The Principality is the sixth-smallest country in the world and lies in the heart of the Alps between Switzerland and Austria. With a varied collection of things to do, from mountain-top castles, skiing or simply marvel at the picturesque views while sipping on the local Pinot Noir
Getting there:
Liechtenstein has no airport but there are a number of ways to reach this Principality hassle free.
Plane: The three closest airports to Liechtenstein are Zürich-Kloten (Switzerland), St Gallen-Altenrhein (Switzerland) and Friedrichshafen (Germany).
Train: Rail passengers need to travel to Sargans, Buchs (Switzerland) or Feldkirch (Austria), where they can take one of the regular buses (green-yellow bus called LIEmobil) to the region of Liechtenstein.
Buchs station offers a direct train to Zurich airport and takes around 1hr 52mins.
If coming from Zurich train station, you need to travel to Sargans station to get to Liechtenstein. A single fare costs 33 CHF. From Sargans station, take the no 11 bus to get to Vaduz (the capital of Liechtenstein) or Balzers.
Bus: You can reach Liechtenstein with Flixbus, that has a stop in close-by Feldkirch, Austria. From there you can travel to Liechtenstein by public transportation.
To get to Vaduz from Sargans via bus, it costs 4-6 CHF and takes around 10-15 mins.
Car: If driving from St Gallen, take the A13 motorway. The travel time is around 45mins. If coming from Zürich, go on the A3 motorway as far as Sargans, then along the A13. This takes around 1hr.
If coming from Innsbruck, drivers must travel on the A12, S16 and then A14, which takes around 2hrs and 30mins. Driving from München via the A96 motorway and then on the A14 in Austria takes around 3hrs.
A road tax card (‘Vignette’) is needed to travel on motorways in Austria and Switzerland. There are no customs controls between Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Place to stay:
Our hotel was the beautiful Hotel Hofbalzers in the small town of Balzers, south of Vaduz. This hotel was fantastic and in a great location transport wise.
The no.11 bus runs up and down the country and with Vaduz 20 minutes away it was easy to get around. Our room had views of the Gutenberg Castle and most of Balzers.
Things to see:
Vaduz Castle
The official residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein, the castle sits on a hillside 120 m (394 ft) above the town. The castle is permanently closed to visitors as the prince and his family live there. As such, no tours are conducted inside the castle.
However, you can still walk there to take pictures of the outside. The walk takes around 20-30mins and is uphill. To start the journey, the trail is located along the pedestrian street in Vaduz’s main square, in between. The route is clearly marked with signs.
Vaduz Castle Viewpoint
About halfway, there is a viewpoint to take spectacular photos of the principality. You will love the view.
Red House
The house was built in 1338 and got its name from the dark-red colour the building has had since the middle of the 19th century. Since 1807, the building has been in the possession of the Rheinberger family. The house has a gabled stairs structure with a large tower containing living quarters and is located in the Mitteldorf area of Vaduz. It is an ideal spot for a picture of the vineyard and also Vaduz Castle.
Treasure Chamber
The only museum of its kind in the Alps, the chamber focuses mostly on exhibits belonging to the Princes of Liechtenstein and other private collectors. Collections include art, Fabergé eggs and Easter egg collections. Visitors will also be able to see lunar rocks collected by the astronauts on board Apollo 11 and Apollo 17.
The chamber is open from 10am – 5 pm with exception of 24th, 25th and 31 December and 1 January.
Entry costs 8 CHF per person but entry is free with the Museum and Adventure Pass.
There is a chip that is needed to open the two gates leading to the Treasure Chamber, which is available from the reception desk at the Postal Museum or the National Museum.
Cathedral St Florin
Friedrich von Schmidt built this parish church in 1874 on the site of earlier medieval foundations, and it features colourful stained-glass windows over the altar.
Beside the Parish Church, there is the burial place for the Family of the Prince. Here lies the father of the present ruling prince, Franz Josef II and his wife Princess Gina.
Postal Museum
A branch of the Liechtenstein National Museum, the Postal Museum was created in 1930 and offers a collection of stamps issued from 1912 containing their original designs, engraving plates and print proofs.
The museum collects and preserves important documents regarding Liechtenstein’s philately and the history of its postal services.
National Museum
The National Museum in Liechtenstein houses a permanent exhibition focusing on the history, culture and landscape of the Principality. Since 2006 and 2015 the Postal Museum and the Treasure Chamber retrospectively, have been part of the National Museum. The museum offers 42 exhibit rooms.
Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein
The state museum of modern and contemporary art in Vaduz offers state art collection of the Principality and is particularly well known for its 3D sculptures, installations and objects. The collection has a particular focus on Arte Povera and Post-Minimal Art.
The admission fee is 15 CHF per adult. Private guided tours for groups are conducted by the museum’s education department and can be booked in advance. Individual guided tours for groups costs 150 CHF.
City Train
There is a city train that leaves at 1.00pm and 4.30pm from Vaduz Bus Station which journeys through the Old Town, stopping at the Red House – Vaduz’s oldest house – and an ideal spot to take a picture of the panoramic view of Vaduz Castle. It lasts for 30 minutes and goes past the Rheinpark Stadion.
The cost for the city train is 10.50 CHF per person and is operational between April – September
Princely Vault
On 1 November annually, the vault is open to the public but remains closed for the rest of the year. The vault was completed in 1960 and more than 30 members of the princely family are buried there.
Don’t forget:
As Liechtenstein has no immigration controls, visitors can only get an official Liechtenstein stamp in passports by visiting the Tourist Information Centre in Vaduz or some souvenir shops. The stamp costs from 3 CHF to 3.50 CHF.
For more information on Liechtenstein click here.
Checking out C & J
In 4 The Long Haul 