Culture

Contemporary and popular culture coexist in Andorra la Vella and mutually influence each other. Past and present, tradition and modernity, live together here and complement each other. The festive calendar follows the celebrations throughout the year.

Architectural heritage

Sculptures on the street

Andorra la Vella has, among its artistic heritage, numerous contemporary sculptures located in different parts of the parish.

More information, Tourist Office

Museums and exhibition halls

The exhibition halls and art galleries are the protagonists of one of the most active facets of the cultural life of the Principality.
La Llacuna Cultural Centre is a space where all kinds of exhibitions are also programmed.

Gastronomy

Andorran cuisine has plenty to offer, and is closely linked with its inhabitants' way of life up to the start of the 20th century.

As Andorran society was mainly built around animal husbandry, one of the staples was milk and its derivatives, including cheese of many varieties, such as tupí, which is still made in the region. And, even though most homes had hens and rabbits, the most popular meat was pork. The pork slaughter, normally in December, brings with it a wide range of cold meats, such as donja, bringuera, bulls, llonganissa and botifarra, as well as confit or salted meat.

Game has also always been popular. Jugged wild boar, izard and hare, stewed with wine and chocolate, and squirrel with rice are the most well-known dishes. As for fish, there is the Andorran-style river trout, which is prepared with almonds.

 

However, one of the Principality's most typical dishes is made with vegetables. Trinxat is made with cabbage, potatoes and bits of bacon or salted herring, in a shape similar to a small Spanish omelette. It is normally eaten in the winter. The main ingredient, cabbage, is also used in another typical dish: escudella. Andorran forests and meadows also offer a wide variety of mushrooms, which make a great side dish.

Many other simple yet tasty dishes could be listed here: coca (a kind of flatbread), chicory or watercress salad, snails, cod... Come and try Andorran cuisine!

 

Folklore and traditions

Cultural circuits

Cultural events

Cavalcade of the Kings

Escudella de Sant Antoni

Theatre season

Carnival

Andorra Sax Fest

Morabanc Music and Dance Season

Saint-Georges

Puial Festa Major

Jambo Street Music Andorra la Vella

Livestock Competition Fair

St John’s Eve – Summer Solstice Fire Festival

Santa Coloma Festa Major

Orgue International Festival

Andorra la Vella Festa Major

Dramatised tours

Rythms: Music Capital

Andorra at Table

Sant Andreu‘s Chapel

C/ Sant Andreu 16. AD500 Andorra la Vella

Located in Carrer Sant Andreu, the chapel of the same name has a rectangular foundation, its apse is semicircular, and the steeple bell tower has a single opening. Although it is difficult to date since it has undergone many alterations, some elements enable one to date it originally to the Romanesque period: the east-west orientation, the pointed arch sited on the south wall, the structuring of the apse wall and part of the nave. Another element that confirms its Romanesque origin is the 12th century reliquary coming from it which is now kept in the Episcopal Museum at Vic.

The Casa de la Vall

Carrer de la Vall - AD500 Andorra la Vella

Located in central Andorra la Vella, the Casa de la Vall is one of the best-known monuments in Andorra and offers a special perspective of the country's history and institutional system. The building dates from the end of the 16th century, and in 1702, it became the home of one of the oldest and most continuous parliaments in Europe, Andorra's Consell General, created in 1419.
It is open to the public and offers guided tours in various languages, upon reservation.

Prices

  • Standard: €5.
  • Concessions: €2.50 (groups of >10, collaborating entities and companies, foreign students, over 65s).
  • Free admission: for national schools and students, social services, people with disabilities, people registered with the Employment Service, holders of the Carnet Jove, children under 10, members of ICOM and Icomos, holders of the Magna Card,  Club Piotel's members, their parents and siblings, and all the citizens of the Principality on the first and third Saturday of each month throughout the year.
  • Guided tour: booked in advance and a supplement of € 1.5 per person.
  • PassMuseu

Opening hours
Tuesday to saturday:from 10 am to 2 pm and from 3 pm to 6 pm.
Sunday and Monday: closed.
The museum opens from 10 am. to 2 pm.: January 5th/ December 24th and 31st.
The museum closes: January 1st and 6th/ March 14th / May 1st / September 8th/ December 25th and 26th.

Casa de la Vall
Tel. (00 376) 829 129
www.casadelavall.ad

Booking center
Tel. (00 376) 839 760
museusandorra@gmail.com
www.museus.ad

General Council
Tel. (00 376) 877 877
 consell_general@parlament.ad 

Open-air Geology Museum, Rocks in the Street

The Open-Air Geology Museum, Rocks in the Street is an unusual museum that makes the most of the urban surroundings to highlight Andorra's geodiversity and heritage, through the observation and analysis of parts of our everyday lives; the shop façades of Andorra la Vella, for example, display a huge range of rocks and sometimes even high-quality fossils.

It is split into three parts:

Jardí de Roques (the rock garden), located in Parc Central, home to various types of rock that are abundant all over Andorra.

The Geological Route, which begins on Plaça Príncep Benlloch and passes through various streets in the parish, where the visitor will see a variety of rocks and minerals used to construct the buildings.

The Granite Architecture Route, which begins next to Plaça Príncep Benlloch and passes through a number of the capital's streets. Each stop shows us the characteristics of this architectural trend and its importance in the Andorran context.

Espai Columba

Inaugurated on March, 21st, 2019 the museum is the home to a collection of paintings in collaboration with Santa Coloma Church, which is located just 100 metres from the future museum.
The Romanesque paintings of Santa Coloma, dating from the 12th century and considered the most representative sample of Andorran Romanesque art in existence, were returned to the country from Germany in 2007. The paintings depict a Pantocrator, originally located in the central apse of Santa Coloma Church, six of the disciples, two friezes, and an Annunciation.

More information: http://www.museus.ad

Itinerary through granite architecture

Itinerari per l'arquitectura del granit

This open-air museum invites the visitors to stroll the streets of Andorra la Vella and learn about the important geological diversity of its buildings.

This urban itinerary is made up of 35 information panels and the shop façades of Andorra la Vella, for example, display a huge range of rocks and sometimes even high-quality fossils.

Each panel allows the observation of the building’s rock.

Arc Patrimonial -The Arc of Heritage

Santa Coloma – La Margineda

Taking as a starting point the car park at Enclar, an itinerary has been designed – The Arc of Heritage – which combines all the points of heritage interest in the south of the parish. The route is around five kilometres, mostly using paths, and can be completed comfortably in a couple of hours, allowing for a relaxed visit to some of the main monuments of Andorra: the church of Santa Coloma, the Torre dels Russos, the rock shelter and the bridge at La Margineda, and the Roureda de La Margineda archaeological site.

Tourist bus

TIMETABLES AND STOPS
From 1 June to 31 October
Prices: Sunday to Friday: €18 per person
Saturday, including lunch: €32 per person (drinks not included)
Children ages 0 to 3: free (lunch not included)
Children ages 4 to 12: 50% discount (children's menu included)
15% discount for Andorraworldfans from your Profile area.

Information and booking: Tourist Office (+376) 750 100

In summer, the Tourist bus offers  different routes, designed so that you can visit the most interesting places in the country.

Accompanied by a tourist guide, the itineraries on offer cover all the parishes of the Principality with different central themes.

 

L'Anella Verda

The Anella Verda, or Green Ring, is made up of a set of routes that show us how Andorra la Vella has evolved over the years and how its urban layout has been organised. The Rec del Solà, Rec de l'Obac and other spaces make up the large peripheral strip around the parish. This is an easy walk with little incline, which includes several signposted routes so that you can discover the geology surrounding you and its relationship with urban centres, Andorran Romanesque architecture and the rural scenery.

Nowadays there are three signposted routes.

  1. Agricultural transformation of the valley
  2. Growth and development of the valley
  3. Human beings and their adaptation to natural risks

Guided itineraries are available in summer. Ask the Tourist Office for information.

Historic centre

The Historic centre of Andorra la Vella comprises the districts of Pui, Puial, Cap del Carrer, Barri Antic, Plaça Rebés and Plaça del Poble. The Historic centre is the oldest part of the city. Its urban structure has not changed with the passage of time, with its narrow streets, little squares and some fine old houses, evidence of the traditional style of building. The Historic centre has preserved its personality alongside the growing city.

Today it is the subject of plans to reinvigorate the area, with the aim of restoring the role of the traditional trades. Many occasions in traditional Andorran culture – the intangible heritage which follows a seasonal festive cycle – take place in the setting of the Historic centre.

Guided itineraries are available in summer. Ask the Tourist Office for information.

 

Casa de la Vall

Carrer de la Vall - AD500 Andorra la Vella

The Casa de la Vall is one of the most characteristic architectural monuments in the Principality. Built in 1580, it is the old seat of Andorra's Consell General. It is located in the heart of the capital, and is a great example of the beauty of Andorra la Vella's traditional buildings.

 

Read more

The Casa de la Vall was built by the Busquets family and purchased in 1702 by the Consell General (Parliament) so as to have a seat in which to meet. The various alterations which have been made over the years, above all in the second half of the 20th century, have only served to increase the beauty inside and out of one of the most representative buildings in Andorra.

The architecture of Casa de la Vall is mixed as it includes defensive elements in a building intended for civil use: the watch tower on the façade, the battlements over the door and the tower built onto it with battlements and arrow slits in its upper part. The door is made in cut stone with a pointed arch and to its right there can be see the old coat-of-arms of Andorra, above it there is the polychromatic stone shield of 1763 and at the point of the arch the coat-of-arms of the Busquets family and the date of building.

The building consists of two storeys and an attic. On the ground floor there were once the stables where councillors coming from the more distant parishes could keep their mounts; in the early 1960s, when the house was being restored, this space was allocated for the offices of the administration of justice. Going up to the first floor, on the left there is the Sindic's office (president of the Parliament), formerly used as a meeting room for the Comú of Andorra la Vella and a school and a library, inside which there are some 17th century murals coming from the church of Sant Romà dels Vilars. In the main hall, the old dining room, we can admire some late 16th century murals representing scenes from the passion of Christ. Originally these paintings covered the whole of the walls in the Sindic's office. From the main hall one can access the meeting room of the Consell General at the end of which there is the chapel dedicated to Saint Ermengol with a plank retable and the cupboard of the seven keys in which the most important documents of the Principality are kept and which can be opened only in the presence of councillors (memners of Parliament)  from all seven parishes. From the old dining room one can also access the kitchen which was used in the past when the sessions of the Consell General lasted more than one day. On these occasions, the councillors also slept in the building in the rooms which had been built in the attic.

Next door to the house there is also a tower dovecot and, in the gardens surrounding it one can admire art objects of various periods and several sculptures, in particular "La Dansa" by Josep Viladomat.

Conjunt de Sant Vicenç d’Enclar

Sant Vicenç d'Enclar

The medieval settlement of Sant Vicenç d'Enclar is located on a hill above the village of Santa Coloma, at the foot of the Serra d'Enclar mountains. The site is an open book on the history and evolution of Andorra. From the valley, you can see the fortified church, the oldest in Andorra, dating from the 8th century. It is the only remnant of the area's past.

Starting 3 August 2023, the bell tower of the church of Sant Vicenç d'Enclar will shine again in all its splendour after it collapsed on 20 December 2019.
The church is part of the candidacy that Andorra, France and Spain want to submit to the Representative List of UNESCO World Heritage, "Material witnesses of the construction of the state of the Pyrenees: The co-principality of Andorra."

The reconstruction of the bell tower after its collapse in 2019 followed international standards to recover the high heritage value of the bell tower. Through three-dimensional virtual models and the implementation of an unprecedented georeferenced system, the technicians of the Department of Cultural Heritage of the Government of Andorra were able to identify the exact space of the 500 stones that make up the bell tower and arrange them in the same place where they were before its collapse. The small inclination of the bell tower was also corrected and an undocumented cornice was placed there in the reconstruction of 1980. Finally, intense artisanal work was carried out for the lime plastering of the bell tower and the nave.

During the intervention, a silo was exhumed again, at the foot of the bell tower, which had already been excavated in 1979 and very close by, a new silo that had not been previously documented, the fourteenth discovered at Roc d'Enclar. Both silos were used as storage spaces before the implementation of the Church of Sant Vicenç, possibly in the 8th century or the first decades of the 9th century.

Thanks to its location at the entrance to the valley and the ease with which it could be defended, Roc d'Enclar was a strategic site used above all between the 9th and 12th centuries by the counts of Urgell to control the passage from the upper part of the country. The southward expansion undertaken by the counts of Foix and their conflicts with the bishops of Urgell during the greater part of the 13th century led to the signature in 1278 and 1288 of agreements between the two lords called Pareatges. In the second of these documents, it was laid down and agreed that the count of Foix had to stop building a fortress on this site and also had to demolish what had already been built. This agreement explains to a great extent the few remains which have survived of the walled enclosure and the towers which completed it.

The inhabitation of this site lasted centuries. The material brought to light during the various campaigns of archaeological excavations, which includes a coin, remains of pottery of the Roman period as well as pottery of early Christian, high mediaeval and post-15th century times and coins from various points in the second millennium, all confirms a human presence on the site up to recent times.

The church of Sant Vicenç was certainly built at the end of the 8th or beginning of the 9th centuries; its use for worship continued until the 19th century. The nave is rectangular with no opening other than the entrance door and the door accessing the bell tower, the latter being limited by a stone transom and an arch of irregular construction; the roof is supported by wooden rafters. The apse is to the east and has a square base and a barrel vault roof. It is accessed by the narrower triumphal arch opened in the east wall of the nave. The apse is lit by two single slit windows in the east and south walls. The bell tower, which is not very high, is circular and has a single storey of windows of very rudimentary design and just under the slate roof has seven little horseshoe-shaped windows.

Church of Santa Coloma

Carrer Major - AD500 Santa Coloma

The Santa Coloma Church is a jewel of Andorran Romanesque art, and one of the oldest chapels in the Principality. The nave, built in the pre-Romanesque era, and its unique 12th-century cylindrical bell tower, make up an uncommonly pristine example of the area's history. It is located in the historic centre of Santa Coloma, an unparalleled setting which confers a special beauty to the site.

Technology currently makes it possible to witness the original appearance of the frescoes, thanks to a projection mapping you may see together with a visit to the Espai Columba Museum.

The church is mentioned already in the deed of consecration of the cathedral of Seu d'Urgell.
The pre-Romanesque church has undergone various alterations with the passage of time, among which one should note the building of the Lombard style bell tower, the restructuring of the entrance door in the 12th century and the building of a porch against the south wall and the placing of a baroque retable at later dates.
The nave, which is rectangular and has a roof supported by wooden rafters, has to its east a square apse roofed with a barrel vault and accessed by an extended triumphal arch. The outside entrance to the nave is crowned by a pointed arch decorated on the façade with a saw tooth frieze. Above the point of the arch there is a block of pumice stone with a sculpted cross. Another pumice stone cross can be seen on the upper part of the east wall of the apse.
The bell tower is a cylindrical tower about 18 m high; it is sited against the south wall of the nave, near the apse. Although the base is circular, the shape changes with the various floors. These are four in number, and each has four twin windows (except for the first in which one window is single). On the outside there is a decoration of bands and Lombard arches which frame the windows of the various storeys. Those of the uppermost storey show remains of polychromatic decoration in which the dominant color is red; under the roof two sculpted human heads are to be seen.
The church contained one of the richest and most extensive series of murals in the Principality.
Apart from the paintings, one can admire inside a Romanesque polychromatic wood carving of the Verge del Remei (Our Lady of Remedy) and the baroque style retable of 1721 dedicated to the patron saint of the church. Outside, in front of the church in the middle of the space formerly occupied by the cemetery, there is a 13th century wrought iron cross.

The Creu Grossa

Carrer Bisbe Príncep Iglesias, 2 - AD500 Andorra la Vella

The creu Grossa is gothic-style monumental wayside cross that indicated the crossroad between the old path leading to Escaldes and the one leading to La Massana.

Stone-built and gothic-style, it probably dated from the end of the 16th or beginning of the 17th centuries.
Christ on the cross is represented on one side, and on the other one you can see the Virgin and the Child. The erosion of the stone doesn’t allow the right appreciation of the sculpture’s details, even though it has preserved its beauty due to the well-balanced proportions.

The original is located at the ground floor of the Casa Comuna, the parish council administrative building, on Plaça Príncep Benlloch.

The Roureda de La Margineda

Close to Santa Coloma, to the south, is one of the great archaeological discoveries of the Pyrenees: the site of Roureda de La Margineda. Situated near the main road, high above the plain, the site is from various ages. The most important is an impressive medieval fortification, Sant Vicenç castle, built around 1190 by Viscount Arnau of Castellbò and which was the bridgehead of the Counts of Foix in Andorra until the signature of the second pariatge, in 1288. The archaeological works have not yet been completed, but there are guided tours to visit the site.

La Torre dels Russos (Enclau de Sant Jordi)

It is a private property building designed by Cesar Martinell, architect who won the Barcelona’s Architects Association award. Restored in 1997 according to the original plans, it definitely is a major example of the granite architecture.

It is probably the first building by a renowned architect. Modernist-style with some reminiscences from the Catalan cultural movement noucentisme, it is built on the property of the American paper manufacturer Fiske Warren, who wanted to bring the Fairhope Single Tax Enclave initiative to Andorra, an attempt to set up a cooperative based on member solidarity, one of the practical applications of utopian socialism. The Catalan journalist and poet, Josep Alemany, was a colleague who told him about Andorra’s exceptional geographical and political situation. Nikolay Popov, a Russian, supervised the building of the house – hence its nickname “The house of the Russians”.

The Andorran experiment was called Enclau de Sant Jordi (St. George’s Enclave), in honour of Henry George, the spiritual leader of the movement. At the height of the First World War, Andorra’s neutral status was the ideal platform to launch the project; one of the main activities was selling cod to France, using an ingenious auction system. However, due to Andorra’s idiosyncrasies and, more specifically, a disagreement of a “sentimental” nature between Warren and Popov, the Enclave dream floundered and was never spoken of again. Nevertheless, La Torre dels Russos stands as a permanent memorial.

La Margineda Bridge

La Margineda Bridge crosses the river Valira and is part of the highway which went from Sant Julià de Lòria to Andorra la Vella via Santa Coloma. It is the largest and most slender of the mediaeval bridges in the Principality. It is 33 m long, and its highest point is 9.20 m. The archstones are in pumice stone so as to keep the structure light and the walls are made mainly of the granite stones known as "valirenques" as they had been dragged down by the river Valira to the very place where the bridge now rises.
At the side of the bridge there is a work by the sculptor Alfaro which commemorated the 2nd Congress of the Catalan Language.

The Romanesque Sant Esteve parish Church

Plaça Príncep Benlloch - AD500 Andorra la Vella

Located next to the Comú at the entrance to the old quarter, Sant Esteve is the parish Church of Andorra la Vella. The present building is the result of various alterations and enlargements of the Romanesque church, the most important ones dating from the 20th century. Among these one should note the west door built by the architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch.
Of the original 12th century church there only remains the semicircular apse, part of the walls of the nave and a small apse. The apse is the largest and the most richly decorated in sculptures of the Romanesque apses preserved in Andorra; it has two double slit windows, and the quarter sphere roof is made of pumice stone. Outside, beneath the slate roof, there is a saw tooth frieze from one side to the other and below this another of blind arches, all in Lombard style; each of the arches is supported by a small table with geometrical decorations.
All the walls of the apse and the presbytery were decorated with murals, most probably of the 13th century, which are partially preserved in the National Art Museum of Catalonia. Iconographically they represent the most elaborate series in the Principality; the fragments preserved represent various scenes from the life of Jesus as well as figurative architecture and vegetable and geometrical motifs. The polychromatic beam which goes from one side of the apse to the other probably dates from the same period and must have supported a baldachin, now unfortunately lost.
Various baroque retables are kept inside: one dedicated to Saint John the Baptist (dated 1707), another to Saint Lucy, another to Holy Christ and the main retable dedicated to the patron saint, as well as the painting called "Quadre de les Ànimes" which also dates back to the 18th century.

La Noblesse du Temps

Salvador Dalí

This sculpture by Salvador Dalí, La Noblesse du Temps, is a monumental work in bronze, weighing around 1400 kilos and measuring 4.9 m high, 1.7 m deep and 2.6 m long.

It belongs to a series of large format works and symbolizes the passing of time. The clockface is set on a tree-trunk and has a crown which represents the dominion of time over humanity. In 1999 it was granted to the Andorran Government by art collector and trusted friend of Dalí, Enric Sabater.
In 2010 it was installed in its current position in the Plaça de la Rotonda.

7 Poetes

Jaume Plensa

This is a sculptural group of seven human figures, referring back to the stylites of Constantinople, and can be considered as a metaphor of the seven Andorran parishes. It is an image of reflection in the midst of the bustle of the city.

"Poets are a key piece of society. They are doomed to fail, because they know they will sell no more than a few books, but they are a source of fertility, like a fine drizzle that penetrates the earth. In my eyes, this long process, like farmers sowing their crops, is hugely valuable" – Jaume Plensa

The group stands in the Plaça Lídia Armengol in Andorra la Vella, opposite the Commune administration building and the new Parliamentary premises.

The internal garden of Prada Casadet

Carrer de Prada Casadet - AD500 Andorra la Vella

Opposite the Centre Ciutat commune parking place there is a patio, open to the public during the day, where there is an excellent display of contemporary sculpture, the property of Grup Immobiliari Cierco. Among others, we can see Overflow, by Jaume Plensa, Mobili 2001, by Miquel Barceló, Doble Imagen, by Manolo Valdés, and Robot en Suspensió, by Paul Van Hoeydonck.

Casa de la Vall Gardens

Carrer de la Vall - AD500 Andorra la Vella

Near the Casa de la Vall are three sculptures which are closely related with central events in the history of Andorra: La Morisca, by Josep Viladomat, in homage to the New Reform of 1866, the Setè Centenari del 1r Pariatge, by Luigi Terruggi, and the Proclamació de la Constitució, by Emili Armengol.

Other works

From the southern access to the parish, at the La Margineda roundabout, where we are welcomed by the sculpture by Andreu Alfaro, II Congrés de la Llengua Catalana, to the boundary with Escaldes-Engordany, there is a large variety of works spread around all corners of Andorra la Vella. Pieces – among others – by Josep Viladomat, Sergi Mas, Roger Mas, Judit Gasset, Joan Brossa, Neria Aixàs and Joan Canal. Every stroll involves discoveries.

The Somatent

The Somatent was an organisation made up of heads of households whose mission was to defend the parish. It could be called upon by the local authorities if necessary. All men aged over 16 and under 60 years were obliged to answer the call for the Somatent.

Expenses were paid partly by the feudal lord and partly by the Town Council, before a salary was guaranteed by the government through municipal taxes. Each member was expected to keep his weapon (normally a blunderbuss) in good condition at home. This is another significant part of Andorran heritage.

Esbart Dansaire

The Esbart Dansaire of Andorra la Vella is a cultural association devoted to traditional and popular dance in Andorra and neighbouring areas.

The association was founded in 1981 with the mission of gathering and reviving the country’s dances and traditions. The Esbart takes part in meetings with other associations and dance groups, and at international folklore festivals around the world, making this group a leading ambassador for Andorra’s traditions.

Gresca Gegantera

The Gresca Gegantera of Andorra la Vella is an association devoted to teaching, popularising, promoting and conserving the country’s folklore as cultural heritage, both within the Principality of Andorra and abroad, using the giant figures loaned to La Gresca by their owner, the Honourable Commune of Andorra la Vella.

La Consòrcia de Casats

The Consòrcia de Casats of Andorra la Vella meets on Ash Wednesday. This mutual aid fraternity, which came into being on 21 February 1776, certainly owes its origin to a desire curb up to a certain point the excesses of Carnival.

The tasks of the Consòrcia are to watch over the sick, accompany dead consorcians (members) to the cemetery, keep a capital fund to lend out at low interest to consorcians in difficulty and organize Carnival. But not everyone can become a consorcià: you need to be Andorran, married, a householder and live in Andorra la Vella.

Les Falles de Sant Joan

The best example of rituals associated with Earth cycles and ancestral beliefs, are, without doubt, those to celebrate the feast of San Joan (Saint John’s day) at midsummer, where they twirl flaming sticks called “falles”.
Midsummer Day bonfires burn in all the quarters of the parish. Often prepared by the youngest members of the community, this festival is without a doubt a unique opportunity for neighbours of a quarter to gather round the Midsummer Day festival cake, muscatel wine, firecrackers and the bonfire for a good part of the night. In Andorra la Vella a group of young people called "els fallaires" light pieces of birch bark, "les falles", and hold a parade during which they swing these around, tied by a string.

Portal de la Vall Madriu-Perafita-Claror

The “Portal de la Vall” is the visitor welcome centre of the Madriu-Perafita-Claror valley. It’s located at C/Prat de la Creu 74-76, at the groundfloor of the Comú building, in Andorra la Vella. In this centre, on top of finding all the information about the valley, you will be able to see the documentary by Alex Tena and Jaume Riba on the Madriu-Perafita-Claror.  You will also get the chance to sign up for any of the workshops held regularly.
If you would like to buy a souvenir, there’s also a wide range of merchandising for sale.

The opening hours of the Portal de la Vall are Monday to Friday, from 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and from 2.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.

Summer schedule: from 08:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Entry is free of charge.

Click here for more information

 

Contrapàs

The Contrapàs is the traditional dance of Andorra la Vella and its annual Festa Major, made popular in the mid-19th century.
Its name (contra meaning against, and pas, step) refers to the steps of the dance: one step followed by another in the opposite direction to the first. It is considered the origin of the traditional Catalan dance, the Sardana.

In Andorra la Vella, it is danced by the Esbart Dansaire, a traditional dance group, and by the locals. It is an old dance that has enjoyed a revival in the capital in recent years, and is at its best on the Sunday of the Festa Major.
The city of Andorra la Vella pays tribute to the dance with a monument on Plaça de Sant Esteve.

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Escudella: flavour and tradition.

In the early 1970s, a group of friends who lived on Avinguda Meritxell celebrating Saint Anthony's Day decided to mark it by offering escudella and meat stew to the neighbours around their shops, as on this day, 17th January, food was traditionally handed out to the poorest people in the parish.

Later on, because of the crowds that gathered, they decided to move the celebration into the centre of Andorra la Vella, first to Plaça Rebés, then to Plaça del Poble. At that point, the Confraria d'Escudellaires association was created, which took over the annual Saint Anthony's Escudella in Andorra la Vella. Nowadays it takes place in plaça Guillemó

Escudella and escudellaires (escudella makers) have brought this tradition, now an important date in our festive calendar, into the 21st century.

Ingredients

• ice 150 g
• noodles 150 g
• haricot beans 100 g
• chickpeas 100 g
• potatoes 1,250 kg
• leek 250 g
• carrots 200 g
• celery 200 g
• cabbage 350 g
• meatballs (*) 825 g
• white butifarra (Catalan sausage) 435 g
• cuts of pork suitable for making stock 490 g
• pancetta 250 g
• beef 245 g
• bringuera (Andorran sausage) 250 g
• bones (beef and cured ham) 135 g
• hen bones 75 g
• black butifarra 675 g
• pumpkin 250 g
Salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, flour and Andorran water
(*) 275 g of pork, 275 g of beef and 275 g or hen

Preparation

1. Bring the water to boil. When boiling, put in the bones and the pancetta to make the stock (30 minutes).

2. Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs with the pork, beef and chicken, and mix everything together with the garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.

3. Make the balls and roll them in the flour. Cook in a separate pan, and if necessary, add the meatballs stock to the escudella, (1 hour).

4. Chop the vegetables and potatoes. It is normally necessary to keep removing the froth from the stock until all is removed.

5. When the bones have been boiling for 30 minutes, add the beef and leave to simmer for a further hour.

6. After this time remove the bones and the meat and add the black and white butifarra. Leave to simmer for a further 30 minutes more and then remove everything.

7. Add the vegetables and leave to simmer for 30 minutes and add the potatoes leaving for a further 25 minutes. Add the noodles and rice. Leave to simmer for about 15 minutes and finally add the beans and the cooked chickpeas and leave to simmer for 15 minutes.

8. Meanwhile, cut the meat, the bringuera, the butifarra and the pancetta, together with the meatballs, on the same plate where the escudella is being served.

9. Keep tasting the escudella to check for seasoning.

10. Eat, if possible, accompanied by brown bread.

Bon appetit!

Trinxat

Ingredients

• green cabbage
• potatoes
• garlic
• bacon
• oil and salt

Trinxat is a simple, healthy, easy-to-make dish, usually eaten in the winter. Ingredients from the garden such as cabbage, potatoes and garlic make up this tasty delicacy. It can be accompanied with either bacon or salted herring.

Preparation

1. Cook the cabbages in boiling water for approximately 20 minutes.

2. Once done, add the potatoes cut into pieces.

3. In a saucepan, fry lightly the cloves of garlic. When golden brown, withdraw and fry the bacon.

4. Drain the vegetables and put them in a casserole with remaining frying oil. Mash with a spatula until you get a homogeneous purée.

5. Serve accompanied with the fried bacon.

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