Old crafts trail

The old crafts trail is located in one of the most emblematic places of Naturland, the Conangle Meadow (Prat de Conangle).

It's time to come and have fun finding the 10 sculptures that symbolise the ancient crafts of Andorra.

It is a very flat, circular path, 100% family-friendly, where you can walk discovering the history of the different figures that you will meet with along the way.

It is an ideal hiking trail for families and groups of friends. It is designed to be accessible by pram and wheelchair, although it is a dirt road. Ask our staff and they will be happy to advise you.

The approximate duration of the visit will be about 40 minutes.

THE WHITE LADY

Many legends fill the mountains with tales, passed on from parents to children.

This legend is born in the Auvinyà waterfall. In ancient times, the lower frontier was guarded by a lone woman, the mysterious White Lady.

At that time, the freedom of the Andorrans was threatened by the tyranny of the bishop of Urgell. One moonlit night, she appeared to him; she was irresistibly seductive, and they both went into the woods until the next day, when the bishop returned shaken and terrified, swearing that he would never pass that way again.

Time passed and the bishop summoned up the courage to take the road to Andorra again. It was his last journey, he was never seen again. The mysterious disappearance freed the Andorrans from the yoke of slavery, but a big black wolf attacked houses and herds, sowing ruin and death.

They organised a hunt and it was the bravest of the brave who put an end to the life of the hateful wolf. For the wolf-slayer, however, the nightmare did not end there; every night the wolf appeared to him, which led him to lose his health and his way. The Andorrans appealed to the White Lady, unfortunately her powers did not extend that far but in a moment of clarity she revealed to him that inside the wolf was the dark soul of the tyrant. The wolf-slayer's death took away the last vestige of the bishop's wickedness.

The White Lady is said to be sometimes seen in the forests of Auvinyà, ready to stand in the way of anyone who wants to subdue Andorrans and safeguarding the country's independence.

SHEPHERD WITH HERD

The shepherd's occupation is an ancient tradition; it dates back to more than 6,000 years ago when sheep were introduced to Andorra.

The shepherds took the flocks to the fresh pastures in summer and in winter to the valleys and plains where the grass guaranteed food.

The nineteenth and twentieth centuries meant a great change for that way of life, the evolution of introduced species and the introduction of vehicles have made it almost extinct today.

THE CHARCOAL-MAKER'S TRADE

They were generally peasants who probably made charcoal when there was no work in the field, that is, in the winter.

To make a charcoal kiln, square clearings were made in the forest, firewood was cut and prepared, and between 20 and 30 tons of wood were used. The process of turning it into charcoal could take two to three weeks and had to be constantly monitored day and night. Considering how complicated the process of charcoal-making is, it is not difficult to understand that this trade has disappeared.

LUMBER CARTER WITH HORSE

This is the trade of extracting firewood from the forest using a horse.

The bond that comes with taking care of livestock and load limitations are factors that have meant the decline of this system, compared to the use of machinery, although it is still commonly used in certain forest areas.

HUNTER AND CAPERCAILLIE

The capercaillie is a protected bird that must be preserved. The pressure on its habitats and human occupation have almost made it disappear, so we must respect and protect forests to preserve the lives of these birds and others. animals that populate our natural spaces.

TURPENTINE PEDDLERS

In hidden valleys of the Pyrenees, women who were well acquainted with the properties of plants collected and prepared medicinal herbs and berries, turpentine to make ointments and syrups. Later they carried it on foot to sell in the towns far from their houses.

This work was carried out in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, until 1982 when the last trip of these women was made. They travelled the counties for weeks in pairs. The preparations they carried were juniper and fir oil and of course, the turpentine that gives their trade its name.

The peddlers came from the valleys of Tuixén-La Vansa. Today there are still women who follow this tradition, but they no longer go to the villages to sell their wares.

SMUGGLERS

Smuggling has been an activity that has been carried on in border countries since time immemorial. Scarce and expensive products, and others, were the stock in trade of these individuals who risked their lives for extra profits in difficult times.

CARABINEERS

The Carabineers or Border and Mountain Police enforced the laws and controlled the passage of people and objects in mountain areas where there were no crossing points, roads or customs posts.

TRAGINERS

The trade of the Traginers was to transport goods and people from one place to another, they were also carriers of information to the villages through which they passed.

Carriages, horses, mares and mules were used as means of transport.

There were several types of carriage for each type of transport.

  • The “Volquet” dump cart
  • The Baroque cart
  • The "Tartana" sprung cart
  • The wine cart
  • The peasant's cart

EXCURSIONS LITO

This sculpture is a small tribute to the pioneers of tourism in this mountain area of Andorra: Excursions Lito.

The company used to take tourists on an excursion with a 4x4 bus to this setting, going up to the Pic Negre (Black Peak) and Claror. After the excursion, in the lodge, they were offered a menu of grilled meat, and the party concluded with an accordionist who performed a concert with dancing.