Switzerland Guide
Ostschweiz and Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein (Fürstentum Liechtenstein, abbreviated to "FL") is the world's fourth-smallest country, a chip of green only slightly larger than Manhattan island squeezed between the Rhine and the Austrian Alps. It's a quiet, unassuming place, home to 35,000 mostly Catholic Liechtensteiners, who take an impressive 22 days public holiday a year, sing their own German words to the tune of "God Save the Queen" as the national anthem, and regard themselves as entirely separate from the Swiss, with whom neighbourly relations only began in 1923. This said, you won't notice many differences and, inevitably, the main reason to visit is the novelty value. There are some rustic spots outside the toytown capital Vaduz to enjoy, as well as lonely walks and family-friendly skiing in the craggy mountains.
Regular postbuses run to Vaduz from Sargans and Buchs, both of them on the main SBB train line between St Gallen and Chur. Austrian Railways (ÖBB, or OeBB) operates a few trains a day between Buchs and Feldkirch (Austria) which stop at Schaan, 3km north of Vaduz, from where buses shuttle into the capital.
A one-week bus pass costs Fr.18, but Swiss transport passes are valid for journeys into and around Liechtenstein (apart from the Austrian trains from Buchs to Schaan). Otherwise, the best deal is the Erlebnispass Liechtenstein, covering unlimited bus transport, a city-train tour in Vaduz, the Malbun chairlift, admission to all museums, a wine-tasting at the Hofkellerei des Fürstens, and other attractions. A two-day pass (valid 10 days) is Fr.25; a six-day pass (valid 30 days) is Fr.45.