UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Andorra
Andorra has 1 site on the UNESCO World Heritage List (1 cultural), the first inscribed in 2004 (Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley). The map below plots it alongside the rest of the List, and each site is written up in full further down the page.
- World Heritage Sites
- 1
- Cultural
- 1
- Natural and Mixed
- 0
- First Inscribed
- 2004
Map of World Heritage Sites in Andorra
CulturalNaturalMixedIn DangerLarge dots are in Andorra. Click a dot to read about the site.
Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley
Andorra · 42.4922° N, 1.5944° E · 42 km² · 6 km from Andorra
The Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley (Catalan: Vall del Madriu-Perafita-Claror) is a glacial valley in the southeast of Andorra. It covers an area of 42.47 km2, approximately 9% of the total area of Andorra, and is part of the second largest watershed basin in Andorra. The isolated valley is recognised as a haven for rare or endangered wildlife, and the undeveloped valley has recently been considered to be the "spiritual heart" of Andorra. It became Andorra's first, and to date its only, UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, with a small extension in 2006.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley Is Listed
- (v)
- An outstanding example of traditional human settlement or land use.
More about Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley
UNESCO's Description
The cultural landscape of Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley offers a microcosmic perspective of the way people have harvested the resources of the high Pyrenees over millennia. Its dramatic glacial landscapes of craggy cliffs and glaciers, with high open pastures and steep wooded valleys, covers an area of 4,247 ha, 9% of the total area of the principality. It reflects past changes in climate, economic fortune and social systems, as well as the persistence of pastoralism and a strong mountain culture, notably the survival of a communal land-ownership system dating back to the 13th century. The site features houses, notably summer settlements, terraced fields, stone tracks and evidence of iron smelting.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
Overview
The valley is a glacial landscape, with high pastures, craggy cliffs, and steep wooded valleys. It is bounded by mountain ridges to the south, east and west, with the southern edge running along the border with Spain, and by an escarpment which drops away into the Valira valley to the north. It is isolated from the rest of Andorra, and can only be reached by tracks passable on foot. Dwellings, field terraces, tracks, and the remains of ironworking demonstrate the ways that the natural resources of the high Pyrenees were used by the local inhabitants over a period of over 700 years, through changes in climate, economic prosperity, and social structures.
Two small settlements, Entremesaigües and Ramio, are situated in the narrow valley floor.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Key Facts
| Area | 42.5 km² |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata Q332800 (CC0).
World Heritage in Andorra: Quick Answers
- How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are in Andorra?
- Andorra has 1 World Heritage Site: 1 cultural.
- What was the first World Heritage Site in Andorra?
- Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley, inscribed in 2004.
- Are any World Heritage Sites in Andorra in danger?
- None of the World Heritage Sites in Andorra is on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.