OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2012
WIZZ MAGAZINE
55
W
ith the world’s fourth highest life
expectancy (fellow tax haven
Monaco claims top spot), Andorra
nonetheless makes its money from tourism.
Some 10 million visit each year to enjoy its
easygoing, intermediate pistes. Its appeal has
traditionally lain in being rudimentary and
down-to-earth.
But not any more. Recently this tiny Pyrenean
principality and Catalan stronghold has done
some serious social climbing, investing tens of
millions of euros in a makeover replete with
smart hotels, five-star ski lifts and snowmaking
facilities. Fortunately, it hasn’t had to actually
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move any mountains in the process; at 1,023m,
Andorra la Vella is Europe’s highest capital, and
the principality’s 468 sq km cram in 65 peaks
above 2,500m. Despite its southerly latitude –
it’s on a par with Perpignan – the snow record is
surprisingly good too.
Andorra remains a great place for pistes
and pints, with lively bars and late nights – but
these days the pistes are a little smoother and
the pints a little dearer. So if you fancy a whole
country’s worth of ski and après-ski, from the
high-altitude slopes of Grandvalira and the
bars of Arinsal to the wild freeride of remote
Arcalis, Europe’s sixth smallest nation awaits.
