Andorra la Vella
Andorra la Vella is the capital of the principality of Andorra. It was founded in the 9th century BC and it is Andorra's largest town. The town lies in the Pyrenees and its economy runs almost entirely on tourism (skiing) and the retailing of duty-free electronics and luxury goods. There is a lot of new architecture, but you can also still find some historical places.
The center of the town is the Barri Antic (Antique Quarter), where narrow cobblestone streets are lined with beautiful old stone houses. The most important building of the Barri Antic is the Casa de la Vall (House of the Valley), which has housed Andorra's parliament since 1702. It's a three storey stone structure that was built in 1580 to be used as the private home of a wealthy family. Above the entrance there is an Andorran coat-of-arms dating from 1761. There is only one courtroom in Andorra, which is also located in this building. It is downstairs and called Sala de la Justicia. The parliament meets upstairs in the Sala del Consell. Also in the smae building is the so-called Set Panys (Chest of the Seven Locks), where the country's most important documents used to be stored. The chest could only be opened if all seven locks where used. There where seven parishes and each representative used to bear one key, implicating that all members had to be present.
Església de Sant Esteve (the church of Saint Stephen) was built in Romanesque style in the 11th century. The oldest building in Andorra la Vella is the Church of Santa Coloma d'Andorra. It dates from the 9th century.
The main cultural center of the town is the Plaça la Poble, a large public square where Andorra la Vella's theatre and music academy are situated as well. In the evening this is the place where locals gather.
The Caldea is a huge complex of pools and saunas in the Les Escaldes suburb. The hot tubs are fed by hot water from thermal springs. The buildings resemble a cathedral and a 600 m² (6450 sq ft) large area inside is built as a lagoon. The temperature is kept tropical and the complex is an excellent place to relax after a day of skiing. All sorts of massages and Turkish baths are available as well. Caldea is about 2 km (1.5 miles) from Plaça Guillemó.
There are numerous hotels and restaurants in Andorra la Vella.
