While on an extended trip to Munich, Germany we looked at the surrounding areas to see where we could take a day trip. We decided on Malbun & Valduz, Liechtenstein! Many people asked us, “Why are you going to Liechtenstein?” Our honest answer? Because we can! When else would we visit the fourth smallest country in Europe? There are a number of things to see in Liechtenstein, and we were intrigued by this tiny country. And, it was only a 2.5 hour drive away, so we had to check it out.
When Mother Nature Has Other Plans…
Liechtenstein’s claim to fame is that it’s the world’s largest producer of postage stamps and dentures. Though small, people come to visit this country for the amazing scenery of the Alps, 250 miles of hiking trails, and one small skiing resort.
We picked out a hike in Malbun called Sassweg, which has beautiful views of the Alps. In addition, we would pass charming structures such as The Chapel of Peace. Unfortunately, mother nature had different plans for us. It was so foggy that we couldn’t see 10 feet in front of us. The main appeal of this hike is the views! We went back and forth deciding what to do, but the woman at the tourist office highly suggested against it. So we had to nix that idea and use our time in other ways.
Grumbling stomachs led us to a wonderful restaurant where we had a soothing and delicious meal.
Historical Sites in Vaduz
After lunch, we drove down out of the mountains and headed towards the capital of Vaduz. Vaduz is more like a village than a capital city, and seems to cater a lot to tourists. There’s not too much to do in this city (which is why we had planned a hike in Malbun) but before the rain came we were able to walk up the steep hills to Vaduz Castle. The present-day prince lives there, so we weren’t allowed to go into the castle.
The rain really started to come down after this so we ducked into the postage stamp museum. The museum showcases all of the national stamps produced since 1912. Fortunately, admission is free. Luckily there was an exhibition upstairs of a photographer who had amazing water pictures, which made the visit to the museum a little more interesting.
We walked around the city in the rain, looking at the main square with the art museum and cathedral. But after a while it became so damp we decided to call it quits.
We enjoyed our trip to Malbun & Valduz, Liechtenstein, but we wish the weather had been better so we could have seen the amazing views we had read about and seen in pictures. Nevertheless, this small country is not to be missed!