This morning, we rediscovered Andorra’s heritage of drystone walling!
As part of the 2026 European Heritage Days, we explored the area around the ‘borda del Sabater’, at the entrance to the Madriu-Perafita-Claror valley, to discover how drystone walling has shaped our landscape and way of life.
As part of the 2026 European Heritage Days, we explored the area around the ‘borda del Sabater’, at the entrance to the Madriu-Perafita-Claror valley, to discover how drystone walling has shaped our landscape and way of life.
Accompanied by Patrick Morlaes, a heritage guide and educator, we gained a deeper understanding of this ancient building technique – evident in walls, stone embankments, paths and huts – as well as its significance as a defining feature of our region’s identity.
‘Resisting and Reimagining: Dry Stone as a Symbol of Identity’, at the Borda del Sabater, at the entrance to the Vall del Madriu-Perafita-Claror (Escaldes-Engordany).
Dry stone has been, and remains, one of the defining features of our region. Terraces, enclosures, walls, paths, huts and other structures have shaped our mountains and left their mark on the way of life and the use of the land. Join Patrick Morlaes, heritage guide and educator, to discover the impact of this construction technique on our region, as well as its advantages, which have enabled it to endure to the present day and to be recognised by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
