Andorra La Vella

When asked many people first question is where is Andorra? Well it is a tiny principality country wedged between France and Spain. The present principality was formed by a charter in 1278. It is headed by two co-princes: the Bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain and the President of France. The roles are honorary and do not have any power.

Andorra la Vella is not just the capital of Andorra, it’s also the highest capital city above sea level in Europe, 1050 Metres/3500 feet, and its superb location in the heart of the Pyrenees mountains makes it one of the greenest, healthiest places on Earth. Apart from the natural beauty of its landscapes, the cultural and leisure options are reason enough to come and explore this amazing city.

We visited in September 2022 and stayed at the Best Andorra Centre hotel.

Getting to Andorra la Vella

Andorra doesn’t have an airport so therefore you have to go via France or Spain, we and got there by taking a bus from Barcelona’s Estacio del Nord to Andorra Le Vella.

There are some superb views as you travel in to the mountains.

Andorra La Vella

The old quarter of Andorra la Vella, which has a marked historical and cultural personality, is also a shopping area that complements the offer of The Shopping Mile.

Andorra is a duty free country and one of the main attractions, apart from Skiing and Hiking, is shopping.

National Football Stadium

The stadium has a capacity of 3306 and is used for both football and rugby.

Club Nautic

We found this unusual to have a sailing club in a country which is land-locked and has no bodies of water and the nearest sea is over 3 hours away.

Barcelona

Barcelona is one of Europe’s coolest cities. Whether you explore the medieval plazas, modernista masterpieces, shop along it’s bustling boulevards, enjoy the food or nightlife or soak up the rays on it’s golden beaches you’ll find it hard not to love Barcelona.

There is so much to do that one trip is definitely not enough.

We visited in September 2022 and stayed at the Hotel Jazz, one of the features of the hotel is the rooftop pool.

Basilica of the Sagrada Familia

The Basílica de la Sagrada Familia is currently the largest unfinished Roman Catholic church. It was designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926), his work on Sagrada Família is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On 7 November 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church and proclaimed it a minor basilica.

On 19 March 1882 the construction of the Sagrada Família began under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. In 1883 Gaudí took over as chief architectand devoted the remainder of his life to the project, and he is buried in the crypt. At the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete.

Relying solely on private donations it was anticipated that the building would be completed by 2026, the centenary of Gaudí’s death, but this has now been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The inside of the cathedral has pillars which represent a forest. The columns are made of different types of stone dependant on the weight of the towers that are/will be above.

The plaque above is amazing in that which everyway you sum the numbers the answer is always 33.

Arc de Triomf

The Arc de Triomf (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈaɾk də tɾiˈomf]) is a triumphal arch which was built by architect Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas. This was designed to be the main access gate for the 1888 Barcelona World Fair. The arch leads to the Ciutadella Park.

Ciutadella Park

Ciutadella Park, Parc de la Ciutadella, was created in the mid-19th century and for decades this park was the city’s only green space.

Plaça de Catalunya

Plaça de Catalunya referred to in English as “Catalonia Square” is considered to be both the centre of the city.

The plaza occupies an area of about 50,000 square metres. It is especially known for its fountains and statues, its proximity to some of Barcelona’s most popular attractions, and the flocks of pigeons that gather in the centre.

Some of the city’s most important streets and avenues meet at Plaça Catalunya: Passeig de Gràcia, Rambla de Catalunya, La Rambla, and Portal de l’Àngel, in addition to Ronda de Sant Pere, Carrer de Vergara, and Carrer de Pelai.

La Rambla

La Rambla is probably the most famous street in Barcelona. It is a tree-lined pedestrian street which is 3/4 of a mile (1.2 km) from Plaça de Catalunya in its centre to Port Vell.

It contains shops and bars aplenty.

If you lookup when walking down La Rambla you will see some amazing buildings.

Barcelona Cathedral

This is known as the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulaliais and is one one of the largest and most impressive churches in Catalonia.  

Established in the 14th century, the Cathedral was dedicated to the city’s co-patron Saint Eulalia. Eulalia was a martyr who lost her life after refusing to dismiss her belief in Jesus as the son of God. Her tomb lies in a crypt within the Cathedral. 

This magnificent church stands as the official seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona and is known for its stunning Gothic-style architecture.

You can get a lift to the top of the cathedral which gives amazing views over Barcelona, definitely worth going up.

Camp Nou

Camp Nou, meaning new field, often referred to in English as the Nou Camp is one of the most famous football stadium in the world and is home to FC Barcelona. It was completed in 1957 and has a seating capacity of 99,354 It is, as at September 2022, the largest stadium in Spain and Europe, and the fourth largest association football stadium in the world.

The stadium has become dated and is being replaced by a new stadium which is due to open in the 2025/2026 football season and will have an even bigger capacity.

The stadium even has it’s own chapel, we could do with one of these at the BET365 to give us devine inspiration.

Antoni Gaudi Building

Antoni Gaudí is most famous for the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia but he was also involved in the design of other buildings in Barcelona. there are some examples below.

Beach

When you mention Barcelona many people do not realise that it sits on the coast. There are some great beaches so close to the city.

What a difference a day makes, the picture above was taken on Saturday 24th September and the one below taken the following day.

Festes de la Merce

Saints Days has been the city’s most important festival since 1977 with plenty of music, performances and parades. In Barcelona this started on 23rd September.

Horses starting the parade not far from our hotel.

This was called King Charles, we don’t know if that was just a coincidence.

We are not the only nation in Europe to have morris dancers, here is the Spanish entry.

Fireworks view from the top of our hotel.

Decorative Buildings

Barcelona is a city where you should definitely look up and admire the architecture. Here are some examples of the beautiful decorations that appears on buildings.