Perfume Museum in Escaldes-Engordany, Andorra: Visitor Guide

Andorra is known for its perfume shops, and almost everyone who comes here ends up walking into one. What many people do not realise is that it also has a Perfume Museum, right in the centre of Escaldes-Engordany, and that it makes an excellent choice for a day away from the slopes.

Perfume Museum – Júlia Bonet Foundation

If after several days on the slopes you would like something quieter, head down to Escaldes-Engordany, one of the areas of Andorra with the most culture, restaurants and shops. The museum is at Avenida Carlemany, 115, the country’s main shopping street, so it fits nicely with an afternoon of shopping in Andorra.

It opened in 2004, set up by the Júlia Bonet Foundation, according to Culture Trip. Júlia Bonet, born in Escaldes-Engordany, was the owner and president of Júlia perfumeries, a chain with shops in Andorra and Spain. That explains much of the museum’s purpose: to show how a product seen here mainly in shop windows has more than a century of history, technique and design behind it.

What you will see

The visit follows the evolution of perfume through the twentieth century and its relationship with the society of each period. You will find fragrances, bottles and perfume-related objects from private collections, auctions, markets and donations. The display is arranged by period:

• Early twentieth century: the Art Nouveau bottles of Paris at the time, created by glass artists.
• The Roaring Twenties: interwar Europe, Art Deco and the garçonne look.
• The rest of the century: how the great perfumes set trends and changed with the tastes of each generation.

Figures for the size of the collection vary widely from source to source, so there is little point in fixating on a number. The interesting part is seeing the bottles together and understanding how the idea of luxury shifts from one decade to the next.

The Olfactory Station

The highlight of the visit, according to In Your Pocket, is the Olfactory Station, where machines let you experiment with scents and try composing your own fragrance. It is the part people enjoy most if they come with children or with someone who has little interest in the history of perfume, because here it is all about smelling, comparing and playing. If you do not usually notice the notes in a perfume, you will leave with a keener nose. And if you then want to put that to use in a shop, see our guide to buying perfume in Andorra.

How to visit the Perfume Museum

The visit is straightforward and needs no special planning. Take your time over the scents: that is where the visit really pays off.

We have not been able to confirm current prices, discounts or audio guides in recent sources. It is best to check them directly with the museum at museudelperfum.ad or on (00376) 801 926.

As for opening times, In Your Pocket gives Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 8 pm, and Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm and 4 pm to 8 pm, closed on Mondays and Sundays. As guides do not always agree, call before you go, especially on public holidays and in high season.

From Grau Roig you drive down the main road, which in winter may have snow or heavy traffic on changeover days. If you are staying at Hotel Grau Roig, featured in the MICHELIN Guide, carry chains or winter tyres, check road conditions and leave plenty of time.

A plan for a winter’s day

The museum works especially well when conditions on the slopes are poor: if there is wind or fog, or your legs simply ache, an afternoon in Escaldes-Engordany still makes for a good day. You can combine the visit with some time at Caldea, in the same parish, and head back for dinner at the hotel’s restaurants.

What else can you visit in the same area?

Around Avenida Carlemany there is much more than shops and restaurants. You can combine the Perfume Museum with a stop at the Escaldes-Engordany Art Centre or the church of Sant Pere Màrtir. If you had the Carmen Thyssen Museum in mind, note that its Escaldes venue closed on 4 January 2026 in order to move, so check where it is before you go.