Natural Andorra: World Heritage

Discover Andorra's heritage with National Geographic

The Principality of Andorra, located in the heart of the Pyrenees, has an extraordinary cultural and natural richness that has received international recognition. Its "Natural, Cultural and Intangible UNESCO Heritage" status is the result of the third collaboration between Andorra and National Geographic, as part of the Natural Andorra project. 

The first chapter focused on the country's fauna and flora, from the perspective of National Geographic Explorer Jaime Rojo. The second addressed the challenge of making tourism compatible with sustainability, under the slogan “The place where ideas grow”. 

In this new stage, the driving force is the discovery of the heritage that Andorra preserves with pride. This project is headed by Jaime Rojo, , providing continuity and a greater understanding of the territory and the committed vision of its people.


Natural, Cultural and Intangible UNESCO Heritage

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recognised several elements of Andorra and its traditions as World Heritage Sites and even a Biosphere Reserve, highlighting its unique identity and the balance between human activity and the natural environment.

Currently, Andorra has five places listed as World Heritage Sites and one Biosphere Reserve: the Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley, the summer solstice celebrations in the Pyrenees (falles), the Bear festivities in the Pyrenees, transhumance, the art of dry stone building and the Ordino Valley.

All these elements reflect a living culture, deeply rooted in the territory and closely linked to nature.
The summer solstice celebrations, the Ordino Valley Biosphere Reserve and the Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley World Heritage Site are three outstanding examples of this legacy, preserved over the centuries and fully alive today.

 

Summer solstice celebrations: a living tradition and intangible heritage

The falles are one of the most iconic cultural manifestations of the Pyrenees and in Andorra they play a prominent role. This ancestral festival is celebrated on the Eve of Saint John, around 23 June, coinciding with the summer solstice. Its essence is light and fire, symbols of purification and renewal. The "falleros" – usually young local people – descend from the mountain to the town centre spinning lit torches that trace trails of fire through the night.

The Andorran towns where this tradition is maintained, such as Andorra la Vella, Encamp and Sant Julià de Lòria, experience these days with a great emotional and communal intensity.

The falles are not just a celebration, but a way to convey values, identity and belonging to a territory. In 2015, this practice was recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, as part of the "Summer solstice fire festivals in the Pyrenees".

In addition to their cultural aspect, the falles make summer tourism more dynamic, offering visitors an authentic and participatory experience. The fire show, accompanied by traditional music, popular dances and traditional food, makes this night a magical experience.

 

Ordino Valley, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

Ordino is the parish that has best managed to preserve its traditional landscape, its forests and meadows. This commitment to the preservation of natural and cultural heritage has been recognised by UNESCO, which in 2020 declared the Ordino Valley a Biosphere Reserve.

This international recognition highlights the territory's ability to balance human development with the conservation of biodiversity. Active tourism, local gastronomy, the preservation of traditional paths and the protection of endemic species are some of the aspects that reinforce this sustainable model.

The valley has a wide variety of habitats: red pine forests, alpine pastures, wetlands and glacial lakes. This ecological mosaic houses protected species such as the capercaillie, Pyrenean chamois and golden eagle. It is also full of history, with bordes , huts and Romanesque churches that speak of a way of life inherently linked to the mountain.

 

Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley: A world-renowned treasure in the Pyrenees

The third major UNESCO recognition in Andorra is the Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley, declared a World Heritage Site in 2004. It is the only place in the country with this distinction and one of the few Pyrenean valleys to have received this honour. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it retains a cultural landscape of great value, which reflects traditional high-mountain agricultural and livestock activities.

The valley occupies 10% of the country's total territory and extends through the parishes of Escaldes-Engordany, Encamp, Sant Julià de Lòria and Andorra la Vella. Lacking modern roads and infrastructure, it is only accessible through the cobbled roads used for centuries by shepherds and merchants. 

The landscape is made up of "bordes" (high mountain shelters), dry stone walls, fields, forests and wetland areas that have been developed free from urban pressures.

This combination of nature and human activity has generated a rich yet fragile ecosystem that represents a model of sustainable adaptation to the Pyrenean environment. The experience of visiting the valley is almost spiritual, an immersion in a past that still breathes in every stone, every path and every moment of silence.

In addition to its cultural value, the valley is of great importance in terms of biodiversity. It is a refuge for many species and a privileged space for scientific research, environmental education and responsible hiking.

Discover the Andorran traditions and landscapes recognised by UNESCO.