Between Austria and Switzerland, on a small piece of land, there is a dwarf state – Liechtenstein. The country’s population is only 38,900 people, which is even less than our smallest district in Tolyatti.
I like to stop by dwarf countries in transit, as such countries try their best to show their national identity, so such trips are always interesting. Plus, it is an easy opportunity to add to the list of countries visited.
How we walked and drove through the main cities of Liechtenstein in 5 hours – in detail in today’s article!
The border of Switzerland with Liechtenstein
The border between Switzerland and Liechtenstein runs along the Rhine River. Since Liechtenstein is a member of the Schengen Agreement, there are no border checkpoints and you can walk freely between the borders.
It should be noted that Liechtenstein, like Switzerland, remains neutral and is therefore not a member of either the European Union or NATO.
There are many ways to get from Switzerland to Liechtenstein, but I wanted to walk along the most touristy place – the tourist bridge.
This is a typical wooden bridge. You enter in Switzerland and exit in Liechtenstein. Cool!
The border runs right down the middle of the bridge, although only a sign with the names of the countries serves as a reminder. The local vandals have an interesting approach: the wooden beams are covered in graffiti, but the signs themselves are left untouched.
Paid parking
Well, here we are in Liechtenstein, or more precisely in the capital city of Vaduz. True, we got here in a rented car, so we need to look for parking. In Europe in general, due to dense development, there are big problems with parking, so they are all paid and not cheap.
Our parking for 1 hour cost 3 francs, which in our terms is about 3 francs. A good motivation to walk a little faster.
At the exit from the parking lot, against the backdrop of the mountains, we were met by this beauty of the French automobile industry.
The car is parked. Now you can walk around the center. There is an overpass leading from the parking lot directly to the center, which is very convenient. How cool the city looks against the backdrop of the mountains.
Cathedral
Vaduz does not differ in the logic of development from other European cities. Where the main cathedral is located, there is also a pedestrian street with all the interesting places for tourists.
The cathedral was built in 1873. At that time, the country was allied with Austria, but after Austria entered World War I, Liechtenstein changed its partner to neutral Switzerland.
Thanks to its neutral status, the country did not suffer any damage and preserved all its architectural monuments in excellent condition.
Stadle Street
Right behind the cathedral is the main pedestrian street, Städdle. Overall, this street was disappointing. Deserted and somewhat artificial, but we’ll try to find something interesting.
Government House
The government house stands out with its rich façade decoration. You may ask why a country with a prince with a crown needs a government house.
The fact is that Liechtenstein is not a monarchy, but a dualistic monarchy. This is when the monarch’s power is limited so that in the sphere of state power he does not have supreme powers.
Banks
Liechtenstein, like other dwarf countries, thanks to low taxes (3% of net profit) and an offshore zone, earns well on foreign companies. That is why there are so many banks in the country.
Some bank facades deserve attention for their interesting facades.
Tourist center
Liechtenstein has been ranked first in the world in terms of GDP per capita for several years now. This shows that the country’s economy is very strong, despite its small size.
Agriculture and tourism make a significant contribution to the country’s income. Therefore, tourists are treated very well here, and even in the tourist center you can feel like you are in a museum.
Souvenirs are very expensive. When we were in Switzerland, I wondered why everything was so expensive, but in Liechtenstein it is even more expensive. For a regular magnet they ask 8 francs.
Sculptures on the Stadtl
The street of Städl begins to narrow and becomes more like a Swiss street with its austere houses.
However, tourists need to be entertained somehow, so sculptures with deep meaning appeared on the central street.
Postage stamp
You will never believe that 4% of the country’s GDP is just a postage stamp. For some reason, most tourists try to get to the Liechtenstein post office to send a letter or postcard home. Why? It’s convenient. It won’t take up space in your luggage.
Postage stamps can be bought in a special stamp museum built for tourists. But we are not interested in the topic of stamps, so let’s move on.
Expensive snack
Unlike Italy, Spain – in the center on the pedestrian street there are practically no cafes. The reason is simple – the average bill is very expensive, which even locals cannot afford.
The solution to the problem was the emergence of fast food with hot dogs and other quick snacks. This picture is typical for both Liechtenstein and Switzerland. It is very strange to see a picture of older people in suits standing in line for a hot dog.
Hunger forced us to try a hot dog, which cost almost 10 francs. Nothing special to taste. There was not even any sauce. Now this sausage has become the most expensive in my life.
Town Hall
Despite all the strict architecture of Liechtenstein, the city hall looks the most interesting. Although the building was built relatively recently, in 1933.
On the façade of the building you can see the coat of arms of the city of Vaduz.
Hydrants
Liechtenstein has a special approach to fire hydrants. It is obvious that they are made with love and care. They even put the city coat of arms on them so that no one would take them to a neighboring city.
In fact, in the center we have walked around all the most interesting things. Now it is time to disturb the monarch. The residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein is located in the castle, which rises above the city.
It is not possible to reach it on foot, so we return to the car to go up to the castle. Paid parking motivates to walk around the city without long pauses, so that the total price is not so high.
The road to the castle
I would like to tell you about the road to the castle separately. Wherever you look, there is such postcard beauty. A good example that the territory is well-groomed and beautiful throughout the entire climb, and not just near the tourist spot, as is often the case here.
I would also like to mention the lawn. It seems that the grass is mown all over the country every morning. Otherwise, I cannot understand how everything is so neat around here.
This is the view that the Prince of Liechtenstein sees every morning from his castle window while drinking a cup of coffee.
Lock
Vaduz Castle is the country’s main attraction. It was built sometime in the 12th century. The Liechtenstein family acquired the castle after acquiring the County of Vaduz in 1712.
It was after this purchase that the Principality of Liechtenstein was founded, which remains legally independent to this day.
Since this is a princely residence, access to mere mortals is closed. Near the castle there is a princely car park, where ordinary budget cars “AUDI” are parked. No show-off. Everything is simple and budget-friendly.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the prince rides a bicycle to work.
Liechtenstein is not a member of the European Union, so they have their own license plates. The currency is also not the “euro”, but the Swiss franc. In general, Switzerland represents the interests of Liechtenstein in all countries, so they do not particularly need the European Union.
It is funny that Liechtenstein has territorial claims against the Czech Republic and Slovakia, so it is very difficult to conclude any agreements within the European Union with the participation of Liechtenstein.
Observation deck
Next to the castle there is an observation deck from which you can look out over the whole of Vatsud.
Note the neat wooden barriers on the road. And this is a regular route.
This is what the observation deck looks like. Traditionally, there is a poster showing the sights and a paid pair of binoculars.
And this is what the residential area looks like. All the roofs of the houses are covered with tiles, so everything looks so stylish and organic. There in the distance is Switzerland.
Gutenberg Castle
We saw everything in the capital. Now we decided to drive along the entire country, since Liechtenstein stretches from north to south along the right bank of the Rhine River for only 28 km. The Autobahn highway runs through Switzerland, and in Liechtenstein there is such an ordinary road along various small villages.
Already on the way out of the country we saw a hill on which stands another small castle known as Gutenberg. The castle was built approximately in 1200.
And if it were not for the great fire in 1795, Gutenberg would have stood in perfect condition. But in 1912, a large-scale reconstruction was carried out, after which the castle began to be used by the prince as a banquet hall for social events.
