La Massana
Encyclopedia
La Massana is one of the seven parishes
of the Principality of Andorra. It is located in the northwest of the country. (42.567°N 1.483°E). La Massana is also the name of the main town of the parish. The name Massana derives from the Latin name mattianam for a variety of apple.
The parish is extremely mountainous and contains the highest mountain in Andorra, Coma Pedrosa
(2942 m (9,652.2 ft)). Its western side limits with Tor, Pallars
municipal term, in the border with Spain
.
, Escaldes-Engordany
, and Andorra la Vella
, and also France and Spain. There is 262 hectares (647.4 acre) of agricultural land, 14% of the total agricultural land in Andorra.
The main villages are Pal
, Arinsal
, Anyós
, Erts
, Sispony
, L'Aldosa
, and Escàs
. Other settlements are Xixerella
, Mas de Ribafeta, El Pui, and Puiol del Piu.
Coma Pedrosa
in the north-west of the parish is the highest point in the Principality of Andorra at 2942 metres (9,652.2 ft), and has panoramic views of the Pyrenees. The mountain is also the site of the Coma Pedrosa Nature Reserve. It is covered by heavy snowfalls in winter, and usually retains some snow cover in summer. The four next-highest peaks are Medacorba (2914 m), Sanfonts
(2888 m), Pla de l'Estany (2859 m), and Racofred (2837 m). The town of La Massana has an average elevation of 1240 metres (4,068.2 ft) above sea-level.
There are four lakes: Forcats (the pitchforks lake), Montmantell, Estany Negre (the black lake), and Les Truites Lake
(the trout lake).
The parish has three main rivers. The Valira del Nord, which begins at the Llac de Tristaina, is a 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) long tributary of the Gran Valira. There are also the Pal and the Montaner.
The mountains have rough pastures with numerous native species of Pyrenean wildflowers, and extensive forests of pines, firs, birches, wild cherries, and oaks.
and alpine tundra
. The valleys have a milder climate that is essentially temperate
.
, includes the Arinsal and Pal sectors, which jointly have 89 km of runs ranging in altitude from 2600 m to 1550 m. In summer, the main activities are hiking, climbing, mountain biking, 4x4 trails, and canyoning
.
The parish is host to a number of fiestas and other public celebrations. There are the festa patronale on 17 November, the festa major on 15 August, and the Rosary fete on the second Sunday of July. A fiesta is also held at the end of June or beginning of July, depending on the weather, to mark the consecration of the livestock and pastures.
s, and two heliports. There are no railways, ports, airports, or navigable waterways.
, by the CG-3/CG-4 main road.
There are two road tunnels along the route of the CG-3/CG-4: the Pont Pla Tunnel, a 1.3 kilometre (0.807784557644749 mi) long tunnel built in 2006, and the Sant Antoni Tunnel, a 280 metres (306 yd) long tunnel built in 2003. The Pont Pla Tunnel has been designated the best and safest tunnel in Europe by the European Tunnels Assessment Programme (EuroTAP).
The parish's road network is being upgraded in a multi-million euro programme involving new tunnel construction, road widening, improved sign-posting, new bicycle lanes, and additional safety measures such as crash barriers and signal-controlled pedestrian crossings.
A road tunnel — the Dos Valires Tunnel — is being built between Anyós and Encamp
, and when it is opened in 2010 it is expected to cut journey times from the current 30–45 minutes to 5 minutes.
linking the town of La Massana to Vallnord (Pal-Arinsal sector ski station)
; it runs throughout the year. There are further gondola lifts within the ski resorts themselves.
Parishes of Andorra
Andorra consists of seven communities known as parishes . Until relatively recently, it had only six parishes; the seventh, Escaldes-Engordany, was created in 1978....
of the Principality of Andorra. It is located in the northwest of the country. (42.567°N 1.483°E). La Massana is also the name of the main town of the parish. The name Massana derives from the Latin name mattianam for a variety of apple.
The parish is extremely mountainous and contains the highest mountain in Andorra, Coma Pedrosa
Coma Pedrosa
Coma Pedrosa is the highest mountain in the principality of Andorra. It is popular with mountain climbers, its ascent being technically straightforward, although strenuous. Several mountain lakes and tarns are found on the slopes, notably Estanys de Baiau, which lies on the western slopes, across...
(2942 m (9,652.2 ft)). Its western side limits with Tor, Pallars
Tor, Pallars
Tor is a village within Alins municipal term, Pallars Sobirà, Catalonia, Europe. Its municipal term borders with Andorra close to the spot in La Massana parish term where the Vallnord ski resort complex, formed by Pal and Arinsal, is located....
municipal term, in the border with Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Physical geography
The parish has an area of 65 square kilometres (25.1 sq mi), and adjoins the neighbouring parishes of Ordino, EncampEncamp
Encamp is one of the parishes of Andorra, located on the Valira d'Orient river, and connected by a cable car to Lake Engolasters. It is also the name of the main town in the parish. Other settlements include Vila, El Pas de la Casa, Grau Roig, el Tremat, la Mosquera, and Les Bons. As of 2004, it...
, Escaldes-Engordany
Escaldes-Engordany
Escaldes-Engordany is one of the parishes of Andorra. The parish is composed of the areas of les Escaldes, Engordany, Els Vilars d'Engordany, Engolasters, and El Fener. As of 2005 it has a population of 16,918. Notable events include the town's annual jazz festival....
, and Andorra la Vella
Andorra la Vella
Andorra la Vella is the capital of the Co-principality of Andorra, and is located high in the east Pyrenees between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish that surrounds the capital....
, and also France and Spain. There is 262 hectares (647.4 acre) of agricultural land, 14% of the total agricultural land in Andorra.
The main villages are Pal
Pal, Andorra
Pal is a village in Andorra, located in the parish of La Massana 4 km west of the town of La Massana, close to the border with Spain at Tor, Pallars.A legend says that Pal was discovered by a man of Riberaygua Familly....
, Arinsal
Arinsal
Arinsal is a village in Andorra, set at an altitude of between 1550 and 2560 metres, close to the border with Spain at Tor, Pallars. In the summer Arinsal is home to walkers and bikers, as well as those who just want to relax in the mountain scenery...
, Anyós
Anyós
Anyós is a village in Andorra, located in the parish of La Massana and 1 km from the town of La Massana.-Traditions:A fiesta is held every 10 July, and by tradition the priest blesses a carriage in the village square opposite the medieval Church of St Christopher who is the patron saint of...
, Erts
Erts
Erts is a village in Andorra, located in the parish of La Massana....
, Sispony
Sispony
Sispony is a village in Andorra, located in the parish of La Massana....
, L'Aldosa
L'Aldosa, La Massana
L'Aldosa de la Massana , known simply as L'Aldosa, is a village in Andorra, located in the parish of La Massana....
, and Escàs
Escàs
Escàs is a village in Andorra, located in the parish of La Massana.The construction company, Construccions Buiques, has its head office in Escàs, and sponsors a football team Construccions Buiques Rànger's, also known informally as FC Rànger's, that plays in Andorra's national First Division...
. Other settlements are Xixerella
Xixerella
Xixerella is a small village in La Massana parish of the principality of Andorra....
, Mas de Ribafeta, El Pui, and Puiol del Piu.
Coma Pedrosa
Coma Pedrosa
Coma Pedrosa is the highest mountain in the principality of Andorra. It is popular with mountain climbers, its ascent being technically straightforward, although strenuous. Several mountain lakes and tarns are found on the slopes, notably Estanys de Baiau, which lies on the western slopes, across...
in the north-west of the parish is the highest point in the Principality of Andorra at 2942 metres (9,652.2 ft), and has panoramic views of the Pyrenees. The mountain is also the site of the Coma Pedrosa Nature Reserve. It is covered by heavy snowfalls in winter, and usually retains some snow cover in summer. The four next-highest peaks are Medacorba (2914 m), Sanfonts
Pic de Sanfonts
Pic de Sanfonts is a mountain in the Pyrenees on the border of Spain and northwest Andorra. The nearest town is Arinsal, La Massana. It is a subpeak of, and 1.2 km southwest of, Coma Pedrosa , the highest mountain in Andorra....
(2888 m), Pla de l'Estany (2859 m), and Racofred (2837 m). The town of La Massana has an average elevation of 1240 metres (4,068.2 ft) above sea-level.
There are four lakes: Forcats (the pitchforks lake), Montmantell, Estany Negre (the black lake), and Les Truites Lake
Pic dels Aspres
Pic dels Aspres is a mountain in the northwest of the principality of Andorra, close to the border with Spain. The nearest town is Arinsal, La Massana...
(the trout lake).
The parish has three main rivers. The Valira del Nord, which begins at the Llac de Tristaina, is a 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) long tributary of the Gran Valira. There are also the Pal and the Montaner.
The mountains have rough pastures with numerous native species of Pyrenean wildflowers, and extensive forests of pines, firs, birches, wild cherries, and oaks.
Climate
The average annual temperature of La Massana town is 8 °C (46.4 °F). Across the whole parish, the climate varies greatly with elevation. Regions above the Alpine tree line at about 2100–2400 m have an alpine climateAlpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
and alpine tundra
Alpine tundra
Alpine tundra is a natural region that does not contain trees because it is at high altitude. Alpine tundra is distinguished from arctic tundra, because alpine soils are generally better drained than arctic soils...
. The valleys have a milder climate that is essentially temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
.
Tourism
The main industry is tourism and the parish is a major tourism destination. In winter, the main activities are skiing, snowboarding, and ski biking. The main ski resort, VallnordVallnord
Vallnord is a ski/snowboard resort in the Pyrenees mountains in the country of Andorra, close to the border with Spain at Tor, Pallars.It encompasses the linked sectors of Pal and Arinsal and the Ordino-Arcalis sector some kilometres away.All the separate sectors within Vallnord contain...
, includes the Arinsal and Pal sectors, which jointly have 89 km of runs ranging in altitude from 2600 m to 1550 m. In summer, the main activities are hiking, climbing, mountain biking, 4x4 trails, and canyoning
Canyoning
Canyoning is traveling in canyons using a variety of techniques that may include other outdoor activities such as walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling, and/or swimming....
.
Agriculture
Agricultural land amounting to 262 ha is used for growing tobacco, vegetables (mainly potatoes), and cereals. There are rough pastures on the higher slopes which are used for raising dairy cattle and also for keeping horses used in trekking holidays.Construction and real estate
The construction industry and real estate have also been significant sectors of the economy.Sights and culture
There are two museums: Casa Rull Ethnographic Museum in Sispony, and Farga Rossell, a forge built in the mid-19th century which has demonstrations of iron working.The parish is host to a number of fiestas and other public celebrations. There are the festa patronale on 17 November, the festa major on 15 August, and the Rosary fete on the second Sunday of July. A fiesta is also held at the end of June or beginning of July, depending on the weather, to mark the consecration of the livestock and pastures.
Transport
The transport infrastructure consists of roads, road tunnels, gondola liftGondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
s, and two heliports. There are no railways, ports, airports, or navigable waterways.
Buses
There are regular bus services throughout the rural and metropolitan areas of the parish. There are services to most destinations inside Andorra and several long-distance services to destinations outside Andorra such as Barcelona and Toulouse.Road infrastructure
The parish is linked to the neighbouring parish of Ordino by the CG-3 main road, and to the capital, Andorra La VellaAndorra la Vella
Andorra la Vella is the capital of the Co-principality of Andorra, and is located high in the east Pyrenees between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish that surrounds the capital....
, by the CG-3/CG-4 main road.
There are two road tunnels along the route of the CG-3/CG-4: the Pont Pla Tunnel, a 1.3 kilometre (0.807784557644749 mi) long tunnel built in 2006, and the Sant Antoni Tunnel, a 280 metres (306 yd) long tunnel built in 2003. The Pont Pla Tunnel has been designated the best and safest tunnel in Europe by the European Tunnels Assessment Programme (EuroTAP).
The parish's road network is being upgraded in a multi-million euro programme involving new tunnel construction, road widening, improved sign-posting, new bicycle lanes, and additional safety measures such as crash barriers and signal-controlled pedestrian crossings.
A road tunnel — the Dos Valires Tunnel — is being built between Anyós and Encamp
Encamp
Encamp is one of the parishes of Andorra, located on the Valira d'Orient river, and connected by a cable car to Lake Engolasters. It is also the name of the main town in the parish. Other settlements include Vila, El Pas de la Casa, Grau Roig, el Tremat, la Mosquera, and Les Bons. As of 2004, it...
, and when it is opened in 2010 it is expected to cut journey times from the current 30–45 minutes to 5 minutes.
Heliports
There are two heliports — one in La Massana town and one in Arinsal, both providing commercial helicopter services.Gondola lifts
There is a gondola liftGondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
linking the town of La Massana to Vallnord (Pal-Arinsal sector ski station)
Vallnord
Vallnord is a ski/snowboard resort in the Pyrenees mountains in the country of Andorra, close to the border with Spain at Tor, Pallars.It encompasses the linked sectors of Pal and Arinsal and the Ordino-Arcalis sector some kilometres away.All the separate sectors within Vallnord contain...
; it runs throughout the year. There are further gondola lifts within the ski resorts themselves.