If you like getting out to see the world, you’ll always find a reason to visit Andorra and to come back, to discover more. Nature, with all its majestic facets, is an excellent lure; as are sports, particularly those of the winter. And of course, there’s the shopping, thanks to the wide range of stores that you’ll find along the avenues of Carlemany and Meritxell. And the very heart of that shopping district is illa Carlemany.
Art and culture are also reasons to visit this small country. Romanesque art is big here, with architecture and painting displays that speak of the styles and society of past times in these valleys.
Moreover, granite architecture affords an understanding of how the country has evolved from a more contemporary point of view, as this was a trend that took root in the early 1930s and continued until the 1960s. Hence, the typical construction techniques went from building with stone and subsequent rendering in the traditional homes, to the use of visible granite as a decorative feature. This architecture bears witness to the economic, social and urban transformation of the country in the mid-20th century.
Influenced by Catalan Noucentisme, architects primarily used this technique on hotels, multiple-family homes, chalets, schools, industrial facilities, fountains, institutional and service buildings, bridges and highway walls. Examples of this movement can be seen in all the parishes, yet particularly in Andorra la Vella and Escaldes-Engordany.
To learn more about these constructions or organise a route to visit them, please check the Museus.ad website, where you will find information on the culture and art of Andorra.