How to Love Your Weekend in Liechtenstein

Well, I went down the rabbit hole again. In working on this article about my visit to tiny Liechtenstein, I discovered that there is a difference between a micronation, a microstate, and a city-state. I won’t turn this into a high school government class, but here is a super simplified summary before we get into the details of my weekend in Liechtenstein.

Defining the Terms

Micronation – entity that claims to be an independent state but whose sovereignty is not recognized by the international community.

Microstate – “A microstate, also known as ministate, refers to a sovereign nation, which is recognized by other countries and international bodies. Therefore, a microstate is a small country with a small population and a small land area. The underlying difference between microstate and micronation is recognition and legitimacy.” (Quoted from a publication by U. Desmond Alufohai, Director of Protocol & International Affairs Division Miami-Dade Aviation Department). Example: Liechtenstein

City-State – A city-state is simply an independent country that exists completely within the borders of a single city. The city-state government exercises full sovereignty or control over itself and all territories within its borders. Examples: Monaco and Vatican City

How Many People Spend a Weekend in Liechtenstein?

From our home in Germany, Liechtenstein is just over a five-hour drive. When we found that out, we couldn’t resist going there. How many people get to say they visited Liechtenstein, after all?! Well, according to my research, the answer to that question in 2021 was 73,000 people. That probably sounds like a lot for such a tiny place, but you have to remember that this microstate is prime ski country in the winter.

Liechtenstein: An Introduction

Liechtenstein is a tiny land-locked country squeezed in between Switzerland and Austria. If you are wondering if it is expensive there, the answer is yes. Most definitely yes. Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein are powerhouse economies, and it is expensive to live there or visit there. The wealthy and the chic often ski here in the winter or hike here in the warm months.

This microstate uses the Swiss Franc (CHF) as its money, though we found many places also accept Euros. Switzerland and Liechtenstein form a common economic and monetary area and have open borders between them, so it is easy for them to use the CHF.

A Walkable Capital City

Vaduz is the capital of Liechtenstein and it is, as you can imagine, quite walkable. In fact, the Städtle is a pedestrian-only zone in the center of town. There are several public parking lots where you can pay to leave your car while you explore on foot. The best part, though, is that these are free on the weekends, when most visitors would be checking the place out anyway.

What To Do During Your Weekend in Liechtenstein

Since Vaduz is the capital, this gives tourists the opportunity to see (from the outside) the Parliament building. This sits on a wide square and is worth a picture of two.

Also, along the pedestrian zone, day-trippers can visit the Landes Museum, which is the national museum and will provide the historical and political information most travelers would need to know about this tiny country. This museum is open 10-5 most days and costs 6 CHF (roughly $7). If you want to upgrade your visit, you can pay 10 CHF (approx. $12) and receive a combined ticket with the Treasure Chamber, so you can see the royal crown, jewels, and such.

For your favorite stamp collector or history buff, there is also the Post Museum, which tells the history of their postal service and has hundreds of historic and rare stamps on display.

Don’t skip over seeing Alte Rheinbrücke, which is the oldest covered bridge that crosses the Rhine river.

If you are a fan of contemporary and modern art, then the Kunstmuseum is for you. Admission is 15 CHF (approx. $17). This world-renowned museum houses a large collection of contemporary and modern art. That’s not really my taste, but this style does have a massive following and the museum is quite famous.

My second favorite thing (Schloss Vaduz is #1) in Vaduz, though, is their Tourist Information Center. Why? Because here, you can buy/mail postcards, which will be stamped as coming from the principality of Liechtenstein. That’s just fun for the recipients. You can also, for the cost of 3 euros, get your passport stamped to prove to all the naysayers that you really visited one of the smallest (yet wealthiest) countries in the world! In case you are wondering, yes, we definitely did this. Our passports now proudly display a “Furstentum Liechtenstein” (Principality of Liechtenstein) stamp with the date and a royal, red crown.

Schloss Vaduz

Schloss (Castle) Vaduz balances on the edge of a cliff and watches over the town like something out of a Hans Christian Andersen storybook. The pedestrian path is clearly marked, so eat your Wheaties and get moving. I read online that it is a steep 20–30-minute walk. I am not in great shape right now and I found it to be extremely strenuous. I was sweaty and gasping for breath so badly that I had to stop, rest, and let my heart rate calm down at least three times. Having said that, it still took me only 35 minutes to get to the top. Therefore, someone in better shape could probably do it in 25 minutes. If you can do it in 20 minutes, my hat is off to you. (P.S., please stop showing off.)

Currently, Prince Hans-Adam II lives in the castle. He is in his late 70’s now and has transferred most of the daily responsibilities to his son, Prince Alois (age 55). Sadly, the Prince’s wife, who was a Countess, passed away in 2021.

Since the castle is a private residence, visitors cannot go inside. So, why then, submit to the torture of climbing the mountain to see it? Because if you are lucky enough to have a clear day, like we had, the views of The Alps are jaw-dropping.

Where to Eat

Near one end of the Städtle, is Engel restaurant. Their menu is confusing, but the food is good. They specialize in Asian cuisine and also in local Liechtenstein/Swiss/Austrian specialties. I, however, was a woman on a mission. I was not leaving this microstate without eating Käsknöpfle.  This dish is local to Liechtenstein & the surrounding region. To call it their version of mac & cheese is a massive oversimplification. They are more closely described as a cheese version of spaetzle with caramelized onions on top. Engel’s version costs over $24 (remember, this is an expensive country to visit). My husband and I split a platter of them and enjoyed it very much. After trying a similar dish in Heidelberg, Germany, we determined that Engel’s version won the day.

Another restaurant was highly recommended to us, but it was closed the weekend we were there. In the nearby town of Schaan, Liechtenstein, is Liechtensteiner Braustube. This restaurant, too, specializes in local dishes, including soups, Käsknöpfle, schnitzels, and beer.

Where To Stay

On this particular trip, we wanted to stay at a Marriott. Sometimes we love a good short-term rental apartment, but in this case, we wanted a Marriott. We discovered that there are no Marriotts at all in Liechtenstein. The closest one is 30 minutes away (by car) in the town of Dornbirn, Austria. Again, we only selected this hotel because it was convenient to Vaduz. We had no idea that it would be luxury at its finest.

We arrived at the Four Points by Sheraton Panoramahaus after dark, parked in the underground parking garage, and took the elevator up to the lobby. A lovely young gentleman checked us in and we went straight to our room. Sometimes a lack of research actually works out. Not often, which is why I don’t do it. But, sometimes, you just get lucky. 

As I mentioned, this is not a budget locale. Our room averaged $184/night. However, our room had the biggest balcony I’ve ever seen attached to a hotel room and the view was all mountains and twinkling lights. Aaahhh…

The room was huge, with a safe, a fridge, a big bed, a rain-style showerhead in the bathroom, and a late-night snack waiting for us.

This property is also equipped with a full-service spa, a gym, meeting facilities, a delicious restaurant (try the vegetarian mushroom burger), and a glass elevator to whisk you down to the heated pool and sauna. We didn’t bring our bathing suits, so we weren’t able to try the swim tunnel that connects the indoor half of the pool to the outdoor half, but maybe next time. Our stay at the Four Points Panoramahaus was a brief two nights, but the gourmet breakfast buffet and that balcony (oh, that balcony) left me wishing for an excuse to return to Dornbirn, Austria.

One Important Legal Detail

The highways in Austria and Switzerland operate on a vignette system. This means that BEFORE you cross the border into one of those countries, you need to stop at a petrol station and buy a vignette, which is a sticker you display on your windshield. This sticker certifies that you have paid for permission to drive on their highways. I suppose it is a unique form of a road tax and dispenses with the need for annoying toll booths. There is also a digital version available that you can buy online, but we’ve never bothered with that. Do not skip this detail or you risk paying a large fine if you are caught.

For Austria, you can buy them in various lengths including a 10-day version, a one-month version, and a one-year version. The 10-day version is less than 5 euros.

For Switzerland, there is only one version available. It lasts for one year and costs around 40 CHF. That was a bit irritating for us since we were only in the area for the weekend.

The vignettes also proved to be very important for us because the 30-minute drive from our hotel to Vaduz took us out of Austria, over the border to Switzerland, south along the border, and back across the border of Switzerland into Liechtenstein. Believe it or not, this was the most direct and fastest route. It sounds strange, but it is also kind of fun to say that you were in four countries (including Germany) in one weekend!

I have my first visit to a microstate under my belt. I highly recommend it. A weekend in Liechtenstein is a beautiful and relaxing side trip if you are in the region anyway. You can read about my visit to Switzerland here.

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