Vaduz, Liechtenstein
A ONE-DAY TRIP FROM ZÜRICH, SWITZERLAND
I wrote about this Little Adventure as part of my Great Trips/Europe project was back in 1978, and it remains basically sound today. If you want to try it yourself you should first get up-to-date information from the sources at the bottom of this post.
Anyway, here's the original 1978 text:
"A MOUNTAIN WALK NEAR VADUZ"
"INTRODUCTION"
"About the closest we shall ever come to exploring that mythical Kingdom of Ruritania so beloved of operetta composers is a visit to Fürstentum Liechtenstein, a tiny but independent country neatly tucked away in the Alps between Switzerland and Austria. A daytrip spent hiking through its beautiful forests and magnificent mountains is a wonderful experience for any visitor to nearby Zürich who loves wandering around in the great outdoors."
"Yes, gentle traveler, there really is a Liechtenstein and it is a happy land ruled over by a genuinely benevolent Prince. Of the six independent states of Europe, it ranks third in size, being larger than San Marino, Monaco, or Vatican City but much smaller than either Andorra or Luxembourg. The people are prosperous and the taxes low although it is not quite true that the entire country is financed through the sale of postage stamps. Actually, Liechtenstein is primarily an industrial country; in fact the most intensely industrialized country in Europe — something you will never notice as the factories are nearly invisible."
"Its history is an interesting one. Originally part of the Rhaetian culture, it fell to the advancing Romans in 15 BC and was on their main route linking Germany with Italy. When the Allemanians chased the Romans out of the Alps in the third century it took on a Germanic character, being made part of Germany during the reign of Charlemagne's son Pippin. For a long time after that Liechtenstein, then known as the separate domains of Vaduz and Schellenberg, was ruled by local counts. It changed hands many times during the constant struggle between the Germans and Swiss."
"In 1719 it finally became an independent state within the Austrian Empire when it was purchased by a wealthy Viennese prince, Johann Adam von Liechtenstein. Although they owned vast lands all over the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Liechtenstein family treated their tiny new principality as a pet hobby into which they poured great sums of money. "
"With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 Liechtenstein became fully sovereign, with links to the German Confederation lasting until 1866. From then until the First World War it had certain ties with the home country of its ruling family, Austria. Barely escaping the final dismemberment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, Liechtenstein allied itself with Switzerland by means of a customs and monetary union completed in 1924 and still in force today. The neutrality of the Swiss spared the Liechtensteiners the agony of World War Two, which surely would have engulfed them had they retained links with Austria."
"The present ruler, His Serene Highness, Franz Joseph II, Maria Aloys Karl Johannes Heinrich Michael Georg Ignatius Benediktus Gerhardus Majella, Twelfth Ruling Prince of Liechtenstein, Duke of Jägendorf, Count of Rietberg, Knight of the Golden Fleece, etc. is the world's last reigning Hapsburg. Despite all the royal titles, the Prince is a no-nonsense businessman who has brought a tremendous amount of investment capital in his stable and extremely prosperous land. Technically, he could be deposed at any time by the will of the very democratic people of Liechtenstein, but they are understandably reluctant to do this as in keeping the Monarchy they can enjoy the best of both worlds." [NOTE: This was written in 1978. The present ruling prince is his son, Hans Adam II, who in 2004 transferred executive power to his son Alois].
"Liechtenstein has a population of 24,000 [NOTE: Now 33,000] spread over an area of about 60 square miles. Most of the people live in the valley along the Rhine river surrounding the capital of Vaduz. As a result of its connection with neighboring Switzerland, the unit of money is the Swiss Franc and there are no border formalities for persons coming from that country. Driving through it in a car, this peaceful principality seems but a dot on the map pf Europe; however, on foot it assumes the proportions of a real kingdom, a magical place suspended in time between fairytales and the modern world. The walk described here should be a very enjoyable one indeed."
"TRANSPORTATION"
"From the Zürich Hauptbahnhof (Main Train Station) take the 8:21 AM train to Sargans, arriving there at 9:20 AM [NOTE: Check current schedules online at sbb.ch]. Change immediately to the bus marked Vaduz after first purchasing a roundtrip bus ticket in the Sargans station. This will get you to the bus terminal in Vaduz by 10 AM, at which point you begin your trip."
"Returning, take the 5:20 PM bus to Sargans, which is the last one to that town. Change there to the 5:50 PM train to Zürich. If you miss the last bus to Sargans there is a later (7:25 PM) one to Buchs, which also has frequent train service to Zürich. You could, of course, always take a taxi to Buchs (about 4 miles), from which the last train to Zürich leaves at 8:55 PM."
"As always, these schedules are subject to change and it would be a wise idea to check them beforehand, particularly the return times from Vaduz. The Tourist Information Office in Vaduz is across the main street from the bus terminal."
"By car from Zürich follow the N-3 on the south side of the Lake of Zürich to Sargans, then north on the E-61 a few miles until you come to a bridge crossing the Rhine. Go across this to Balzars in Liechtenstein and follow the local road to Vaduz. You will find ample parking near the bus terminal. The total distance is about 65 miles each way."
"TIME AND WEATHER"
"This trip requires nice, clear, warm weather as most of its charm depends on the vistas across the Alps and the valley far below. It can be taken from late Spring through early Fall. If the weather should turn bad be content to know that one of the world's best art museums is in Vaduz, so your day will not be a loss."
"FOOD AND DRINK:"
"At the top of your walk, in the tiny village of Masescha and just in time for lunch, there is a good restaurant with both indoor and outdoor tables overlooking the Rhine Valley. Here, at a moderate price, you can get anything from a snack to a full meal. Go easy on the drinking, though, as the trail beyond this has a few treacherous spots."
"Back in Vaduz, there are several outdoor cafés on the main street that are quite charming. A good reward for your walking effort would be a glass or two of the deceptively light Vaduzer red wine, which resembles a rosé but packs a punch."
"WHAT TO BRING:"
"First, a little experience in trail walking by at least one member of your party is recommended. Sturdy shoes are absolutely necessary. Bring along a light jacket or sweater for changing weather conditions. A bottle of water, fruit juice or soft drink would be very welcome. Finally, a camera and a pair of binoculars will greatly enhance your enjoyment of the trip."
"THE WALK:"
"We begin by taking a bus over the steepest uphill climb, saving our energies for the more picturesque part of the trip. After checking the return schedules at the Tourist Information Office across the street from the Vaduz Bus Terminal (1), board the 10:40 AM local bus to Triesenberg, a distance of four miles, mostly up. Here your walk begins."
"At the bus stop in Triesenberg (2), an ancient Walser settlement and a popular resort, take the secondary road to the left toward Rotenboden. This follows a ridge overlooking the vast Rhine Valley landscape far below and is a relatively level walk. Once at Rotenboden (3), however, the road climbs to the right. There is virtually no traffic on this road, which crosses beautiful farmland. After a short while you will pass a stream with a waterfall to the left. Beyond this a footpath leads to the left and is marked for Masescha. Take this forest trail uphill until it again rejoins the paved road just before Masescha. In the winter this is a ski trail; the rest of the year it serves as a tractor path for the local farms."
"Arriving at Masescha (4) (photo, left), you will have climbed 1,160 feet since you left the bus at Triesenberg and are 2,560 feet above Vaduz and the Rhine Valley. Relax — from here on it's all downhill. But first have some lunch since the restaurant here is the only chance you will have to eat before ending up in Vaduz three hours later. Masescha is the oldest community of Walser settlers and has a small but interesting 14th-century church near the restaurant."
"Just beyond this, at a bend in the road, the trail takes off to the left. It is marked Vaduz Über Wildschloss (2¼ hours). After passing some farm buildings, the trail becomes a path going through an idyllic forest. Later, it opens again into farmland at the tiny settlement of Profatscheng (5), just beyond which you will come to a fork in the trail. Take the path marked Ruine Wildschloss & Vaduz to the right. This soon becomes a rough pathway in deep woods. There is another marked fork; again follow towards Ruine Wildschloss. The narrow path descends rapidly through the dense forest with occasional clearings providing beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. It then becomes a dirt logging road, which leads to the romantic ruin of an ancient fortress, Wildschloss (6)."
"Climb around the remaining walls and then continue on the dirt road to an intersection. Here take the fork to the left marked SCHLOSS VADUZ. you will pass a primitive animal feeding station on the right. When you come to a paved road turn to the right and walk downhill to Schloss Vaduz (7) (photo, right), the Royal Castle of the reigning prince. Built at least 700 years ago and added to throughout the centuries, it now houses, besides the royal family, the largest private art collection in the world. Unfortunately, it is not open to the public although its treasures are exhibited in the downtown art museum on a rotating basis."
"Beyond the castle a path to the left of the road leads down into the town of Vaduz. Where it joins the main street there are several outdoor cafés at which you can rest and reward yourself with a glass of the famous Vaduzer wine before taking leave of this improbable nation and returning to Zürich."
Copyright © 1978 Earl Steinbicker.
Although some 30 years old, this information remains basically valid today, with certain changes. CHECK FIRST before making the trip. A good source of current information about Liechtenstein is at W: tourismus.li. For current train schedules from Zürich visit W: sbb.ch.
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