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Liechtenstein is one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world. It is one of the least visited in Europe with one of the highest GDPs. It is only 62 square miles and has a population of about 40,000 people. Liechtenstein is also a parliamentary democracy; however, the prince has the power to veto laws and dissolve parliament. Fun Fact: They are the world’s largest producer of false teeth.
Getting there: No trains go into Liechtenstein. You can take a train to the closest point and then catch a bus that takes you to multiple towns and the capital. I found different suggestions on how to get there and which tickets to purchase. If you are traveling from Zurich, you want to take the train to Sargans (not Buchs). Then you catch the number 11 bus. Bus ticket can be purchased from the information center when you arrive in Sargans for 9CHF per person round trip (as of Summer 2025).
Vaduz
The capital of Liechtenstein and home to the royal family, Vaduz is a walkable small town. Once you arrive at the Vaduz Post bus stop, you will be in the center of town. There are a couple of places that you can get a passport stamp, but the most obvious is at the tourist office. I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch at Adler 1908. I can highly recommend the Herrengass Kasespatzli (the national dish) which reminded me a bit of macaroni and cheese.
After lunch, I was ready for the hike to Vaduz Castle. It’s not as bad as it looks! The Prince of Liechtenstein lives in the castle, so it is not open to the public. Liechtenstein is a principality, not a kingdom, thus it is run by a Prince, not a King. The Prince is has more political control than any other monarch in Europe and he is actively involved in his country’s affairs..
On the walk to the castle you can easily pass the cute little Red House which was built in 1338. The homes around the red house are really nice and looked like a very lovely community. It is a gentle walk back to the center of town, or to the country’s one winery, owned by the Prince. They offer tastings (for a small fee) at 10:30am and 2:30pm.
Visiting Liechtenstein has enough to keep you busy for the day if you have the time!
