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Free countries. Freedom in the world: Andorra took the 16th place in the list of “free” countries in 2016, according to the rating of the public organization “Freedom House”

Free countries. Freedom in the world: Andorra took the 16th place in the list of “free” countries in 2016, according to the rating of the public organization “Freedom House”. The ratio of the Principality is 96 out of 100, according to the website of the organization.

International human rights organization Freedom House published a report “Freedom in the World 2016”. This public organization prepares reports on the status of freedom in different countries around the world and appropriate ratings on the basis of its own methodology since 1973.

The report “Freedom in the World 2016” includes an analysis of 195 countries, as well as some territories which have no official state status. Participating in the rating of the state are divided on the principle of “free,” “partly free” and “not free”. The status of freedoms in the state associated with all aspects of this concept is evaluated by one‑hundred scale rate where 100 points is a measure of max freedom, and 0 points shows the lowest indicator. The General methodology of analysis is presented in the organization’s website.

The main conclusion contained in the report, is that an indicator of the level of political, civil (and other) freedoms globally is declining for more than 10 consecutive years.

“The world was battered by crises that fueled xenophobic sentiment in democratic countries, undermined the economies of states dependent on the sale of natural resources, and led authoritarian regimes to crack down harder on dissent. These developments contributed to the 10th consecutive year of decline in global freedom.

Welcome to multilingual Andorra – the country where speaking 3 languages is normal, says British writer Clare Allcard

When I first came here over 30 years ago, Andorra had three official languages: French — in honour of her 700 year connection to France, her powerful neighbour to the north. Spanish in honour of her 700 year connection to Spain, the powerful neighbour to the south and Catalan because it is the language of the Andorrans, dating back to medieval times and before when their country was a fiefdom of the Kings of Aragon and Catalonia.

As I already spoke French moderately well, I decided, on principle, to learn one of the other languages. At that point I didn’t realise the importance of Catalan to national identity, so I opted for Spanish — our boat was moored in Spain. It took me more than a year to discover that actually Catalan was what I should be learning, if for no other reason than as a polite sign of respect to my host country. For the next 15 years I was totally confused and communicated through ‘Spatalan’, plus enthusiastic hand signals.

I have a comic memory of those early days to understand what multilingualism is. I was religiously going to the Government’s free, weekly Catalan classes but I found, each time I went into a shop to practice by saying ‘Bon dia!’, the shop assistant replied ‘Buenos dias, Señora.’ Was this perhaps some ritual like that in Swahili where a formal greeting between two people has a set script of seven phrases starting with ‘Hujambo’ and ending in ‘Asante’? If someone said ‘Buenos dias’ to me, was I supposed to reply ‘Bon dia.’? But no, it turned out that it was probably a leftover from Franco’s dictatorship. Then Catalan in Catalonia was only spoken freely in the home. When outside the home, on the street and to foreigners, people spoke Spanish, indeed speaking in Spanish to foreigners was considered by many as a courtesy, and this courtesy had lingered on amongst the Spanish shop assistants in Andorra — and only served to increase my ‘Spatalan’ confusion.

Os de Civís

Os de Civís — an interesting tourist spot near Andorra

Os de Civís is a village in the central Pyrenees mountains, in the municipality of Les Valls de Valira in Catalonia, Spain, and is located to the west of Andorra, near the villages of Aixàs and Bixessarri.

This is a village you can reach from Andorra without passing the official border. There is any border control between Andorra and Spain at this road at all. It takes about 10 minutes to reach the city from Sant Julia de Loria (by CG6).

The city is situated on the territory of the Spanish National Park L’Alt Pirineu. 5 hikind routes of different complexity through the park are available from this city.

Two hotels are available to stay in Os de Civís for a night (L’Hotel Os de Civís and L’Hostal La Font).

Tournedos with black truffle sauce, sweet potato chips and a Bavarian garnish

Tournedos with black truffle sauce, sweet potato chips and a Bavarian garnish

Portion for 4 people

Ingredients:

4 slices of veal fillet, 300g each

Olive oil, salt and pepper

For the sauce:

2 medium shallots

1 fresh truffle (50 g)

100 grams of foie gras (half‑baked)

30 g of butter

A small glass of cognac for the flambe

A teaspoon of black caviar

200 ml of Madeira or Port wine

0.75 ml of truffle juice

250 g of olive oil (to deep fry)

For the garnish:

2 sweet potatoes

Bavarian vegetables

2 eggs

100 ml of milk

100 mg of sour cream

Salt, pepper and nutmeg

Oil infused with truffle

Sprigs of rosemary, thyme or frozen parsley

How to prepare tournedos with black truffle sauce, sweet potato chips and a Bavarian garnish?

Pork carpaccio with autumn fruits

Pork carpaccio with autumn fruits

Ingredients:

5oo g of pork ham

Olive oil

Pear, apple, fig, pomegranate and other seasonal fruits

Fresh herbs, spices

White truffle (aestivum)

Salt and pepper

Onions

Small cherry tomatoes

How to prepare pork carpaccio with autumn fruits?

Cocktail of cod, vegetable ratatouille and crispy parmesan cheese

Cod, vegetable ratatouille and crispy parmesan cheese cocktail

Ingredients:

500g of salted cod fillet

100g of olive oil

1 clove of garlic

Cayenne pepper

Finely chopped parsley

1 glass of milk

100g of apple puree

For the ratatouille:

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 onion

1 clove of garlic

1 zucchini

1 eggplant

2 ripe tomatoes

10g of tomato paste

1 glass of white wine

300g of grated parmesan cheese

1 spring onion

Greaseproof paper

How to prepare cod, vegetable ratatouille and crispy parmesan cheese cocktail?

Venison medallions stewed in their own juice with rosemary

Venison medallions stewed in their own juice with rosemary

Ingredients:

1 boneless venison thigh

Salt and pepper

Rosemary

150g of pork bacon

1 onion

1 carrot

1 stalk of celery

1 clove of garlic

1 ripe tomato

1 glass of red wine

Demi‑glace sauce

Mashed potatoes to garnish

How to prepare venison medallions stewed in their own juice with rosemary?

A salad of dandelions (xicoies), which grow at the foot of high mountains in early spring, just after the snow has gone

A salad of dandelions (xicoies), which grow at the foot of high mountains in early spring, just after the snow has gone.

Ingredients:

400 g of dandelion leaves sorted and cleaned

4 cloves of young garlic

1 apple, cut into strips

2 medium tomatoes, peeled

1 zucchini

2 eggs, hard boiled and finely chopped

1 zucchini, cooked on the grill

150 g finely chopped smoked chicken breast

1 onion, cut into rings

Mixture of spring lettuce leaves

Olive oil

Spruce syrup

Apple vinegar

How to prepare a salad of dandelions?

Layered monkfish and Andorran veal’s tongue stew

Layered monkfish and Andorran veal’s tongue stew

Ingredients:

• 1 veal’s tongue
• 1.2 kg of monkfish
• 1 carrot
• 1 leek
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• finely chopped spring onions
• 1 glass of white wine
• beef broth
• 1 spoonful of tomato paste
• 100g of flour
• 20g cayenne pepper
• a glass of cognac
• olive oil
• salt and black pepper

How to prepare layered monkfish and Andorran veal’s tongue stew?

Grilled octopus with potato, chickpeas, vegetables and grasses

Grilled octopus with potato, chickpeas, vegetables and grasses

Ingredients for 4 people

• 4 cooked octopus tentacles

• 0.1 l olive oil

• Coarse sea salt

• ½ kilo mashed potatoes

• ½ kilo mashed chickpeas

• Finely chopped vegetables (carrots, zucchini/courgette, cauliflower, leeks, onions, garlic)

• 12 spinach leaves, green onions and herbs

• Cayenne pepper and chives for decoration

How to prepare grilled octopus with potato

Roast duck breast with sweet and sour sauce, raisins, apples and a puff pastry bread roll

Roast duck breast with sweet and sour sauce, raisins, apples and a puff pastry bread roll

Ingredients:

*Duck breast

*Salt and pepper

*Brown sugar caramelized

*Wine Oporto

*Honey

*Balsamic vinegar

*Brown gravy with beef bouillon (Fond brun lié)

*Grapes

*Potatoes

*Onion

*Olive oil

How to prepare roast duck breast with sweet and sour sauce, raisins, apples and a puff pastry bread roll

Cod in vegetable sauce is a traditional way of cooking cod in Andorra and Catalonia

Cod in vegetable sauce (Bacallà amb sanfaina). This dish is a traditional way of cooking cod in Andorra and Catalonia.

Ingredients:

* 1kg of cod fillet

* flour

* olive oil

* onion

* garlic

* red pepper

* green pepper

* aubergine

* zucchini

* ripe tomatoes

* 1/4 of a liter of fish broth

How to prepare cod in vegetable sauce

Duty free stores: Andorra. VAT 4.5% + no excise. Why do 8 mln Spaniards and French visit Andorra for shopping every year?

Duty free stores: Andorra. The whole country is duty free

Why do 8 million Spaniards and French visit Andorra to go shopping every year?

Today the capital of Andorra offers a huge variety of shopping facilities to its tourists.

Due to the fact that the Principality has one of the lowest VAT rates (IGI — 4.5%) in Europe, shopping in Andorra is the best inside the borders of the EU. Average prices for some food products, clothing, sporting goods, equipment, and alcohol are lower than in neighboring Spain or France by 15–20%.

Spain VAT rates start from 4% to 21% on basic products. For example, basic foodstuffs, medicines, and transport are taxed at 10%. In France there are 4 VAT rates: 18.6% is the standard rate for all goods and services; 33,33% is the marginal rate on luxury items, cars, alcohol, tobacco; and there is a 7% reduced rate on cultural goods and services; finally, 5,5% is applied to the goods and services of first necessity (food, except alcohol and chocolate; medicines, housing, transport).

In addition, in Andorra, there are no taxes on imports.

Because of more competitive prices, the trade market is one of the main economic sectors in Andorra.

In some duty‑free stores during the sales, prices can be significantly lower.

Sant Julia de Loria

Sant Julia de Loria

San Julia de Loria (cat. Sant Julià de Lória) — is the capital of the eponymous parish of Andorra. It is located on the South of the country at a distance of 5 km from the capital Andorra La Vella, 2 km from the border of Andorra with Spain.

Latitude 42,4667 (42°28’0.120″N)

Longitude Of 1.5000 (1°30’0.000″E)

The altitude above sea level 908 m

GMT time in Sant Julia de Loria: + 1 hours

The population of San Julia de Loria, according to the Department of statistics of Andorra on 01/01/2017, — 4. 675.

Sant Julia de Loria is an educational centre of Andorra, since the only University of the Principality is located here. The University of Andorra (Universitat d’ Andorra) is very young, founded in 1997. The University is a member of European University Association. The number of students does not exceed 430 people. The University prepares bachelors in medicine, computer science, business administration and education.

Ordino

Ordino

Ordino (cat. Ordino) — is the capital of the eponymous parish of Andorra. Ordino is the northern parish in the Principality of Andorra. The parish is located in an area of 89,3 sq. km. Ordino is located 6 km from the capital Andorra La Vella.

Latitude 42,5500 (42°32’60.000″N)

Longtitude 1,5333 (1°31’59.988″E)

The altitude above sea level 1298 m

GMT time in Ordino: + 1 hour

Population of Ordino, according to the Department of statistics of Andorra on 01/01/2017, — 4. 675.

Ordino parish consists of 5 villages: La Cortinada, Ansalonga, Llorts, Sornas and Ordino.

In addition to a huge number of architectural sights in Ordino there are also many natural, such as, for example, the natural Park Sorteny (Sorteny). Parish of Ordino is located at the foot of the two highest peaks: Estanio (2915 m) and Casamanya (2740 m).

The capital of Ordino doesn’t have its own ski slopes. The nearest ski lifts in the area of Ordino are located in the area of Arcalís (Vallnord ski resort). The resort area is more than 400 hectares. Ultra‑modern equipment of the resort, including about 50 snow cannons, allow to maintain ski tracks in perfect condition all season from December to April.

La Massana

La Massana

La Massana (cat. La Massana) is the capital of parish La Massana. The County is situated between the confluent rivers Valira and Arinsal in the East of the country. The capital La Massana is located at a distance of 6 km from the capital of Andorra Andorra La Vella. The parish includes several smaller cities, Pal, Arinsal, Xixerella, Erts.

Latitude 42,5500 (42°32’60.000″N)

Longtitude 1,5167 (1°31’0.012″E)

The altitude above sea level is 1230 m

GMT time in La Massana: + 1 hours

The population of La Massana, according to the Department of statistics of Andorra on 01/10/2017, — 10.076.

The proximity to the capital and the ski infrastructure has contributed to rapid development of the city from a tourist point of view. There no ski slopes in the capital of La Massana, but the lift enables access to infrastructure of Vallnord ski resort (the second largest ski resort of Andorra) for 5 minutes.

Canillo

Canillo

Canillo (cat. Canillo) — the capital of the eponymous parish of Andorra. The parish is located in the northeastern part of the country, it is the largest by area in Andorra. The distance to the capital Andorra La Vella is 10 km. The parish of Canillo consist of 14 villages.

Latitude 42, 5667 (42° 34’0.120″N)

Longtitude 1,6000 (1°36’0.000″E)

The altitude above sea level 1526 m

GMT time in Canillo: + 1 hours

The population of Canillo, according to the Department of statistics of Andorra on 01/10/2017, — 4.270.

The proximity to the largest ski resort of Andorra Grandvalira has determined the pace of development of the County from a tourist point of view. Today Canillo has all the advanced and ultra‑modern ski facilities for tourists. The lifts leading to the main stations of Grandvalira, located in Canillo, Soldeu and Tarter (Canillo district).

Encamp

Encamp

The city of Encamp (Encamp) is located 7 km North from the capital Andorra La Vella.

Latitude 42,5333 (42°31’59.880″N)

Longtitude 1,5833 (1°34’59.988″E)

Altitude above sea level 1250 m

GMT time in Encamp: + 1 hours

The population of Encamp, according to the Department of statistics of Andorra on 01/10/2017, — 12.041. It is the third largest city of Andorra.

The city of Encamp is the capital of the eponymous district of Andorra. Encamp district includes the village of Les Bons, Vila, El Tremat, La Mosquera and ski station of Pas de La Casa. The city is located in the valley of Сortals.

The city began to develop rapidly due to the construction of the cable car (Funicamp) which later connected the city with the ski stations Grau Rouge and Pas de La Casa. The length of the ropeway is 6 km away. Encamp today — is the best place for skiing due to its proximity to the capital’s infrastructure of Andorra la Vella and major ski stations of the largest ski resort of Andorra Grandvalira.

Escaldes – Engordany

Escaldes — Engordany

Escaldes Engordany — is the seventh parish of Andorra (became a district in 1978, and was previously part of the capital Andorra La Vella). Currently the border between Andorra La Vella and Escaldes — Engordany is conditional (a street divides 2 cities)

Latitude 42,5000 (42°30’0.000″N)

Longtitude 1,5333 (1°31’59.988″E)

Altitude above sea level 1050 m

GMT time in Escaldes — Engordany: + 1 hours

The population of Escaldes — Engordany, according to the Department of statistics of Andorra on 01/10/2017, — 14.002. It is the second largest city after the Andorran capital Andorra La Vella.

The status of an independent district of Escaldes — Engordany, received due to its thermal springs, which made it very attractive for tourists. Hot springs, spouting out of the ground, are the main attraction of the district. The outlet temperature of the ground water reaches 70C, making them one of the hottest on earth. The name of the city received also due to the sources. The word comes from the ancient Roman “calidae” — “warm water”. Look here for more details about Caldea INUU thermal springs

The history of the district dates back to the era of ancient Rome, as evidenced by numerous archaeological finds. Basically, it’s a huge number of rarities and ancient Roman Iberian coins. According to various reports, the first settlements appeared in the area of Escaldes — Engordany in the I‑II centuries B. C. Later, they became the pastoral communities. Processing wool was cheap because of the proximity to the hot mineral springs. Subsequently, this has led to a rapid development of the wool industry.

Best country in the world: Andorra

ANDORRA, officially the Principality, country in Western Europe. The area is 468 sq km. The country is located on the southern slope of the Eastern Pyrenees between France and Spain in the basin of Valira river. Altitudes — from 800 to 2000 m above sea level. From the West, North and East Andorra is surrounded by 65 high mountains, most of the time covered with snow caps. The highest point of the country — the peak of Comapedrosa (2946 m), the lowest — Rio‑Runer (840 m).

The economy is based on skiing, private banking and duty‑free trade.

Most of the settlements in the country located along major roads, as a rule, these villages with houses in the rustic style. Settlements distant from main roads, still retain their originality.

Being the best country in the world Andoraa is famous for it mild climate. Pyrenean mountain climate provides the country with fresh and dry air all year round. Andorra is the sunniest ski resort in Europe (over 300 Sunny days a year). Local mountain thermal springs in Escaldes rich in sulfur and famous all over the world. SPA resort Caldea is Europe’s largest thermal SPA center.

Where to ski? Soldeu – El Tarter. Best ski tracks: Andorran Àliga SG Àliga SL

Where to ski? Soldeu — El Tarter: best ski tracks. Àliga SG Àliga SL

The history of the legendary area of Soldeu — El Tarter started in 1964, the year the resort opened with the inauguration of a two‑seater chairlift, a ski lift for beginners in Pla dels Espiolets and 10 skiable kilometres spread over 3 slopes: a red one, a blue one and a green one. Thanks to the investment of the Baró, Salvans and Torrellardona families and of Crèdit Andorrà, constituted in the ENSISA society in 1963, the resort expanded progressively during the 60s and 70s with the construction of the Soldeu bridge, which allowed for a more direct access to the resort, a new ski lift to get to the top part and to the upland of Tosa dels Espiolets, the creation of a ski school and the purchase of Andorra’s first snow‑grooming machine.

In the 1980s, more specifically in the 81–82 season, the resort expanded with the area of El Tarter with the inauguration of the Riba Escorxada sector, which had access to the town of El Tarter. Two new chairlifts were added, one from the foot of El Tarter to Riba Escorxada and another to connect the two plains, known as the Trans‑Siberian. Thanks to the entry of the Canillo parish as a shareholder in ENSISA with a 33% stake, the first snowmakers were set up to add snow to the Espiolets area, with two main centres created at the base of each resort to add snow to the slopes and to the lowest levels. In the 1990s, the Canillo parish and Crèdit Andorrà became majority shareholders of ENSISA. The entity capitalised its debt with the resort with shares and Canillo added the equivalent amount in shares with the objective of modernising the resort. Among other improvements, the winter of 96–97 saw the inauguration of the first eight‑seater ski lift in Soldeu, the first of its kind in the Pyrenees, which linked Soldeu with Pla d’Espiolets, achieving a new important step in connecting the town with the resort.

After a few political difficulties, the new sector of Forn was opened in the 2000–01 season, financed by the Canillo parish with the idea of creating a more exclusive type of product. The project included the installation of a ski lift, two chairlifts, two slopes, a beginner’s area and service area with a restaurant and a building for a ski school. So the largest spot where to ski appeared in Andorra. This is how the fusion of Soldeu — El Tarter and the new sector of Canillo was established

Cigarettes and tobacco: prices

Cigarettes and tobacco: prices in Andorra

Alcohol: cheap and expensive. Andorra: 4.5% VAT with no excises

Why do more than 5 million Spaniards and French come to Andorra every year? One of the main reasons — to buy alcohol, as it’s the cheapest on the market in Western Europe.

Andorra is not part of the European Union, therefore, the country’s trade policy is not affected by the strict European regulations of the alcohol market. In addition, Andorra today has the lowest VAT rate in Europe, which is fixed for all types of goods (including alcohol) at 4.5%. Andorra has also no excise on alcohol trade, which is actively practiced by the pan‑European taxation on alcohol policy.

Shops in Andorra sell all kinds of alcohol, including exquisite “museum” types of cognac and wines at low prices (interesting for collectors), as well as cheap alcohol for every day consumption.

Cheap accommodation: Andorra technology without mediator

Accommodation Andorra without intermediaries

How can you book the best hotel for cheaper acomodation

and not be overcharged by travel agencies and online booking systems?

The majority of Andorra’s hotels (about 60%) are connected to the electronic reservation system booking.com or hotels.com. However, these systems work with hotels on the principle that they receive a 5 to 15% commission. Meaning, by booking a hotel in Andorra through these systems, you’re paying 5 — 15% more for a room.

In addition, all hotels in the world when working with tour operators (and tour operators use electronic reservation systems) sell 5–10% more rooms than the hotel actually has in reality. This is a typical worldwide practice that has developed historically for the convenience of the client who books fast, with the drawback that overpayments are made. The main reason why hotels continue to do this is because there is a 60–70% customer refusal rate. The actual price at which the hotel wants to sell the room is significantly lower. Accomodation process in the ski season (or the summer season, when Andorra is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists to see, for example, the stages of the Tour de France), in Andorra the occupancy of hotels can be unpredictable. Therefore, it is optimal to book a room directly through the hotel site to pay the lowest price and save yourself from an unpleasant surprise at the last moment when the tour operator has to put you in another hotel.

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