Andorra: don't walk on by
- attrillhelen
- Jun 21, 2024
- 7 min read
“It’s ever so ‘portant how you walk’.”
– A.A. Milne (Winnie-the-Pooh)
View from hotel window at the top of Arinsal, the northern most point of Andorra and Europe
Standing at the highest mountain of Andorra[1] (and indeed Europe) my legs were starting to quiver. My rigorous gym training of squats and lunges, stair climbing, yoga and running proved inadequate to cope with the steep climbing, stream leaping and balancing on unsteady rocks over the several hours I spent at Comapedrosa National Park, attempting the ‘pic de’ Comapedrosa. I had already passed by the ‘Camp de Refuge’, a hut with facilities which is a hike in itself; up until this point, the route was considered moderate whilst the last 862 m are considered difficult. This was reiterated by the staff at the hotel I stayed at who warned me that there may still be snow, preventing me from reaching the top. I visited in early June, whilst official hiking season doesn’t commence until late June. At this point the prevalence of snow was increasing, and I found myself in front of a huge slab of snow under which I viewed a rapidly moving waterfall.
Snow and a waterfall blocking the path to the Pica de Comapredrosa
Hikers just past the Comapredosa Refuge
During the hike I had been overtaken by a group of four people, possibly in their twenties and I could only just see them way ahead appearing to have slowed down as they navigated their way around the steep mountain. I could see their footprints through the snow in the direction of the coloured trail markers on the rocks. Knowing that I still had at least one hour to go and that I would also need to navigate my way down the steep slopes, on my own, I made the difficult decision not to proceed any further. After making it down and back past the refuge, I was happy to pass a group of teenagers, their leader, teachers and a pet dog; the kids were struggling loudly but happily as they made their way up the ascent near the refuge. A chorus of “hola”, “buenos dias” (even though it was afternoon) and other such greetings ensued; one young man even uttered, with practised English “Madam, what a lovely day it is”. Later on the group leader (and his dog) passed me on his way back to town and I learnt that the group were staying the night (with their teachers) in the refuge (which is fully equipped with dorms, a kitchen and bathroom) and would not be attempting the main mountain at all. This made me feel proud that I had actually made it further than the teenagers, on that day anyway.
Looking down, almost from the top of the Comapedrosa
Many rivers (or streams) to cross when hiking in Andorra.
Comapedrosa is the highest mountain in the principality of Andorra and part of the township of Arinsal. It was no coincidence that I chose to stay in Arinsal, and that the bus stop adjacent to my hotel was the second last stop at the end of the line. To reach the micro country of Andorra, one usually travels via Spain or France as it is sandwiched between the two. I used its location as an excuse to return to Barcelona (but does anyone need an excuse?) and spent five days there prior to taking a bus directly from the Barcelona Airport to Arinsal. Despite my tendency to overplan, somehow I missed the first bus I booked (blame the taxi drive that dropped me in the wrong spot and two bus drivers that gave me incorrect information as to the location of the bus pick up spot) and was forced to book another one online using my phone. This is how I became aware of the farmer’s strikes that were happening in Spain and that this event may cause a delay. Once I had booked the bus, I received notification from the bus company that this was the last bus of the day and that all other ones were cancelled. Relieved when I finally took my seat on the bus, I breathed in the majestic views of the Montserrat Mountain range on my right side and the charming Pyrenees towns with narrow roads that we passed through. Soon, from my google maps location I guessed that we had just entered Andorra but not the border, however, the bus pulled into a bus location and the drive spoke to us, first in Catalonian and then in simplified English. The Asian passengers to my left, looking confused, asked if we were in Andorra yet? ‘Change bus’ I explained, to which they acknowledged that they understood and we hastily grabbed our belongings and found ourselves split between two smaller buses. Although there was no explanation given, the reason became apparent as we drove to the next stop and were again asked to take all our luggage and start walking. The striking farmers had completely blocked off a major intersection and were all sitting at picnic tables eating, drinking and socialising whilst we passed by them with our luggage. After walking perhaps a kilometre, we were ushered onto yet two more buses and headed towards the border. I had read conflicting advice about whether we would need to do any border procedures but understood when we were told to again get off the bus. The other tourists again looked confused, so I told them “Passports” and we all headed to the border, walking from window to window with no one to tell us where to go. Eventually a window opened, our passports were hastily grabbed, and then handed back. One of the border guards said something in Catalan, pointing to the sky; she was warning us of an impending storm. Protecting our passports, we rushed back to the buses and proceeded towards Andorra just as the heavens opened. At La Vella (the main city) everyone disembarked except me as I was heading to Arinsal, which was the highest point and at the end of the bus route. Many tourists only visit Andorra as a day trip from Barcelona and mainly explore the city, perhaps for the tax-free shopping, I was about to spend one week in Arinsal, end of the line but perhaps the most renowned location for hiking and trekking in Summer (and skiing in Winter).
The view from my aparthotel window in Arinsal
The Comapedrosa tunnel all must walk through before beginning the trek.
La Noblesse du Temps (The Nobility of Time) by Salvador Dali in the centre of Andorra La Vella.
Andorra was to be the ‘half-time’ of my five-month 2024 travels and I had decided to spoil myself with one week of one of the most beautiful mountain views from a hotel balcony. I thought that even if it rained the entire time, I would still have this view and a comfortable apartment all to myself. It did indeed rain but only on my arrival day and on the last day, allowing me perfect weather for hiking.
I also visited Andorra La Vella, the capital city for the day; I had booked a 'free' tour only to find it cancelled upon arrival; there was enough however to keep me entertained and satiated in the city sans tour though, so all wasn't lost. My first stop was at the famous Salvador Dali sculpture La Noblesse du Temps (The Nobility of Time), which is located in Plaça de la Rotonda. In typical Daliesque stule, the sculpture displays a melting clock. The clock, most famous in Dalí’s painting The Persistence of Memory, represents the passage of time. The softness of the clock supposedly represents how human perception seems to influence the passage of time, but there are numerous other Freudian connotations to this flacidness! The dark storm clouds in the background on the day I visited were suitably fitting.
In addition to the melting clock, the statue features several other figures. The clock is mounted on a large tree, whose roots penetrate a platform of brick. This theme of decay and renewal is ever-present in Dalí’s work. An angel sits to one side, lost deep in thought, or perhaps in mourning. On the other side, a woman stands up from a bath, looking brightly ahead to the new day. With a Surrealist dynamic, the sculpture shows a contrast between ideas of uncertainty and courage. The five meters tall sculpture was gifted to the government of Andorra by Enric Sabater, who was Dalí’s agent between 1968 and 1982. Today, it is one of the most notable landmarks of Andorra la Vella.
Obligatory Selfie in front of the Andorra La Vella sign, Andora La Vella, of course
Street decorations in the shopping district of Andorra La Vella.
Andorra is a popular tourist destination with around 5,000,000 tourists annually which is more than five times its population. Andorra is undoubtedly synonymous with nature with more than 90% of the country being made up of mountains, forests, rivers, lakes and meadows, all of which I experienced in my week in the micro-country.
Fertile land just around the corner from my aparthotel in Arinsal
Given its small size, Andorra is one of only a few countries in the world with two heads of state. These are the Archbishop of Urgell and the President of the Republic of France, who are jointly known as the Co-Princes. Andorra has no standing army but has signed treaties by which Spain and France provide defence assistance and protection. It has a small volunteer army which is purely ceremonial in function. The paramilitary GIPA special forces unit of the national police is trained in counterterrorism and hostage rescue. Andorra has two treaties with France and Spain, which include a clause that if Andorra’s sovereignty was to come under grave threat, both France and Spain would consider it their duty to discuss the situation with the Andorran government and take necessary measures. Therefore, the European nation which has a population of only 79,000 has never had to worry about raising an armed forces of its own.
There is evidence of human inhabitation of Andorra from the pre-historic to the Roman era, but it is written that Charlemagne (King of the Franks and Lombards in the 7 and 800s) founded Andorra in the year 805 in recognition of the help provided by local people in their struggle against the Saracens[2]. However, the first document that mentions the country is the act of consecration of the Cathedral of Santa María d’Urgell in the middle of the 9th century, which appointed the parishes of Andorra as the fiefdom of the Counts of Urgell.
Andorra la Vella is officially Europe’s highest capital. It is 1,023 metres – 3,356 feet – above sea level so not high enough for altitude problems but certainly high enough for snow to still be very present in early June. Despite not reaching the very top, I felt privileged to have experienced a week of the micro-country of Andorra, participating in several mountain hikes in Arinsal, the highest part of the country and a day out in the city of Andorra La Vella.
“Great things are done when men and mountains meet; This is not done by jostling in the street.” —William Blake
2,942 m (9,652 ft)
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