Vallnord is a ski resort in the Andorran Pyrenees, located just 10 km from the city of Andorra la Vella. It consists of two combined ski areas – Pal – Arinsal and Ordino – Arcalis, connected by a single ski pass. According to petwithsupplies, Vallnord is one of the largest cities in Andorra.
The resort is more suitable for families with children, as well as those who first got up on skis or snowboards. There are many gentle slopes and ski schools with instructors for adults and children. For more experienced athletes, there are red and even a couple of black slopes with an altitude difference of more than 1000 m, but there are still more opportunities for beginners.
How to get there
Regular buses run from Andorra la Vella to the villages of Pal and Arinsal, and you can get to Arcalís with a change in Ordino.
Hotels
The hotel base of four villages, united by a common ski area, is represented by hotels of various star categories – from comfortable fours to affordable twos and apartments.
Vallnord slopes
Vallnord has 89 km of pistes of varying difficulty: 7 black, 24 red, 24 blue, 10 green and 6 slalom.
The Pal-Arinsal sector offers tourists 63 km of slopes located at an altitude of 1550-2560 meters above sea level: 5 black, 16 red, 16 blue, 4 green and 5 slalom. Sector Ordino-Arcalis – 26 km of ski slopes located at an altitude of 1940-2625 meters: 2 black, 8 red, 8 blue, 6 green and 1 slalom.
The cost of a single ski pass in Vallnord for 2 days is 84 EUR per adult.
The highest point of the Andorran Pyrenees is Mount Coma Pedrosa (2942 m), which is considered a popular tourist destination.
Entertainment and attractions of Vallnord
The highest point of the Andorran Pyrenees is Mount Coma Pedrosa (2942 m), which is considered a popular tourist destination.
In the village of Pal, the parish church of Sant Climent de Pal with a square bell tower, made in the Romanesque style and dating from the 11th-12th centuries, has been preserved. The three-storey bell tower is decorated with Lombard arches. The interior of the church is notable for ancient frescoes, a statue of the Virgin Mary from the 12th century and a wooden altar from 1709 dedicated to Pope Clement, the patron saint of the church. The church is open to visitors from July to September Tue-Sat. from 10:00-14:00 and 15:00-19:00, Sun. 10:00-14:00, the rest of the time by appointment through the tourist office in La Massana.
Arinsal also has its own church, Sant Andreu de Arinsal, made in the Romanesque style and notable for its 18th-century fresco depicting the Virgin Mary (Virgen de las Nieves).
In Ordino there is the parish church of Sant Corneli y Sant Cebrià, built during the Middle Ages and restored in the 17th-19th centuries. The sculpture of the Mother of God, made in the Romanesque style, and 5 baroque altars of the 17th-18th centuries have been preserved in the church. The church is open to visitors in July-August from Tuesday to Saturday from 09-30 to 13:30 and from 15:30 to 18:30.
3 things to do in Vallnord
- Climb Coma Pedrosa and see the world at your feet!
- Join the village life during the excursion “Discovering La Cortinada”, seeing with your own eyes how in the 16-17 centuries. Wheat was turned into flour!
- Watch wild boars in the natural park of the Sorteni Valley. If you do not start hunting for them, wild boars are not dangerous.
Museums in Ordino
There are several interesting museums in Ordino:
- House-museum of the Areni-Plandolit family, during a visit to which you can plunge into more than three centuries of the history of everyday life of one of the local dynasties, displayed in interior items. The mansion is open: May-October 10:00-14:00 and 15:00-18:00; November-April 10:00-13:00 and 15:00-18:00 except Sunday and Monday.
- Postal Museum with a collection of Andorran postage stamps dating from 1928 to the present day. The museum is open: May-October 10:00-14:00 and 15:00-18:00; November-April 10:00-13:00 and 15:00-18:00 except Sunday and Monday.
- Iconographic Museum of George, the exposition of which is represented by a private collection of Orthodox icons of the 17th-19th centuries. from Ukraine, Russia, Greece and Bulgaria. The museum is open daily except Sunday from 9:30 to 19:00.
- Museum of microminiatures with a private collection of miniatures by the Ukrainian master Mykola Syadristy. The museum is open daily except Sunday from 9:30 to 19:00.
Neighborhood
2 km from Ordino in the village of La Cortinada is the church of Sant Martí de la Cortinada, built in the 12th century in the Romanesque style, restored in the 17th-18th centuries. and notable for its frescoes. The church is open to visitors in July-August from Wednesday to Sunday from 09:30 to 13:30 and from 15:30 to 18:30.
Also noteworthy is the church of Sant Cerni de Nagol, made in the Romanesque style at the end of the 17th century and located in the village of Llorts. The church is open to visitors throughout the year by appointment from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00. To register, please contact the Tourist Office located in Canillo.
Also worth visiting are the Cal Pal sawmill and the Mas d’en Sole mill dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. During the tour, the process of turning wheat into flour is demonstrated. You can visit the objects only as part of the Discovering La Cortinada bus tour in July-August (departure at 09:50 daily). Registration for the tour is made at the tourist office of Ordino.
Of natural attractions, the Natural Park of the Sorteny Valley (Parc Natural de la vall de Sorteny, website), located halfway between Ordino and Arcalis, is of interest. The park is home to over 700 plant species and is home to deer and wild boars.
