commonly spoken.

 Incles Valley

The Incles valley is still probably the prettiest valley in Andorra,  unspoiled by ugly buildings, wide roads and traffic. Walking along this valley in spring is like walking though a botanical garden. As the valley is relatively flat, it is an outing for the entire family. Those who want to stop at the end of the valley can have a picnic surrounded by magnificent scenery.  The Incles valley is a "must" and you should not miss this almost magical place.

Andorra 1997 from me to my family

Andorra general view

 ValCasa de la Vall is a historical house in Andorra la Vella. It is the headquarters of the General Council of Andorra.  It is a heritage property registered in the Cultural Heritage of Andorra.

Ordino is the most northerly in Andorra. The town is the namesake of the Andorran legend El buner d'Ordino, in which a bagpiper from Ordino, en route to a festival in Canillo, is chased by wolves, but frightens them off by playing his instrument.

Arja and me on our way from Ordino to La Massana and to Hotel Enst.

A is for Andorra

I visited Andorra in July 1995 and sent these postcards to my family.

At that time we had three white Samoyeds, so I wanted to send this cute Pyrenean Mountain Dog puppy to our children.

 The Pyrenean Mountain Dog.

The Great Pyrenees is a very old breed that has been used for hundreds of years by shepherds, including those of the Basque people, who inhabit parts of the region in and around thePyrenees Mountain  of southern France and northern Spain.

This is the general view of the region I was wandering.

Sant Julià de Lòria is one of the parishes of  Andorra, in the far south of that country. It is also the name of the main town of the parish, which at 908 m is the lowest settlement in Andorra.

This is my first post to "A to Ö April",

although it may be a little difficult to find a place starting for example with the letter Ö :)