Tiny Country Tour: Liechtenstein

February 12th and 13th - Liechtenstein

I like doing unique things. I read an article a few months ago that referenced Vatican City as the world's smallest country, which I knew, but the article also mentioned that Vatican City had this distinction despite having ZERO permanent residents!  Did you know that?

I found that fact so delightful, I started researching the world's most minuscule countries to see what I could learn about these pint-sized places. Some of them are far flung island locations that I may never visit... but I learned that 4 of the tiniest countries are in Europe.  I decided it would be fun to visit them all and add some (very rare) stamps to my passport!

The 10 Smallest Countries in the World  (smallest to "largest")
1. Vatican City (Italy)
2. Monaco (France)
3. Nauru (island in the South Pacific north east of Australia / Indonesia)
4. Tuvalu (island in the South Pacific north east of Australia / Indonesia)
5. San Marino  (Italy)
6. Liechtenstein (Austria/Switzerland)
7. Marshall Islands (islands in the South Pacific north east of Australia / Indonesia)
8. St. Kitts and Nevis (Caribbean)
9. Seychelles (island off the eastern coast of Africa, near Kenya/Somalia)
10. Maldives (islands off the southern tip of India, east of Seychelles)

**********

The first stop on my Tiny Country Tour is Liechtenstein, the 6th smallest country in the world.
Liechtenstein is nestled between Austria and Switzerland. It's just 4 miles wide by 15 miles long... slightly larger than Manhattan (which is 2.3 miles wide by 13.5 miles long).

Liechtenstein is surrounded on all sides by the Alps.  There is a gorgeous, vibrant green valley between the mountains and a river winding through the valley. When I started researching Liechtenstein months ago, I was fascinated by how much it looked like the setting of a fairytale. You'll notice this blog post is crammed full of photos. I don't think anyone could ever explain the beauty that is Liechtenstein. You have to see it to believe it.

I know what you're thinking... "sure, but thats just a photo meant to look charming."
I understand.  I thought the same thing until I got here.  But, I can assure you...it absolutely looks like these photos, you guys. It's gloriously clean, picturesque, colorful (even in February), quaint, charming and everywhere you look, you're reminded of a fairytale.

This natural beauty draws outdoor enthusiasts to Liechtenstein in droves.  The country is famous for it’s hiking trails – 248 miles of hiking trains zig zag across the tiny country of just 61 square miles. That's a LOT of hiking trails. If you enjoy hiking and the outdoors, add Liechtenstein to your list of places to visit. 

A few fast facts about Liechtenstein.  

The legal drinking age is 16, women just got the right to vote in 1984, it's the world's largest producer of dentures an it's still rules by a Prince who lives in a castle high atop the hill (just like in a fairytale!) 

The Royal castle

Liechtenstein itself has 35,000 residents and is made up of 11 districts or neighborhoods.  Vaduz is the capital city with about 5,000 residents.  I stayed in a neighborhood that is built high into the mountain, Treisenberg. Now, Treisenberg is a bit tricky to get to.  My GPS took me up a nerve shredding road that lacked guardrails and was only wide enough for one car.  It was like a horrible game of chicken.  Halfway up, a BMW raced up behind me and stayed on my tail the rest of the way. 

It turns out, my GPS is an asshole and took me up the “residents” way.  There is a much safer, well-maintained, freshly paved road which I took on my way back DOWN from Triesenberg to the valley floor / Vaduz below.  That road is reminiscent of Lombardy street in San Francisco, but has plenty of guardrails!

I stayed at the Hotel Oberland, which I strongly recommend if for no other reason than it has the best view of any hotel in the entire world.

I asked for a room with a view and holy smokes, they provided it! My room looked out onto 2 mountains, the valley below, the river and Vaduz.  When I first looked out the window, I was downright giddy.  I knew immediately I made the right choice to stay in Treisenberg.

I spent much of the next 12 hours checking the view to see how the setting or rising sun changed it.  It should come as no surprise that the view was absolutely stunning each time I looked, even when it was hazy and overcast.

I didn’t do much that night in Treisenberg – I went for a long walk up in the hills, stunned by the views.

Then, I got cleaned up for dinner. I didn't feel much like exploring after my long walk, so I ate dinner at my hotel. I had an excellent meal of filet mignon, mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables and a few glasses of wine. Liechtenstein can be a bit pricey. With the conversion, I think I paid around 60€ for dinner.. definitely one of my more expensive meals!

The next morning, I woke up early and watched the sunrise, the sun illuminating the mountain across from me, inch by inch, slowly. 

I remember thinking "This sunrise is one of the most beautiful things I'll ever see." I took plenty of photos to try to capture the moment.

I had breakfast and slowly headed back down the mountain to the valley and Vaduz. I walked around the town and visited the tourist information office for my passport stamp.

And finally, I toured the postage museum because postage is a huge source of revenue (and pride) for Liechtenstein.  It was a hoot!

They have 100s and 100s of pull out display cases for stamps from Liechtenstein.  It's a stamp collectors dream.

After the postage museum, I had to leave beautiful Liechtenstein. It's by far the most gorgeous scene that's ever been in my rearview mirror.

*********

I came to Liechtenstein because it was tiny...a novelty...something to cross off an arbitrary list.  But I learned something huge here. This country is so much more than a handful of stats and an entry on a tiny country list. It's a grand country with a big landscape. It's a hidden gem, a beautiful, peaceful corner of the Earth. It's a place that deserves to be admired for it's merits, not it's tiny size.  As I've learned and re-learned many times in my life, you cannot judge a book by it's cover.

Below is my favorite photo from my time in Liechtenstein. During the sunrise, suddenly the clouds turned this amazing shade of pale pink.  A few seconds later, it was gone. This photo reminds me to pay attention, to truly see what's in front of me and appreciate it.

And it's a great reminder...even small things can make a big impact.

Sunrise view from Trisenberg, overlooking Vaduz in the valley below