The Best Places to Visit in Liechtenstein
Wedged between Switzerland and Austria is the tiny country of Liechtenstein. It’s a place surrounded by rivers, alpine landscapes and amazing natural beauty in general. It’s smaller than all the big European cities, being only 160km² in size and having a population of not even 50,000. It uses Switzerland's money and customs union, and has no chaos, no problems, no crowds, just peace, basically. Most people won’t go out of their way to visit Liechtenstein - It’s not exactly the most accessible of places. However there is a lot to see, and if you want you can walk across the whole country in a day.
Capital: Vaduz
Currency: Swiss Franc
Language: German, Swiss
When to visit: May to December
1) Vaduz
Vaduz is Liechtenstein’s little capital city, with a population of 6,000 people. The streets are very very quiet and peaceful, and just like most of the towns in Liechtenstein, it’s built along the Rhine River and valley, with Switzerland on the other side. It’s super clean too, and the streets are filled with well made Swiss style buildings (not to mention the impressive castle on the hill).
Things to do:
There’s a few decent sights in Vaduz for tourists, but the very best place to go to is the Vaduz Castle. It is the prince's residence on a hill above town, and offers panoramic views of Vaduz below. You can’t go in unfortunately, but it’s still worth it for the walk up. That isn’t all in Vaduz though - you should go walk into the town center where a lot of tourist shops are, and you can see the lovely St. Florin Cathedral in the middle. The Government Building of the Principality of Liechtenstein is also just down the street. If you like football, you can also take a quick stroll down to Rheinpark Stadion, one of the most beautiful stadiums in Europe.
How to get there:
Getting to Liechtenstein isn’t the easiest, you have to take a train from Zurich to Sargans or Buchs, then transfer to a LIEmobil bus to Vaduz.
2) Balzers
Balzers is a tiny little town in the south of Liechtenstein next to the border with Switzerland. It’s right at the foot of the mountains, and has a population of just 5,000. It gives off way more of a village vibe when compared to Vaduz, and tourists come to take pictures of the castle.
Things to do:
The name of the popular castle in Balzers is called Gutenberg Castle. It’s a stunning medieval castle on a hill with a tall tower and walls. It's privately owned but the grounds are open to visitors anyway. Besides that, all you can really do is walk through the little town center, there is a standout church there to look at (St. Nicholas), and that’s about it.
How to get there:
Local buses 11 and 13 go here from Vaduz, but check up to date timetables.
3) Gänglesee
Gänglesee is a small, yet stunning alpine lake high up in the mountains of Liechtenstein. It sits at about 1,479m of elevation, and is basically never crowded so it’s the perfect stop to relax, walk around and enjoy. It requires taking a somewhat easy hiking trail up the lake, which goes through open forests and meadows.
Where is it:
It sits just south of the town of Steg, above Triesenberg, which is where the popular trail up to the lake begins at.
How to get there:
Start your hike from Triesenberg, it takes 1-3 hours depending on your pace.
4) Malbun
Malbun is Liechtenstein's highest village and main mountain resort, tucked high in the Alps at about 1,600m surrounded by beautiful mountains and trees. It’s roughly 20km from the border with Austria, and is basically one of the classic resorts of the alps, with all the wooden chalets and peaceful vibes.
Things to do:
The big draw of a place like Malbun is the skiing and snowboarding options. There is about 23km of slopes in the area, so it isn’t massive but that is kind of the charm of it. There is also a great hiking options in the area, with Malbun being a great point to start. You can explore areas like Sareiserjoch and the rest of the alps if you’re a sure footed hiker.
How to get there:
Local bus 11 should run to Malbun, but check timetables.
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