Liechtenstein is a double landlocked country and one of the least visited countries in Europe. Things to do in Liechtenstein;
- Vaduz Castle
- Vaduz Cathedral
- Rheinbrücke bridge (Liechtenstein / Switzerland border)
- Mountains and Austria
- Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein in Central Vaduz
- Train to Zurich
Liechtenstein has 2 main towns, Schaan and Vaduz. It’s also a very small country therefore you can choose a hotel anywhere you prefer.
Vaduz Castle
The main attraction in Liechtenstein is Vaduz Castle. Unfortunately, tourists cannot visit as it’s the residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein. However, it’s very picturesque built on a cliff edge looking over Vaduz.
Vaduz Cathedral and National Archives
Vaduz Cathedral is a Neo Gothic Church in the center of Vaduz. An interesting fact about the church is that former monarchs are buried inside. This is a similar phenomenon to Riddarholm Church in Stockholm. Finally, adjacent to Vaduz Cathedral is the stunning House of the National Archives.
Rheinbrücke bridge
There is also an interesting old wooden bridge in Liechtenstein called the Rheinbrücke. This bridge crosses the River Rhine and essentially connects Liechtenstein to Switzerland. A fun fact is that you can walk over the old wooden bridge and there’s no border control!
Top Instagram Spot in Liechtenstein
The interior of the bridge is quite dark so you could walk through and miss an important sign. Inside is a sign which signals one way to Liechtenstein and the other to Switzerland. If you came from Munich to Liechtenstein like me, this means you’ve visited 4 countries in 1 day. Thats, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and of course Switzerland. For this reason, I name this sign as the top Instagram spot in Liechtenstein, it’s evidence you’ve been to Liechtenstein!
Mountains and Austria
If you look east from Vaduz or Schaan, you’ll see mountains. At the other side of these mountains is Austria. As a matter of fact there are hiking trails which can take you through these mountains.
Walkways
If hiking up mountains aren’t your thing, there are also lots of peaceful walkways around this microstate. One point of interest I haven’t mentioned is the football stadium. If you’re lucky, there might be a European qualifier on when you’re in town.
Kunstmuseum and Central Vaduz
In central Vaduz (and Schaan) you’ll find lots of restaurants, bars, a couple of supermarkets, even a McDonald’s. Also, central Vaduz is where you’ll find Vaduz Cathedral as well as enjoy a view of Vaduz Castle. Finally, Kunstmuseum is an art museum and a major landmark of Vaduz.
Bus from Vaduz / Schaan to Sargans
There are regular bus services from various well marked bus stops on the main road of Liechtenstein which go to Sargans, the start of the railway line in Switzerland. This bus costs around 7 Swiss francs for a one way journey and the last stop is right outside Sargans train station.
Sargans to Zurich Train
From Sargans train station, there are many direct trains to Zurich which cost around 29 Swiss francs. You can buy these tickets at the self-service machines or from the ticket office. Be aware that in Switzerland they use a different shaped plug, so your European plug won’t work here. The train has free WiFi and Swiss phone chargers.
I had never heard about Liechtenstein until today (probably why it doesn’t get a lot of visitors). But I love the idea of visiting a country that doesn’t get a ton of tourists. Being on the train line, it’s definitely worth a visit:)
I so agree that a visit to a country like Liechtenstein would be so good to do. Especially so as it is right in Europe and very easy to get to. The idea that it is not visited a lot is really appealing to me as you would think that this would be more of a genuine experience of the real place, people and culture.
I haven’t heard of Liechtenstein since High School! What a neat addition to a trek around Europe. We’re hoping to do a train tour of Europe in the next few years with our kids and this sounds like it could be a cool stop. Thanks for reminding me about this tiny country!
As it is so small, I can see how people seem to pass it. Catching the train through Europe seems like the most beautiful thing to do. We are actually headed to Zurich in August so we may just make a sneaky detour there!
Another great journey. I am surprised you can walk back and forth on the bridge with no border control! I learnt a lot about Liechtenstein in this post that I had no idea about before now. Looks like another great trip
Thanks for putting Liechtenstein on my map. Never knew of such a place, but now am definitely going to check out and the fact that it is part of the Scenegen community, is a plus point for travelers too. One more country to tick off.
As a photographer, I’ve had Liechtenstein on my radar but haven’t yet researched much about it. Darn that it’s pricey, but it does sound like it’s worth it. Thank you for the information about the transit options.
I visited Lichtenstein a few years back but only spent a couple of hours in the capital Vaduz. I was driving from Austria back to France and it seemed like a great opportunity to tick the country off the list – but I did notice that everything was pretty pricey there. It’s definitely worth a detour for a day or so!
I never heard about Liechtenstein before so this post is interesting and informative. Vaduz and Schaan seem to be interesting cities which I would like to visit it someday. I would love to walk around Liechtenstein and check out the wooden bridge over the border to Switzerland.