On our big 16-day European adventure through the Alps, we had one day to spend in Liechtenstein. We wondered before we turned the car towards this country: is Liechtenstein worth it?
Liechtenstein and the fact it exists at all is fascinating. It is incredibly small: just 62 square miles – the size of Washington, D.C. Only around 40,000 people live here, Europe’s 4th smallest country. Yet it is incredibly rich. The country carries no debt yet has one of the highest GDPs per person in the world (which as an American is almost embarrassing to write as our debt is crushing). Of course, some of the wealth came from being a billionaire’s tax haven, but Liechtenstein has made significant reforms in their laws to tighten that up in recent years.
Our Adventure in the Alps
Liechtenstein has a constitution and a prince. In reading the history, it sounds like the country was founded as a personal favor by the Holy Roman Emperor so the Liechtenstein family could finally claim they had a kingdom. The family had been princes and royalty advisors for years, but since they didn’t have territory that was a direct gift from the Imperial throne, they didn’t have much sway or power with the Holy Roman Empire.
So in 1719 Charles VI let them have Liechtenstein, even though a member of the family didn’t even step foot into the country they now owned for another 100 years. It didn’t fix the family’s woes (the fallacy of destination thinking at its height) but it seemed like no one really cared enough in the subsequent centuries to absorb, conquer or do anything about Liechtenstein. Everyone let it hang out and do its thing.
Today, Hans-Adams II is the current prince and the royal family actually lives in the castle above Vaduz (so you can’t go in).
Hans-Adams gave his eldest all the governing power so I guess he may be on a beach in the Caribbean somewhere while Prince Alios does the actual work as Regent.
The Liechtenstein people are happy, though. In what seems like a shock to an American sensibility, in July 2012 the people overwhelmingly voted to veto legislation that would curtail any power the prince and regent had. I guess if it’s not broke don’t fix it.
All in all, Liechtenstein is a fascinating place.
What to do with One Day in Liechtenstein
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You can definitely get a great feel for Liechtenstein in one day – although there is enough to do to make a two day visit worth it. While it is similar in geographic size to Washington, D.C., it isn’t nearly as dense. But if you have time to hike or bike as well as explore the museums and downtown Vaduz, you could easily have an enjoyable vacation here.
Do note, though, that many businesses in this country are closed on Sunday. So try to avoid making Sunday one of your primary visits.
We found the Liechtenstein scenery to be gorgeous, with old grape vines dangling and huge flowers bursting forth. The buildings themselves are pretty utilitarian looking – they didn’t go out of their way to get creative architecturally. That was a change after the highs of all the Swiss chalets dotting the horizon. Nevertheless, we had fun in this tiny country.
Visit a Castle
We were driving to Liechtenstein from Switzerland on our way to Germany.
We drove into the country very close to Balzers. This made it easy to visit the Gutenberg Castle in Balzers.
This was free to walk up the hill to, and free to enter (although not much of the interior of the castle itself is open for viewing). There are incredible views from this perch and during the summer the grounds host music concerts.
It is also possible to hike up to the Vaduz castle (where the Liechtenstein royalty live) for a view, even though the castle itself is closed off from tourists.
Hike or Bike
The entire country is connected by a trail system. Outdoor recreation here is popular, and the countryside lends itself to it.
If you can, get out on the Liechtenstein Trail a bit. This trail is 75 kilometers total and goes through all 11 municipalities in Liechtenstein.
Unlike Switzerland, there is an app that helps those interested navigate the trail.
The entirety would take more than one day to enjoy, of course, but there are many restaurants, places to grab a beverage, and sites along the path that would be fun for a day.
Visit Vaduz (the Capital)
While the architecture in Vaduz was hardly stunning, the city itself was pedestrian friendly and fun to walk about. In the square there were family-friendly activities clustered by a stage for music.
There are shops, cafes, and restaurants with patio seating. Vaduz Castle sits high above and I had images of the prince coming out to watch benevolently over his people, Evita-style. That didn’t happen, but either way, Vaduz was lovely.
St Florin cathedral is commanding and worth a stop. If you have time, visit a museum. Vaduz is home to quite a few! There is the National Museum, the Kunst Museum (showcasing art), Postal Museum (which is free and where you can get a unique, coveted postal stamp from this small country), and the Treasure Chamber (which we didn’t go in but seems to be just that: a collection of anything the Liechtenstein royalty decided is a treasure).
Vaduz Sculpture Trail
While we didn’t go into the art museum, Vaduz itself celebrates art. We were fascinated with all of the sculptures lining the streets and squares in the town.
Vaduz is only 7 square miles, but has 28 impressive public art installations.
See if you can find them all then see if you can determine your favorite.
Wine Tasting
In Liechtenstein, wine is something serious and treasured. Given its climate and topography, grapes grow well here. There are more than 100 wine growers in the country, and Liechtensteiners have been producing wine for over 2,000 years.
Prince of Liechtenstein Winery is a very popular spot to taste wine in the country, but we found opportunities to try different labels at one of the stores in downtown Vaduz.
Honestly, we were one of the day trippers out of the 80,000 tourists that Liechtenstein sees each year. We stopped because we were driving right by and wanted to see what this small, wealthy country in the Alps was all about. Is it really different enough to be its own country?
So many groups, like us, end up swinging into Liechtenstein for the day, nearly on a whim, because its intriguing. But I’d go again for longer – to hike, to see what a life where I think the powerful ruler is doing great and doesn’t need to have power curtailed, to drink more wine from ancient vines, and to see if I could get an invitation to Vaduz castle.
Liechtenstein is small and mighty, and it feels intimate. The entire country feels like a family. Liechtensteiners are proud of where they live. They seem happy, and, to be honest, if I lived in those mountains with dozens of art sculptures dotting my path and a town square buzzing with families laughing, I probably would be, too.
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