Next, our destination was Liechtenstein, the small microstate nestled in the heart of the Alps, sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria. Liechtenstein is indeed the fourth smallest country in Europe, making it truly tiny, with a land area of only 160 square kilometers. Only Vatican City, San Marino, and Monaco are smaller. So, if you’re not hiking in the mountains here, you can easily explore the country in a day, and that was our plan.
Liechtenstein is relatively expensive, so we decided to stay on the Austrian side and drive to Liechtenstein for the day. We also planned to hike on the Swiss side, right near the intersection of these three countries. Therefore, it made sense to stay at the crossroads of these three countries, specifically on the Austrian side, as it is noticeably cheaper than the other two.
We stayed at Motel Keckeis Inn in the village of Sulz, Austria near the Swiss and Liechtenstein border. The motel was brand new, so everything was incredibly clean and tidy. The room was spacious, and during our road trip, we greatly appreciated the fact that there were complimentary washing machines and dryers available for use. The accommodation cost 83 € per night.
Burg Gutenberg Castle, Balzers
So, we arrived in Liechtenstein from the northern edge of the country, and our first stop was Burg Gutenberg Castle in the village of Balzers. The castle sits atop a small hill, and visiting it was free, which was nice. The castle was small, and not every part of it was accessible, although we’re not sure if that would be possible at certain times.
The castle itself was impressive, with a beautifully manicured small courtyard. The views from the castle were stunning, with snow-capped mountains towering in every direction.
The entire country of Liechtenstein is surrounded by magnificent Alps, with only some of them actually within Liechtenstein’s borders, while others are visible in Switzerland and Austria.
Vaduz – The Capital of Liechtenstein
From Balzers, we headed towards the capital of Liechtenstein, Vaduz. The city is as small as the country itself. Its center is traversed by a pedestrian street lined with various shops, cafes, restaurants, and several museums. The city also boasts a beautiful church, and on the hill behind the city stands Vaduz Castle, where the princely family resides to this day. The castle is not open to the public, but it can be admired from the outside. While it’s somewhat difficult to see from the city center and the pedestrian street, driving up the mountain would get you closer. However, we didn’t explore it in detail this time.
It’s worth noting that everything here seemed to be twice as expensive, so dining out is not cheap. For instance, a sandwich at Subway was around 20 €. We even paid 10 € for a souvenir magnet, which typically costs between 1-4 €, just to give you an idea of the prices in the country.
Liechtenstein makes for a good day trip, and we think a day’s visit is sufficient unless you’re heading into the mountains for hiking. The mountains and hiking trails here are likely as stunning as those in Austria and Switzerland, so next time, we’ll definitely aim to conquer one of the peaks here too!
