The Hixson Holiday Headlines: Andorra

Andorra, Easter Sunday-Wed, April 5-8, 2026

We arrived in the city of Andorra de Vella in the early evening.

We stayed two nights in he Hotel Starc.

On Easter Sunday we explored the city center of Vella, the capitol of Andorra and the old quarter, Barri Antic. This river, Gran Valira, runs down the middle of the country through every city/town that lies in the valley.

An unusual sculpture in the city center.

Entrance into a restaurant .... floral bear on skis.

La Vella is a very cosmopolitan city known for it bountiful name brand shopping.

Streets were packed with shoppers.

Built in the valley, the town is surrounded by

tall mountain peaks. Sometimes structures are built right on the existing rocks

I love the old structures made of stone.

Love the primrose and tulips...signs of spring.

Another building constructed right up to the existing rock.

St Esteve Church

Larry joined in for a little table tennis with local kids.

We enjoy exploring these narrow paths through the old structures.

The architecture is outstanding.

The stone work is intricate in Vella.

Combination of old and new. The round corners look ancient.

Man looking at the mountain statue.

We enjoy coming up on the old methods of getting water.

Fountain Placeta Monjo preserved from

long ago.

New building on the left and old on the right

Front view of St Esteve Church

Encamp, Andorra

On Tuesday we moved to a home exchange in Encamp.

Christina shared her lovely two bedroom, bath and half. She also wanted to share her moto with Larry, but only had one helmet so we didn't take advantage of that opportunity.

A lovely terrace was in the back. We enjoyed every evening there.

On Tuesday our exploration led us to the northwest to snowy mountains.

The snow on the mountains was very captivating.

Pal Arinsal Ski Resort

This was the last day of the ski season for Pal Arsenal.

They always close after the Easter holiday.

Sornas had a gorgeous rushing stream and

healthy horses.

Larry and I enjoy the picturesque old bridges in the area.

They had very rugged pavement.

We drove further west to another ski resort.

Snow higher than the car....tickets are issued when you don't have your socks (chains) on your tires. LOL!

Snow is melting to cause this rushing waterfall.

Small ancient village of Llorts

The next day we headed south to Fontaneda, south of Vella.

What a road....right through the valley and swerving up the mountainside.

The rock walls are everywhere.

We have passed numerous signs of cow warnings.

They must occasionally get loose and wander on to road. Today is the first time we spotted cows.

La Fontaneda...a village of ancient and new buildings.

What a view they have!

Church of St Michael

The back of St.Miguel, built around the 11th-12th century

More marvelous stone walls on the way to

Auvinya, a village of pretty medieval stone structures.

The archways were phenomenal.

This house had an interesting folklore. When disputes among the villagers were resolved amiably, a key to heaven was issued.

To see so many keys displayed, was a sign of many settled disputes.

Such detailed metalworks

Andorra flag

Andorra has a huge amount of condos and apartments. It is rare to spot a single family home. We found that one third of Andorra's population are permanent residents. One third of the population is second homes and the last third of the population is investment properties.