Andorra la Vella, Andorra (Capital)

Andorra la Vella, Andorra (Capital) (5/1/2013) – Welcome to Europe’s tax-free heaven where the French and Spaniards flock to buy almost anything you can think of.

Andorra has over 2,000 shops and shopping is one of the main things to do in Andorra's capital city of Andorra la Vella. It’s duty-free shopping makes things significantly cheaper. The city is filled with many shops offering electronics, watches, perfume, etc. Being at an elevation of 3,356 feet, Andorra la Vella is the highest capital city in Europe.

Nestled in a valley with beautiful views of mountains surrounding it, Andorra la Vella is a small town that is easy to walk. The oldest part of the town, called Barri Antic (Old Quarter), is a good place to base your explorations of the city.

There is plenty of shopping, nice restaurants, and interesting pedestrian-only winding alleys to explore.

More about Andorra... The independent of country of Andorra is a very small mountainous country in the eastern Pyrenees Mountains, between France and Spain with a population of about 86,000. Being only about 180 square miles in size, you can drive across it within an hour. Andorra has a prosperous economy with tourism as its mainstay, accounting for about 80% of its GDP. Attracted by Andorra's duty-free status and by its summer and winter resorts, an estimated 9 million tourists visit annually.

Andorra has popular ski resorts offering the best skiing in the Pyrenees mountains. You can take one of only three main roads in Andorra and discover some of the most dramatic scenery in all of the Pyrenees. 

Some history... For 715 years, from 1278 to 1994, Andorrans lived under a unique co-principality ruled by the French and the Spanish. Because of this, Andorra retained its independence. In 1993, this feudal system was modified with the government transformed into a parliamentary democracy. 

Long isolated and impoverished, mountainous Andorra has achieved substantial prosperity since WWII because of its tourist industry and being a tax haven resulting in the construction of modern banking offices in Andorra La Vella. Many migrant workers are attracted to the thriving economy with its lack of income taxes.

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