The Fourth Smallest Country in Europe
Another country and capital city in Europe not been before; Vaduz, and the last of the 6 micro states in Europe, Liechtenstein. With this visit on this day I mark the 41st county visited in Europe, meaning only 9 left to complete the whole continent. In any case, so far for this year there will not be any other new European country to be visited, therefore it will need to be from the next year and so on when perhaps I can continue to tick off the list. But now on a newer separate note after a trip through the Caucasian countries in 2018, that was the time I’ve completed the entire continent.
This weekend trip was not only about reaching Liechtenstein, but also to explore all around the beautiful Lake Constance, shared between Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Very busy Saturday and Sunday, non-stop driving all around the lake after Vaduz. Also a bigger job later on to create the separate travel guides for each of the places been such as: Bregenz, Lindau, Friedrichshafen, Meersburg and Konstanz.
Vaduz is capital since 1342, and ranks in the 2nd place as the smallest capital city in any European country (being the smallest San Marino City). Located surrounded by the Austrian Alps the nature is just incredible everywhere. The Rhine River is the only natural border that separates the city from neighbouring Switzerland at just 2km away.
At the end of the day, Liechtenstein and on the same way Andorra is, the nature and landscapes are their main highlights. Therefore do not have any high expectations when visiting the city. It is really small, only little over 30000 people live here; just few streets with not much to see although the few sights are quite nice. What counts is the journey to reach the city, passing through such a beautiful places and views.
Do not plan long time here. With half a day is absolutely more than enough to see everything the city has to offer. It is why you can easily plan the perfect weekend in combination of the pretty nearby cities around Lake Constance, something you won’t regret.
For more information about Vaduz check Wikipedia and Wikitravel sites. Liechtenstein’s currency is the Euro (EUR). Please note that any price reference is true as from when this guide was created, therefore check prices in advance as with the time they change.
What to see and do in Vaduz
- Castle Is the official residence of the prince and family. Located on top of a hill overlooking the city from all angles. Although you cannot get inside, you are free to walk around the perimeter which offers great views over the Austrian Alps and city below.
- Cathedral of St. Florin Built in 1874 on top of previous medieval foundations.
- Rathaus Is the City Hall, a beautiful Medieval-Gothic inspired building built in 1933.
- Government Building The Regierungsgebäude was built in 1905 and it’s the seat of the government and parliament of Liechtenstein.
- The Red House Is the oldest house in the city dating from the 16th century although the attached tower was built in 1807. Located in Prince Franz Josef Street
- The Reclining Woman Sculpture Located in the main street of the city, was made by Spanish artist Fernando Botero.
- Old Rhine Bridge Crossing the Rhine River is this old wooden bridge linking Liechtenstein with Austria.
Transports
Reaching Vaduz is extremely easy if you plan to use a car. The nearest airport is Zurich where you can fly nowadays quite cheap on any low cost carrier and then drive the 77 kilometres that separates it to Vaduz. Otherwise, buses and trains from the neighbouring countries are very efficient too.
Within the city there is absolutely no need for any public transportation. Distances are so short that walking from one end to the other can be as quick as 15 minutes.
Accommodation
We didn’t stay overnight in Vaduz as our plan was to visit as many other cities nearby as possible, therefore we decided to stay in Friedrichshafen because it was the city with the best selection, and also the largest, facilitating the choice of restaurants and bars specially if you plan to go out in the night, although bear in mind it is not located in the city centre but some kilometres to the north after the airport. It was also the most convenient in location having in mind our busy agenda. A general rule we follow, a good point to start your search is by checking some of our preferred affiliate hotel search engines such as Hotels.com, Booking.com, Expedia, Otel.com, Agoda, Opodo, Ebookers or LateRooms.
We stayed at the Hotel Restaurant Krone, simple but really nice. Great value for money with a great included breakfast.
Photo Gallery
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