Ordino
Ordino[dead link] is the northernmost parish (administrative division) and town of Andorra between Andorra La Vella and France. It has the fewest inhabitants of all Andorran parishes but covers almost the largest area.
Understand
[edit]- 1 Ordino Tourism Office, Travessia d'Ordino, 11, ☏ +376 878 173, ot@ordino.ad.
Get in
[edit]From Andorra la Vella, take bus line L6 northwards. The last stop is in Ordino, near the local tourism office. Costs €1.80 per ride.
You can also drive from Andorra la Vella northwards via CG-3 to Ordino. If you're coming from east of Canillo, take CG-2 to Canillo and go west via CS-240. CS-240 will become CS-340 at the parish boundary between Ordino and Canillo.
Get around
[edit]
The entire Ordino town can be explored by walking.
See
[edit]Churches
[edit]- 1 Church of Sant Corneli and Sant Cebrià (In the town square). July-Aug: daily 10:00-13:00 and 15:00-19:00. The rest of the year only at mass hours.. A parish church, built during medieval times and changed between the 17th and the 19th centuries.
- 2 Church of Sant Martí (Església de Sant Martí de la Cortinada), ☏ +376 844 141. July-Aug: daily 10:00-13:00 and 15:00-19:00. The rest of the year only at mass hours.. Romanesque church. The collection of wall paintings are, with those of Sant Serni de Nagol are the most interesting ones in Andorra.
- Church of Sant Cerni: dated from the end of the 17th century. It is in Llorts town. Opening hours: Only at mass hours.
Museums
[edit]- 3 Museu Casa d'Areny-Plandolit, ☏ +376 839 760. A noble house converted into a museum showing the daily life of Andorrans. It is co-located with Museum Postal. €5 (€2.50 for adults with museum pass or child).
- 4 Museu Postal, ☏ +376 836 908. Museum documenting the postal service of Andorra. It is co-located with Museum Casa d'Areny-Plandolit. €5 (€2.50 for adults with museum pass or child).
- 5 Museu de la Miniatura, ☏ +376 838 338. A museum with a collection of miniature items collected by Nicolai Siadristy. A large number of Matryoshka dolls, miniature art, decorated Easter egg and more. €5 (€2.50 for adults with museum pass or children).
Other attractions
[edit]- The Ordino Main square: attached to a wall there is an iron ring that was used to fasten offenders for public exposure. Very recommendable: a walk through the village.
- 6 Mill wheel of Mas d’en Solé and Sawmill of Cal Pal (Mas d’en Solé) (in La Cortinada village, 2 km from Ordino.), ☏ +376 737 080. Jun-Oct: Tu-Sa 09:30-13:30, 15:30-18:30; Su holidays 10:00-14:00. The rest of the year by reservation only.. Restored 17th-century industrial installations. The sawmill is a device for cutting trunks up into planks. Both were privately owned and worked by using hydraulic force. The building has free guided tour. Standard price: €2.40.
- 7 Llorts village. interesting sights: the town square, the church and an iron mine from the 19th century (it is in the way out of Llorts in the direction of El Serrat).
Do
[edit]Because Ordino has a northeast/northwest location the quality and quantity of snow is good. A little like Arinsal, Ordino has year round residents and is not purely a ski resort like Soldeu and Pas de la Casa, so if you are going skiing for the first time this could be a good place to choose as there are alternatives to skiing close-by in case you decide you don’t like skiing or snowboarding. It is good for novice, intermediate and advanced skiers, who might be interested in the over 10 km of cross-country trails.
There is the Rose Festival (El Roser d'Ordino) in July. In August, there is a bagpipe festival in one of the weekend (usually the first weekend).
Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- Hotel Arans, (+376) 835 311.
- Hotel Babot. Three-star hotel.
- Hotel Casa Vella, (+376) 801 100.
- Hotel Coma. Three-star hotel. Beautiful hotel, unfortunate name.
- Hotel Prats. Three-star hotel.
- Hotel Santa Bàrbara de la Vall d'Ordino, ☏ +376 738 100, santabarbara@andorra.ad. €54.
Connect
[edit]Free public WiFi is available in parts of the town of Ordino and at the Tourist Information Office.
Go next
[edit]- Arcalis is a high Pyrenean ski resort that lies in the northwestern corner of the border parish (administrative division) of Ordino. The resort has several times been a stage finish in the world's most famous bicycle race, the Tour de France. It appears to be popular with French and Spanish tourists and is largely unknown amongst English-speaking tourists, except for cycling enthusiasts. SnoBus runs during the ski season from La Vella.
- Head south to La Massana