Andorra's medieval bridges, one by one

Andorra’s bridges aren’t grand, and that’s their charm. They’re plain stone arches that for centuries were the only way across the Valira rivers in a country with no flat ground to speak of. The tourist board calls them humble and, in the same breath, genuine monuments of engineering. Below, each one’s location and my suggested route.

What they share

According to the tourist board, every surviving bridge in the country is medieval in origin, though with rebuilding their dates run from the 15th to the 20th century. They have almost everything in common. A single round arch, stone with some pumice, a flat cobbled deck, a low stone parapet along the length and a river underneath, always one of the Valiras.

That simplicity has a practical reason. They were links in paths, such as the royal road from El Serrat down to Andorra la Vella or the one to Sant Julià de Lòria. So they sit where the path had to cross the river, not where they’d look pretty.

La Margineda, the one not to miss

The Margineda bridge is the largest of the six, 33 metres long with an arch spanning about 9.20 metres over the Gran Valira. Official listings call it the biggest and most slender of the medieval bridges. Its date is a muddle, as each official listing gives a different one, so I’ll settle for medieval. Beside it is an accessible viewpoint and, five minutes away, the Margineda rock shelter. If you see just one bridge in Andorra, see this.

The three in Escaldes-Engordany

Escaldes-Engordany has half the bridges, which makes sense, since three rivers converge there, the two Valiras and the Madriu. The Tosca listing puts it plainly, bridges were once the only way to connect the parish’s villages.

The Pont dels Escalls crosses the Valira del Nord just before it joins the Valira d’Orient, on the old path between Andorra la Vella, Engordany and Escaldes. Its listing dates it to the 13th century and counts it among the highest bridges in the country, with two iron railings added later for safety. The same site credits it with a role in the signing of the Pareatges that I haven’t seen confirmed by any historical source, so I’m not repeating it.

The Engordany bridge was rebuilt in 1785 after a flood swept away its predecessor. It’s lopsided because its two banks sit at different heights, and for centuries it both separated and joined Escaldes and Engordany. You reach it from Avinguda Carlemany or the Camí d’Ensucaranes, and it’s on the Engordany heritage trail. A few minutes’ walk away is the Tosca bridge, from 1820, with a 7 m span and 10 m height, a relic of the old royal road up the Orient valley. Look at the parish coat of arms and you’ll see it.

Ordino and La Massana

The Ordino bridge, also known as the Estorell, has a keel-shaped arch and a cobbled deck. It stood on the path between Ordino and El Serrat, and in 1980 it was moved stone by stone to save it from the widening of the main road. Official sources disagree on exactly which village it ended up in, so check with the tourist office before heading up to Ordino.

The Sant Antoni de la Grella bridge in La Massana sits on the royal road that linked the parish with the capital. It’s 21.20 m long and 5.55 m high, was rebuilt in the mid-20th century and is dedicated to Saint Anthony the Abbot, patron of muleteers according to its listing. A few steps away is the chapel of Sant Antoni de la Grella, built against the rock below Sispony.

My order for seeing them

I’d start with la Margineda in the south, mid-afternoon, then head up to Escaldes to link Engordany and the Tosca on foot, finishing at the Escalls. Ordino and Sant Antoni de la Grella lie up the Valira del Nord valley and fit better on the day you head to Ordino or La Massana, with the Grella chapel as a stop. Six free stops in all, none needing more than a quarter of an hour. Wear shoes with some grip, as the cobbled decks can be slippery after rain.