Situated between Switzerland and Austria, Liechtenstein is the 6th smallest country in the world, with only 160 square kilometers and about 40,000 citizens. As the last German speaking monarchy, The Liechtenstein Family has ruled the country since the 12th century. 

When I was first planning out my itinerary, I thought about stopping in Liechtenstein for a night, but when I looked at what was near the train station, it sounded like there wasn’t much but a casino.  While I’m working on visiting all 50 states in the United States, I don’t have the same type of goal for overseas, so I decided to skip it.  

Then when I was looking at what to do on a day off from my workstay, I saw that Liechtenstein’s National Day (August 15th) was the same day.  Since the festivities are held in the capital of Vaduz, which was only a two hour train ride away, I decided that now was the time to check it out.

One of the most prominent images of Vaduz is the castle on the hill. Because the royal family actively lives in the castle (since 1939), it is not open to the public; however, on August 15th every year, the royal family welcomes the public (with a ticket) to the grounds for a ceremony, social gathering, and tour of the rose garden.  

The castle sits 120 meters above the city of Vaduz, and it’s a steep climb up – which I ended up doing twice, so the drinks and snacks provided were a welcome offering.   

Side Story Here

Before I came, I had seen some videos and posts about this National Day, so I knew that I would need a ticket to meet the royal family; however, I thought that I could watch the ceremony without a ticket, and I decided that the climb would be worth experiencing some of Liechtenstein’s traditions (even if I didn’t understand the language).  Unfortunately, I found out when I reached the top that a ticket was needed to enter the grounds, so back down the hill I went.  Just as I was reaching the city center, a local asked me if I needed a ticket to the castle festivities. After only a short hesitation where I thought about the sweaty trek I would have to make again, I eagerly accepted the offer. So, back up the hill I went.  Through all of this, I missed the ceremony – not because of the extra hike, but because it started an hour before (10:30 am).  Still, the experience of being surrounded by Liechtenstein’s citizens & political leaders was worth the journey.

After spending some time watching the royal family meet with their citizens, taking in the panoramic views from the rose garden stone towers, listening to some traditional alphorn music, and cooling down with the lovely hillside breeze, I made my way back down the hill to the center of the city. 

The streets were full of food stalls, games, live music, and activities.  The visitor center gave out crowns and flags so everyone – even us foreigners – were decked out appropriately.

On this day the three museums in the city are also open and free. I first visited the Kunstmuseum. This modern and contemporary art museum featured video, photography, sculptures, and multi-media exhibitions.  Each room offered programs in various languages, and one installation even offered free post cards. The rooms were large and bright, and the art asked for participation. 

Liechtenstein’s Landesmuseum is actually a collection of four museums: The Postal Museum, Farmhouse, Treasure Collection, and the National Museum.  With only one day to visit the city, I only had time to visit two.

I started with the Postal Museum. Liechtenstein has been publishing their own stamps since 1912, and all of their unique designs are showcased by genre in this small two room museum. Aptly, they also sell and send postcards from their gift shop.

The National Museum feels like a mix between a history and science museum. One floor offers taxidermy models of local fauna, another examines the country’s role in World War II, a third discusses the everyday life of people from across the decades, and a fourth explores archaeological finds in the area (not in this order).  Together they aim to represent the diversity and importance of the country. 

It was a long day from start to finish, but I’m glad I made the journey to experience just a little taste of what Liechtenstein is all about.