Wedged in between Austria and Switzerland, the teardrop-shaped country of Liechtenstein receives far fewer visitors than its neighbours. Ask a random person on the street to point out Liechtenstein on a map, and many won’t even find it.
And those who do might wonder if it’s worth going through the trouble of visiting or whether they should just stick to the neighbouring alpine countries.
If you’re thinking about travelling to Liechtenstein, we’re here to answer your questions. After our recent trip there, we have all the information you need to decide whether it is worth visiting Liechtenstein.
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Is Liechtenstein worth visiting?
If you’re looking for a simple answer, then we can give you the following:
Yes, definitely – if you have the budget.
But you didn’t come here for a one-sentence answer, did you? Let’s take a look at all of the things that matter when deciding where to travel.
What to see in Liechtenstein
The main reason we decide to visit a country is because of the things to do and see there. As Liechtenstein is relatively small, you might never have heard of its main tourist attractions. Here is a quick rundown on the best things to do in Liechtenstein:
#1 Explore Vaduz
Vaduz is the capital of Liechtenstein, and it’s where you can find lots of museums, shops and restaurants. In summer, you can sit down in a cafe along the pedestrian zone or enjoy a traditional dish of Käsknöpfli in a restaurant.
While the main pedestrian street, the Städle, is surrounded by modern buildings and doesn’t have the charm of some of our favourite Alpine towns, it’s worth coming here for the museums. You can learn about the country in the National Museum, discover the nation’s treasures in the Treasury or see a brief exposition on the post of Liechtenstein in the Post Museum.
The castle of Vaduz towers above the city, and you can have some fun discovering the best angles to take a picture.
Don’t miss the Red House, an old house dating back to 1338. The half-timbered tower is the oldest part of the building, while the red part, which gave the house its name, is actually a newer addition from the 19th century.
Above Vaduz, close to the castle, you can find a viewpoint. The climb up only takes around 20 minutes, but it’s steep enough that it can leave you breathless for just as long. Nevertheless, it’s worth it as it offers fantastic views of the city and the Rhine Valley.
#2 Discover Gutenberg Castle
In Southern Liechtenstein, the castle of Gutenberg towers on a hill above the town of Balzers. Vineyards cover the lower part of the hill, making this one of the most picturesque locations in the country.
You can visit the chapel and the rose garden if you come on a Sunday. They are open from May to October from 10 am to 5 pm. The castle is always open to visitors. You can find more information on the Liechtenstein Tourism website,
#3 Learn about Walser culture in Triesenberg
On the mountain behind Vaduz, the town of Triesenberg offers fantastic views of the Rhine Valley. Triesenberg is worth visiting for the views alone, but while you’re here, you should also head to the Walser Museum.
The Walser originally came from the Wallis Valley in Switzerland and ended up settling in Liechtenstein in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Life in the mountains was hard, and for a long time, most inhabitants of the Triesenberg region lived as farmers. In spring, they would drive their livestock up the mountains. Then, in summer, they’d be busy producing all the hay needed for the long and snowy winters.
Fortunately, technology has made life much easier, and today, only a few people still work as farmers. Still, in summer, you might see locals producing hay on the mountain meadows, and you’ll often hear cowbells while hiking through Liechtenstein.
#4 Go for a hike
Liechtenstein is a fantastic country to visit if you want to go hiking in the Alps.
Even though the country is relatively small, it offers 400km of hiking trails. Some of them are flat and even, while others snake up and down the mountains.
We hiked from Triesenberg to Masescha. The walk wasn’t very long, but it was almost exclusively uphill, and we were glad when we reached the village and could enjoy a piece of Apfelstrudel and a cold drink.
One of the most famous hiking paths is the Liechtenstein trail. It passes through all of the country’s municipalities and is 75 kilometres long. You can spend multiple days crossing the whole country, or you can decide to walk a segment for a day or two.
Malbun, a mountain town, is also a great starting point for hikes. In summer, you can even take a chairlift up the mountain and save yourself some breath.
The great about hiking in Liechtenstein is the extensive bus network that covers the country. It’s easy to use public transport to get to most trailheads. And once you’re done, you can get back on the bus and return to your hotel.
#5 Walk along the Gaenglesee Lake in Steg
We only learned about the Gaenglesee Lake by pure chance.
Steg is a small mountain village, and just next to the houses, you’ll find a dam with a reservoir and a lake behind it.
When we arrived, we fell in love with the lake’s turquoise colour and the snow-covered mountains in the background. The path along the lakeside is flat, so it’s easy to go for a walk here. It also makes for a great picnic spot.
And if you’re very courageous, you can splash around in the water. Be warned, though, that it’s mountain water and therefore very cold!
#6 Cross the Old Rhine Bridge to Switzerland
The Rhine River separates Liechtenstein from Switzerland and serves as a natural border. Up until the 19th century, if anyone wanted to cross, they had to take a ferry.
In the mid-1800s, people started constructing the first bridges across the river. Today, only one of those remains, but through renovation efforts, the wooden bridge has survived and is still in great shape.
Only pedestrians and bikes can cross the Old Rhine Bridge. It’s a covered wooden structure with border signs in its middle. Liechtenstein and Switzerland are in a customs union, so you won’t find any border controls here and are free to cross as you wish.
Is Liechtenstein expensive?
According to the World Bank, the GDP per capita of Liechtenstein is one of the highest in the world, higher even than Switzerland and Luxembourg.
That means that Liechtenstein and its citizens are doing very, very well.
In accordance, Liechtenstein is one of Europe’s most expensive countries to travel to. We visited in June and paid more than 370 Swiss Francs for three nights for a private room with a bathroom in the international youth hostel.
That’s expensive, especially since it was the cheapest accommodation with a private bathroom that we could find in the country!
Restaurant prices also aren’t cheap, and you can easily pay 30 Swiss Francs just for a regular dish, not including drinks.
Having travelled a lot to Switzerland for business, I would estimate that the prices in Liechtenstein and Switzerland are approximately the same. That means that it’s going to eat into your budget if you stay in the region too long.
On the other hand, Liechtenstein is a pretty small country, so if you only stay two or three days (or maybe even only one day), you can compensate for the high cost by combining it with a trip to some of Europe’s less expensive countries.
Can you travel to Liechtenstein on a budget?
That depends on what you consider “on a budget”. No, Liechtenstein will never be as cheap as Pakistan or even Southeast Asia.
However, there are a few things you can do to keep your costs down.
The first one is to keep your visit short. While Liechtenstein, despite its small size, has a lot to offer, it’ll be expensive to stay here for a week. Consider spending not more than two or three days in the country, or come only for a day trip.
As in most parts of Europe, prices increase in summer. Time your visit for the less popular seasons and visit in autumn or spring, when hotels are much less expensive.
If you want to visit in winter, be sure to do your research. Early December is still off-season, while Christmas and the following ski season are quite pricey.
A great way of saving money on accommodation is to stay overnight in Feldkirch. This town across the Austrian border is worth a visit on its own, but it’s also more affordable than Liechtenstein. Plus, regular bus connections make it very easy to get to Liechtenstein from here.
Another option for visiting Liechtenstein on a budget is looking into the Adventure Pass. It includes free rides on all buses, plus entrance into some of the country’s best museums.
The Adventure Pass is not worth it if you are primarily interested in nature and hiking, but it pays off quickly if you want to visit a few museums.
Is Liechtenstein safe to visit?
If you’re concerned about safety, Liechtenstein is a great country to visit.
We always felt perfectly safe when walking around Liechtenstein, no matter if we were in Vaduz or one of the smaller towns and villages.
That said, petty crime exists everywhere. Don’t carry too many valuables on you, and beware of pickpockets when staying in crowded areas.
The most significant danger to your safety in Liechtenstein is probably getting lost in the mountains while hiking. All trails are well-marked, but some of them are more suitable for experienced hikers. If you’re unsure whether a specific trail will work for you, ask at the tourist information centre.
Also, always take enough water and wear proper shoes when hiking. Flip flops are comfortable, especially on hot summer days, but they’re not great for climbing mountains.
How many days in Liechtenstein do you need?
We stayed in Liechtenstein for three nights and had around two and a half days, which was the perfect length for our trip.
Many tourists visit on a day trip, but the country has so much to offer that we recommend staying a bit longer if you have the time. In two days, you can explore Vaduz and its museums, but you can also head to the mountains for some fantastic views.
If you have more time, you won’t get bored. Consider an additional day of hiking or rent a bike and move around the Rhine Valley on two wheels.
Can you visit Liechtenstein on a day trip?
Yes, you can. The most popular day trip is from Zurich to Liechtenstein, but you have far more options for your Liechtenstein day trip.
One excellent option is to stay in Feldkirch in Austria, which is a cute town with a beautiful castle. Or you can visit Liechtenstein while exploring Lake Constance, a large lake in between Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Some people go on a Liechtenstein day trip from Munich. This is really only possible if you rent a car, as public transport is too slow to get you there on time and back again.
How do you get to Liechtenstein?
With its location in the middle of the Alps, Liechtenstein is not the most accessible country.
That said, getting there is not as difficult as you might think.
You have two access routes into the country, one from Austria and one from Switzerland.
How to get to Liechtenstein from Austria
If you’re coming from Austria, you need to go to Feldkirch. Feldkirch is a beautiful town, and it has regular train connections to Vienna, Zurich and Lake Constance.
From Feldkirch, you can continue by bus. The bus leaves just outside the train station and takes you to Vaduz in around 30-40 minutes.
How to get to Liechtenstein from Switzerland
If you’re coming from Switzerland, you need to either get to Buchs or Sargans. Buchs has a larger train station with more connections, so it’s slightly easier to go there. Trains regularly arrive from Zurich and Chur, but you also have connections to Vienna and Bratislava.
From Buchs or Sargans, the easiest way to get to Vaduz is going by bus. Buses leave regularly, and you can easily check out the schedule on Google Maps.
In case you’re wondering (because we know that we were), you do not need to reserve any buses in advance. No matter if you’re coming from Austria or Switzerland, you can just hop on the bus and buy your ticket from the driver.
We hope you now have all of the information you need to decide if Liechtenstein is worth visiting. I’m very glad we went here because we had a fantastic time, and I’m sure that if you decide to visit, you’re going to love it as well.
Leave us a comment below if you’ve been or if you are planning on going. We’d love to hear from you!
Also, while you’re here, check out some of our other blog posts which will help you plan your trip to Europe:
- Germany Road Trip – The Perfect 7-10 Day Southern Germany Itinerary
- Visiting Bern? These are the things you shouldn’t miss
- Check out our favourite travel apps and resources
Until your next adventure!
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