Dude, a famous French writer in the 19 th century, once said, “What kind of traveler is Andorra if you haven’t been to Andorra?” When I saw this sentence, I really didn’t know where Andorra was. I opened the map and looked for it for a long time, and finally found it between France and Spain. If I didn’t know it deliberately, I think many people would regard it as a border city between these two countries.
It was indeed difficult to get to Andorra, and I suddenly understood the meaning of Dude’s sentence. First, take the train to Toulouse, a city in southern France, and then change to the train again to the small town on the border between France and Andorra. As there is only a bus to Andorra in the morning and night, I stood on the road and made a hitchhiking gesture, waiting for nearly half an hour before getting on the bus and entering Andorra smoothly. This is not over yet. The vehicle only drove to the small border town of Andorra. After getting off and changing to the local bus for an hour, it finally arrived in the capital Andorra la Vella. After arriving, I gave birth to a feeling of “crossing the mountains to see you” in vain.
It is a small landlocked country located at the junction of France and Spain, with an area of only 467 square kilometers. This small country is also a mountain country, with mountains and valleys all over the territory. The average altitude of the whole country is more than 1,100 meters, making it the highest country in Europe. Talking about this country seems to be the product of the struggle between France and Spain. As early as 1278, France and Spain signed a peace treaty, and both enjoyed administrative and religious power over Andorra. However, in the following hundreds of years, the conflict between the two countries for Andorra continued to occur. Finally, in 1993, Andorra declared a sovereign country through a referendum and joined the United Nations in the same year.
When you walk into the capital Andorra la Vella, you will have a feeling of crossing. Because it has been isolated from the world for a long time, it has retained more medieval features than other European countries. Surrounded by valleys and lakes, there is a mountain stream passing through the city, which adds a fresh feeling to the whole city, so it has also become a place for many people to travel and relax.
In Andorra, tourism is the first fiscal revenue of the whole country. Andorra has a population of about 90,000, but it receives nearly 10 million foreign tourists every year. Besides the beautiful and quiet environment here, one of the reasons for attracting tourists here is that it is a tax haven. In Andorra, all goods are duty-free, and the prices of most goods are much higher than those of other European countries. Therefore, all kinds of world-famous goods are gathered here, which can be called a shopping paradise in Europe.
The variety of goods here is complete, bringing together the characteristics of European countries. Swiss watches, French wine, German electronic products, Spanish clothing, etc., the key point is that they are much cheaper than other countries. Andorra is rich in cigarettes and cigars, so many people come here to buy cigarettes.
Looking at the dazzling array of goods and the endless flow of tourists in the streets, I can’t help feeling that such a small country can attract tourists, which shows its charm. Here, the quaint medieval architecture and modern fashion streets blend with each other, prosperity and nature are combined here, and you can buy some cheap things conveniently. Who doesn’t want to come and have a look?
After leaving Andorra, I returned to France again. On the train, I met an old French man who was hitchhiking with me on the side of the road just now. I saw that his bag was bulging, so I asked him what he had bought. He opened the bag and showed it to me. It turned out that he had bought several cigarettes, and they were cigarettes. I suddenly laughed. Yes, I go over the mountains just to see this small country, while some people go over the mountains just to buy a few cheap cigarettes. This is the charm of Andorra.