I wrote about the great coffee in Liechtenstein, but in this post I will write about the great day I had with my family in the vibrant nation of Liechtenstein.
Our Day Trip To Liechtenstein – A Great Hike In Vaduz
The drive from Basel, Switzerland to Liechtenstein was about two hours, with beautiful views of Zürichsee (Lake Zurich) and the Swiss Alps.
We arrived in the early afternoon and after a coffee, drove up to Vaduz Castle, the official residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein. The castle was closed, but we parked nearby and found a hiking trail nearby. We did not have the right shoes (I was wearing dress shoes and Heidi had heels) but decided to hike anyway. Heidi went barefoot and I just got my shoes dirty…
It was a beautiful day, but the hike was particularly lovely, with a lot of shade and great views of Liechtenstein. The hike turned out to be a four-hour ordeal, but it was really nice (even though at some points I did have to put my three-year-old daughter on my shoulders and carry her…a good workout uphill).
We found some refreshing mountain spring water on the way…
…and mushrooms.
If you want to go on the hike, just walk up to Vaduz Castle or park near there and then find the trail near the castle entrance. It will take you on a big loop around the mountain.
The pinnacle of our hike was reaching Schalun Castle, also known as Wildschloss (castle in the wild), dates back to the 12th century. My six-year-old son was thrilled to “explore” the castle ruins, looking for buried treasure.
I’d say the hike was a bit much for the two children, but we made it back in one piece.
I took too many pictures and left my power bank at the house, so by the time we completed our hike and went into Vaduz for dinner, my phone died…sorry, no dinner pictures, but we ate at Altenbach Restaurant, where I had a nice schnitzel for dinner.
We also stopped at the tourist office and got our passports stamped – a bit gimmicky, but now my kids have Liechtenstein stamps in their US passports.
CONCLUSION
From many parts of Switzerland and Austria (and even some parts of Germany and France), a day trip to Liechtenstein is quite easy. This is a beautiful part of the Germanic world and everyone agreed we would like to return. If you enjoy hiking, the trails around Vaduz Castle are excellent.
Last thing. I loved the black license plates on vehicles here:
I can also vouch for being able to park by Vaduz Castle and walking around. You cannot park next to the White House and wander the grounds. The head of state, which is the Prince, lives in that castle.
Also in Liechtenstein, in the northern village of Schellenberg is a memorial plaque to commemorate when Liechtenstein had a spine. The Russian National Army came across the border and that one division sought political asylum. Other units sought asylum with the British. The British returned them to Stalin where all were shot in the head. In contrast, Liechtenstein refused to send them back. Liechtenstein fed and housed them at great cost, despite a local food shortage. After roughly two years, Argentina accepted them. Liechtenstein stood firm with Russia (USSR) and won. Likewise, the world should stand with the Republic of China (Taiwan) when the separatist government of the People’s Republic of China invade possibly in a couple of years. America should be like Liechtenstein and not send Taiwan to their deaths.
Hopefully there was time in your itinerary to manage banking needs.
Kudos to your wife for wearing heels while raising two kids under 8.
Of the European microstates, Liechtenstein seems the most “authentic” to me. It isn’t extravagantly wealthy like Monaco, tax free cigarette land like Andorra, or just exploiting its sovereignty for day trippers like San Marino. Vaduz sits in such a peaceful valley, and I’d be happy to live the rest of my life there. I think Liechtensteiners may actually be the ones who have won the birth lottery.
You can’t really appreciate the scenery if you’re driving. Take the train to Sarganz and the local bus into Liechtenstein. Bring plenty of money, well you’re probably looking for somewhere to stash your money if you’re going to Liechtenstein, don’t waste your time if it’s under a million