Andorra
Andorra is a small country located between France and Spain, its population of less than 100,000 are majorly Roman Catholics. Andorra de Vella, the capital city of Andorra, is 1000metres above sea level. The national dish in Andorra is escudella, which consists of meat and other ingredients such as potato, cabbage and peas.
The official language of the country is Catalan, although Spanish, Portuguese and French are also spoken. Andorra has one of the highest life expectancy rates and is a quite popular tourist destination, it gets about 10million visitors annually.
There are no airports in Andorra, international airports are in neighbouring countries, where you can travel by road into Andorra. Bus travel is a popular mode of commute, you could also travel by car or try cycling, which would serve as transport and sport.
Andorra is a relatively safe place to visit, however, there could be avalanches in winter. Andorra is a mountainous country with very cold winters, although winter is great for skiing. The climate of Andorra is dry and the average temperature in winter is 20C while in summer it may reach 200C. It enjoys about 250 days of sunshine in a year, summer is a good time for excursions.
Despite being a small country, there’s a lot to do and enjoy in Andorra. Some festivals in Andorra are:
- Andorra International Jazz Festival, which holds in July and attracts international jazz acts.
- Horizon festival, a ski festival held in the resort town of Arinsa.
- Andorra la Vella Festa Major, held in the first weekend of August.
- Narcisco Yepes International Festival, held in honour of Narcisco Yepes, a famous guitarist.
- International Women’s Clown Festival, where female clowns perform.
Andorra has something for everyone, from ski resorts to shopping tax-free to Museums, there’s plenty to do and see. Some places of interest include:
- Soldeu Ski Resort, located in Soldeu, it also has a snow garden where kids can play.
- Grandvalina Ski Area, which has ski schools and alpine winter sports take place here.
- Museu Camen Thyssen Andorra, a museum where you can see artworks by top artists.
- World Champions Museum by 99 and National Automobile Museum, where fans of motorsports can view displays of cars, bikes and even bicycles.
- The commercial centre - Centro Commercial Pyrenees Andorra, where you can enjoy tax-free shopping.
- Natural park of the Valle del Sortery, which offers guided tours.
There are numerous hotels in the country to cater to the millions of tourists it gets yearly.
