Renowned for its plethora of banks and high end shopping malls, the minuscule nation of Andorra seems an unlikely destination for lovers of nature and the outdoors. The country is a tax haven and a duty-free shopping mecca. In summer months, it lures hoards of day trippers from France and Spain with its favorable prices and luxurious escapes.

But beyond its bustling capital, Andorra la Vella, the country’s idyllic landscapes reveal an astounding wealth of natural splendor. Situated at the heart of the Pyrenees Mountains and sandwiched between Spain and France, the small principality boasts craggy mountains, tumbling valleys, idyllic cow-speckled pastures and some of the best ski slopes in Europe.

THREE COUNTRIES IN ONE DAY TOUR

I traveled to Andorra from Barcelona, during a week-long trip to Spain with my future mother-in-law. Our joint plans included spending three days in Catalonia, followed by a few additional days in Madrid and Toledo.

I arrived in Spain two days prior to the official start of our vacation.  Knowing that we would spend the following days in Barcelona and Montserrat, I began looking into various day trips farther afield.

One trip, in particular, caught my eye: a tour that offered the opportunity to travel into the heart of the Pyrenees and visit three countries in one day.

The ‘Three Countries in One Day Tour’ is a popular excursion from Barcelona. The tour costs roughly €120 per person and includes roundtrip transportation and a guide. Though I found the price a bit steep considering it excluded lunch, it still proved to be a good option for exploring Andorra as a day trip from Spain.

The tour’s whirlwind itinerary leaves Barcelona at 7am and returns in the evening. It takes visitors to the picturesque towns of Baga in Spain and Ax-les-Thermes in France, before continuing onward to the tiny country that lies wedged in the Pyrenees.

• BAGA, SPAIN

Baga is a quintessential Catalonian town nestled below the peaks of Cadi-Moixero National Park. It is sleepy and photogenic, with a handful of monuments that date back to the Middle Ages. Though it isn’t packed with particular must-see sights, the town as a whole gives a glimpse into small-town Catalan life.

Our hour-long visit to Baga consisted of a breakfast stop at one of the town’s local bakeries, followed by a short walking tour of its historic core.

First, we stopped briefly at the St. Esteve de Baga Church. Then, we meandered through the town’s historic houses and found ourselves in Plaça Porxada—a Medieval market square built in the 13th century.

In Baga, yellow ribbons were everywhere—tied to statues, spray painted on sidewalks, hanging from balconies and dangling from lamp posts. Our guide explained that the ribbons adorned the city in order to bring awareness to the political prisoners that were detained during Catalonia’s independence referendum.

I’d seen some ribbons hanging from the buildings in Barcelona too, but it was easy to forget about politics in such a touristy city. Traveling to the sleepy town of Baga, on the other hand, brought the region’s independence struggles to the fore.

• AX-LES-THERMES, FRANCE

From Baga, we crossed the French border and headed deeper into the Pyrenees Mountains, toward the village of Ax-les-Thermes. We arrived in Ax-les-Thermes just before noon and were given an hour and a half to eat lunch and enjoy its quiet streets.

Ax-les-Thermes is a beautiful village surrounded by the Pyrenees. It is a popular resort town that attracts visitors from around France with its thermal spas and access to the outdoors.

During my short stay in France, I took advantage of the town’s geothermal features and soaked my feet in the groundwater-fed pool that lies adjacent to its main square. The healing waters of Ax-les-Thermes are said to cure rheumatism and skin diseases.

After soaking my feet, I bought a few french pastries, wandered the town’s streets, and followed a footpath along the Ariege River.

• ANDORRA: HEART OF THE PYRENEES

While Baga and Ax-les-Thermes proved to be good places to get out of the bus and stretch my legs, Andorra was the true highlight of my day trip into the Pyrenees. Prior to visiting Andorra, my knowledge of the country was relatively proportionate to its size (in other words, I didn’t know much).

The pint-sized country, however, is a fascinating place. Legend has it that Charlemagne founded Andorra so that it could act as a buffer state and keep the Moors out of France. In subsequent years, the country changed hands between Spain and France on numerous occasions.

In the 13th century, France and Spain agreed that the principality would be neither Spanish nor French. They accepted joint leadership of the area, establishing the world’s only co-principality. This unique arrangement survives to this day. And, while leadership is divided between the president of France and the bishop of Urgell in Spain, Andorra clings to its official status as an independent country.

As we crossed the border from France to Andorra, we had some time to step off the bus and soak in the views of the Pyrenees mountains. The bucolic countryside stretched before us, speckled with grazing cows and flocks of sheep.

Our day trip to Andorra consisted of a scenic drive through mountain passes, followed by a visit to Andorra la Vella—the country’s capital city.

Aside from its ski slopes and hiking trails, shopping is Andorra’s main tourist draw. More than 10 million visitors pour into the country annually, in order to buy tax-free luxury goods and electronics.

Travel writers and bloggers have been quick to point out that Andorra la Vella retains the charm of a luxury shopping mall. And it isn’t difficult to see why. A walk down the city’s main street passes by store, after store, after store.

Yet, while shopping is the name of the game in this modern mountain metropolis, the city houses a charming mix of monuments worth visiting. Particular points of interest in Andorra la Vella include the Sant Esteve Church, Salvador Dali’s melting clock sculpture, and the 16th century Casa de la Vall.

The Barri Antic, which means ‘old town’ in Catalan, is the oldest part of Andorra la Vella. It has been the heart of the city since the principality was little more than a village. The Barri Antic has the winding layout, cobbled streets and a cluster of attractive stone houses that date back to the Middle Ages.

I only had about an hour to explore Andorra la Vella, but I could have easily spent more time in the city. With its walkability and manageable size, I found it to be a modern and pleasant gateway to the Pyrenees.

***

My day trip to Andorra gave me a passing glimpse of three distinct countries—all within the span of a mere 12 hours. The whirlwind tour itinerary may not have been filled with must-see sites or big-name attractions, but it was a worthwhile excursion nonetheless. It gave me an overview of Catalan independence struggles, taught me a little bit about Andorra’s peculiar history, and allowed me to admire some of Europe’s most attractive scenery.

Rick Steves once mentioned that he traveled to Andorra so that other people wouldn’t have to.

But, for once, I disregarded his advice and traveled to Andorra anyway.

And what’s more?

Despite my aversion to shopping, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Deemed by many as the greatest city in the world, Paris inspires romance and art like no other place on Earth. The timeless City of Light has it all–delectable cuisine, world-class art and architecture and a palpable joie-de-vivre that permeates every aspect of French living.

I’d visited Paris in elementary school with my family, as one of my first trips abroad outside of Italy. We spent a few weeks exploring the nooks and crannies of France and taking in the history, art and architecture of the country.

As years passed, however, my recollection of Paris began to fade and all that I was left with were fragmented images. The creaking elevator ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The light pouring through the stained glass windows of Saint Chappell. The train ride to Versailles. My regrettable decision to forego the Musee D’Orsay for Euro Disney.

I had a mental image of what Paris was like, but when I revisited the city over a decade later on a 24 hour layover, I found myself exploring Paris again as if for the first time.

And though I only had 24 hours in Paris, I rediscovered the joys of visiting one of the world’s most beautiful cities.

Somewhere along the years, I had forgotten what it was like to walk down the streets of Paris. I forgot about the outdoor cafes, the maze of art galleries in Montmartre, the booksellers lining the Seine near Notre Dame, and the views from Sacre Cour.

Getting to know Paris in 24 hours is a nearly impossible feat. Known both as the City of Light and the City of Love, Paris inspires romance like few other places in the world.

The timeless city has an infinite number of things to do and places to see. So, given that I only had a short amount of time on my layover, I hit the ground running and tried to make the most of my limited sojourn.

As a budget traveler, I often do my best find cheap accommodation in the cities I visit. Had I not been traveling for work, I would have opted to stay in one of the many hostels in Paris. However, given the opportunity to stay for free in a four star hotel downtown, I enjoyed my luxurious hotel near the Luxembourg Gardens.

I didn’t have time to visit the interior of any museums during my 24 hour layover. I merely had time to walk down the streets, marvel at the wonders around me. I explored the city with a fellow crew member named Sara. We started by traversing the Luxembourg Gardens and heading toward the Seine–the heart and soul of Paris.

The Seine River snakes through the French Capital and is flanked by artists, street vendors and booksellers. I spent time perusing the stalls of well-worn paperbacks and chatting quite extensively in broken French with a the many booksellers. In the background, lovers and tourists meandered along the riverbanks, snapping photos of the architecture and admiring the Notre Dame Cathedral in the distance.

We visited the interior of Notre Dame, the exterior of the Louvre (foregoing a visit to the museum due to lack of time) and the Champs Elysees. Then, at around dinner time, we headed up the hill toward the charming artists quarter of Montmartre.

Montmartre’s name means “Mountain of Martyr” in French and was derived from the martyrdom of Saint Denis. Saint Denis was a bishop of Paris who was decapitated at the top of the mountain overlooking Paris in 250AD.

During the mid to late 1800s, artists began calling Montmartre home–artists like Pissarro, Matisse, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir and Pablo Picasso.  Yet, in addition to being a haven for visual artists, Montmartre has also attracted composers, actors and performing artists. The area is home to the renowned Moulin Rouge–a performance venue made even more famous after the release of the 2001 hit musical starring Nicole Kidman.

Montmartre’s most recognizable landmark is the basilica of Sacre Cour. Sacre Cour was constructed in the late 1800s and overlooks the city’s sea of architectural wonders.

When we visited the basilica, crowds of tourists and Parisians had already gathered to see the sun set from the steps of the mountaintop cathedral. Sara and I were tempted to stay, but felt the need to carry on with our day in order to make it to the Eiffel Tower by nightfall.

We saved Paris’ most iconic monument–the Eiffel Tower–for last. Designed in 1889 by Alexandre Eiffel and constructed as the entrance arch to the 1889 World’s Fair, the Eiffel Tower has become one of the most recognizable monuments in France–if not the world. It attracts millions of visitors annually.

Sara and I arrived at the Eiffel Tower just after sunset. We admired the lace-like lattice of steel, snapping pictures and taking in views of the architectural masterpiece from nearly every angle.

Visiting Paris in 24 hours allowed Sarah and I to merely scratch the surface of the city’s offerings. One could spend a lifetime discovering Paris’ picturesque neighborhoods, its world-class monuments and its vast collection of museums.

The trendy French capital is the type of place that other cities try to emulate. The street vendors selling nicknacks along the waterfront, the vintage shops and the rare booksellers seem ostentatious to some, but I didn’t find them pretentious at all. Paris is hip and trendy without trying too hard. It is what so many other cities are trying to become.

Yet, in the City of Light, collecting paperback books, eating well and vintage shopping are not merely new and trendy fads. They are and have always been a way of life in Paris.

As a flight attendant for a major airline that flies to Paris from a variety of US cities, I know I’ll be back. And each time, I’ll take it upon myself to discover a different corner of the city, step into a new museum and, slowly, piece together my memories of the places that I visited over a decade ago.

***

Further Reading:

•  Check out Anna’s blog for more tips on visiting Paris.
• Paroma has put together a handy arrondissement guide for those who have more than 24 hours in Paris.

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