Liechtenstein is one of those tiny European countries that can feel almost like a bonus destination on a road trip. Tucked between Switzerland and Austria, it’s the sixth-smallest country in the world and one of only two doubly landlocked countries. Its capital, Vaduz, sits beneath the mountains, with the impressive Vaduz Castle overlooking the town from above.
We fancied ticking another country off the list on our road trip, so Liechtenstein felt like an easy addition. It’s one of those places you can see in a morning without feeling like you’ve rushed it, which suited us perfectly.
Our first stop was the old wooden bridge over the Rhine. The bridge actually connects Liechtenstein with Switzerland, so a few steps one way and you’re in Switzerland, a few steps back and you’re in Liechtenstein. It’s hard not to stop for a photo, even if it’s just to say you’ve crossed an international border on foot.
From there, we headed into Vaduz for a wander. The capital is small, quiet and incredibly clean, with the mountains providing a pretty spectacular backdrop wherever you look. There’s a relaxed feel to it, and it’s very easy to explore on foot without needing a huge amount of time.
After wandering around the town, we tackled the uphill walk to Vaduz Castle. The castle has been the ancestral home of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein for centuries and is still their private residence today, so unfortunately you can’t go inside. The walk is definitely worth doing though, particularly for the views back over Vaduz and across the Rhine Valley towards the mountains. Just don’t expect a castle tour as your reward for making it to the top!
The town itself is spotless, peaceful and easy to explore, although there isn’t a huge amount to do. Granted, we didn’t spend a great deal of time looking around because we realised quite quickly that we were happy to move on to our next destination.
Would we recommend Liechtenstein? Absolutely, if you’re already travelling through this part of Europe. It’s an easy country to add to a road trip, and there’s something rather satisfying about spending a few hours wandering around somewhere you’ve never been before and then adding another country to the list.
We wouldn’t necessarily plan a whole trip around it, but a couple of hours, a wander through Vaduz, a coffee, a castle walk and another country ticked off the list? That’s exactly what Liechtenstein was for us.
