Liechtenstein: Small in Size, Big in Beauty

June 14th, 2012 by Jennifer Dombrowski

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

Liechtenstein, all 62 square miles of it, sits entirely in the Alps nestled between Switzerland and Austria. We stopped for a visit in Liechtenstein’s capital, Vaduz, which its residents fondly refer to as “Staedtle” (Little Town).

It was a Monday, and unfortunately literally nothing but the tourist information office was open. But Vaduz was still worthy of a stroll around town. The Art Museum (Kunstmuseum) of Liechtenstein houses one of Europe’s oldest private collections in a modern, prize-winning museum building. While it wasn’t open, we did enjoy the outdoor art and sculptures all around the square housing the museum.

Vaduz Castle stands prominently above the town center on a cliff and is the home to the Prince of Liechtenstein. When the red and blue flag flies above the castle as it was on our visit, the Prince is in residence and the castle is closed to visitors.

Vaduz Cathedral is striking. It’s imposing door opens into a high-vaulted space filled with more light than most neo-gothic churches I’ve been in around Europe. The beautiful stained glass above the alter bounded prisms of color off the walls.

Driving through Liechtenstein, we realized it is a hiker and biker’s playground with trails and bike paths everywhere. We hope to be back soon to explore more of this tiny country.