Liechtenstein and Eastern Switzerland
The Principality of Liechtenstein is the 6th smallest country in the world an only has a population of around 40,000 people. It’s a land locked country that borders Switzerland and Austria. It is in the alps and much of the country has rugged and mountainous terrain. It’s a country that is kind of off the beaten path in Europe but it’s well worth visiting for it’s beautiful scenery, museums and history, for nature and in the winter skiing. Eastern Switzerland is a rural region famous for Heidi. We so far have only been to Liechtenstein once on a short day trip, but I would like to go back again as there is so much more to see and do!
*This site has tour links that are Affiliate Links where commission is earned through our travel agency. This does not cost you anything and helps small business and the operation of this site!
Getting to Liechtenstein and Transportation
Liechtenstein does not have an airport and has limited rail service that mainly runs through the principality connecting Switzerland and Austria but there are some trains that stop in cities in Northern Liechtenstein. The main way to get there is by highway from Switzerland or Austria. We took a day trip to Liechtenstein and Eastern Switzerland from Zurich that was a guided tour. We did not get a super long time in the principality, but we did get to visit museums and do shopping in the capital city of Vaduz. For Eastern Switzerland there is rail service is more available to various cities but to get to Heididorf (Heidi Village) park with replicas of what the characters home’s and other buildings from the Heidi books and movies might have looked like you will need to go by car or tour.
As for transportation in Liechtenstein they have a good public bus system that can get you around the country and they have taxis and ridesharing services. The capital city of Vaduz is very walkable in the city center. We went by tour, so they dropped us off with our guide in the city center and we had free time to do what we wanted to do for a little while. The same can be said in Eastern Switzerland as you can use train and bus services there but to get to places like Heididorf park you’ll need to get there by car or tour from my understanding.
Country Information
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein is the 6th smallest country in the world and has a small population of around 40,000 people. The country is a Principality with the ruler of the country being Prince of Liechtenstein. The House of Liechtenstein is the family that rules the country and has done so since 1719. Their lineage goes back many centuries in Austria before the Principality was founded. They have a parliament and prime minister as well. They are linked with Switzerland through a customs and monetary union as they use the Swiss Franc as their currency that as of this writing in May of 2025 is 1 Swiss Franc is equal to 1.22 US Dollars. Thier official language is German, but I had no issue at all speaking with anyone as everyone knew English. The country is one of the wealthier in the world with a very strong financial sector that in the past was a tax haven. The country is very mountainous with the tallest being 8,527 feet tall. The mighty Rhine River has it’s beginning near Liechtenstein, so it is much smaller and a bright blue color due to ice melt and lack of sediment it picks up later as it grows in size. The Rhine is the border between Switzerland and Liechtenstein on the West and there is a land border with Austria on the East. The climate is relatively mild in the country.
Switzerland
Switzerland is a confederation of Cantons that has a Federal Assembly (Parliament/Congress) with an upper and lower house. The country became the country it is today in 1848 after a variety of wars and conflicts. It has been a neutral country ever since then including during WWII. The country is known for the alps, science and scientists, chocolate, cheese, banking and high-quality products like Swiss Watches and Knives. Switzerland is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. The capital city is Bern and the largest city is Zurich. It’s a stunningly beautiful country with so much to see and do. There are 4 different official languages which are German, French, Italian, and Romansh. It depends on the region you are in what the predominant language that is spoken is. In the times I’ve been to Switzerland I still had no problem speaking to anyone as the vast majority of people know English. The currency is the Swiss Franc, and most will find the country very expensive food wise. It’s not un-common for a fast-food burger meal to cost $25 USD from our experiences.
The Eastern Portion of the country that we are discussing that borders Liechtenstein is nick named Heidiland from the books and movies about Heidi and is rural with farms and mountains. We have been to many other areas of Switzerland, but we are only talking about the region near Liechtenstein.
Visiting Liechtenstein
We headed out from Zurich for the around 1-hour drive to Vaduz. We passed by small Swiss towns, green fields for cows and farms and mountains. The area is gorgeous, so the drive alone is worth it to head to this pretty rural area of Switzerland. As we got close to Liechtenstein, we got our first glimpse of the Rhine River. We have seen the Rhine plenty of times downstream and it is really wide and the typical brown color of most large rivers that pick-up sediment as streams and rivers flow into them. The Rhine was small and a nice blue color. It’s origin was only a couple miles upriver. We headed over a bridge and we made it into Liechtenstein.
Vaduz
Vaduz is a small town with only about 5,500 people in it. It’s the home of the Prince of Liechtenstein and the Parliament of the nation. As you near the city, you can see the impressive Vaduz Castle on the hill overlooking Vaduz. The castle is the palace where the Princely Family of Liechtenstein lives. It’s not open for tours since it is an official royal residence. We headed to the main pedestrian street of Vaduz to take a walk. It was a beautiful mid-summer day with the perfect weather for a walk down the elegant shopping street. The Parliament is on the main pedestrian street as well as multiple museums, the tourist information center and plenty of sculptures and fountains. The street is called Stadtle and is the main street in Vaduz. Our guide walked down the street explaining to us about the principality and the princely family. There are also a lot of restaurant options in one area of the street. We had limited time in Vaduz, so we decided once the guided portion of the tour was done to head to the museums and the souvenir stores to see more of their history and culture.
The Post Museum
We usually try to visit the national museum of each country we visit so we can learn more about their history, people and values. They are usually in the capital city and in Liechtenstein that is also the case. In many places around the world museums are closed on Mondays and that was also the case around the national museum, and we were there on a Monday. Vaduz might be a small city, but it is filled with other museums to visit as well!
The stamps and postal service of Liechtenstein are famous because it’s a unique place that many people are not able to get to in their travels. They have an independent postal service so amongst stamp collectors so any stamp coming from Liechtenstein are popular and somewhat rare to get. They have a great museum that goes over the history of the postal service in Liechtenstein. What makes the service unique is the country is small and has a small population and doesn’t have things such as an airport, or military but they do have a good postal service. While you are at the museum you can also purchase stamps from Liechtenstein at their gift shop and have a unique souvenir! The Post Museum is also where you can buy admission for the next museum we visited. They will give you a coin to enter the automated doors.
The Schatzkammer Liechtenstein (The Treasury of Liechtenstein)
On the bottom floor of the Post Museum building, you can visit the Treasury of Liechtenstein. It’s an automated entry system where you put your coin purchased at the Post Museum in and the door will open. You are not allowed to take pictures inside as there are many different jewels and it is guarded. You can see a replica of the crown of Liechtenstein, fabrege eggs, rare paintings and other historic items. It is a very small museum, but I thought it was a very nice place to once again see another piece of Liechtenstein history and culture.
Liechtenstein Center
There is a lot more to do in Liechtenstein beyond the museums, shops and sites in Vaduz. You can find out about all the rest that Liechtenstein has to offer at the Liechtenstein Center that is the tourism office for the principality. There you can become the prince on the replica thrown, pick up maps and brochures to see what there is in other areas of the country. There is a small giftshop and tourism staff who can help you plan your stay. There are other cities to explore and plenty of great hiking and natural experiences in the mountains. There are also many other museums we did not have time to see or were closed when we were there such as the National Museum and multiple art museums. The people were friendly and helpful, and the tourism staff were eager to share their country with you. After our bit of shopping, it was time to head back into Switzerland.
Leaving Liechtenstein
We would really like to head back and explore Liechtenstein and stay in the country to learn more about the country. As we headed out, we were able to see the beautiful mountains and landscapes of the nation. It’s a truly spectacular landscape to view and I could only imagine the interesting places you could see in this small country. As we drove along the Rhine before crossing it back into Switzerland, we passed by a historic covered bridge and nice views of the bright blue waters coming from the mountains. After we crossed over the Rhine we were back in Heidi land and heading to our next stop.
Liechtenstein Tour Options (Click Below):
Heididorf (Heidi's Village)
We headed through the mountains and green fields to see a village that is like the village that appears in the famous Heidi book and movies. Heidi is a famous Swiss book written by Johanna Spyri about a young girl named Heidi that lived in the Swiss Alps with her grandfather. It went over the lives of people in farming and in a calmer time. You can get the feeling of what that might have been like at Heididorf. The scenery is gorgeous round the village with a backdrop of green hills and tall mountains. There are multiple buildings you can tour such as a 300-year-old home that is set as Heidi’s house, Heidi’s Alp Cottage (Replica), and the barn and schoolhouse/town hall. Each building gives you a peek into Heidi’s world and the life of the Swiss people in the late 1800s. In the main visitor center, there is an exhibit about the story of Heidi, the movies, pop culture and the story of the author. We enjoyed our time at the park and just spending time in nature and the quiet of the mountains!
Our Tour:
Heading Back to Zurich
After visiting Hedidorf we made our way back to Zurich. This was not before passing by a beautiful alpine lake and still more stunning scenery. As the countryside faded away we made it back into Zurich which itself is a very scenic and clean city but of course metropolitan and different than where we had just visited. It was an end to a great day trip.
Tips and Conclusion
We really enjoyed our day trip to Liechtenstein, but we really would have liked to have spent more time there to visit more museums and get out into the countryside of the nation. If you do take a day tour, I really recommend visiting the museums versus just getting a meal or visiting the shops. Taking some time to learn about the countries you are visiting is important. Also take some time to visit the Liechtenstein Center to get an idea of other places you can visit in the country as even though it’s a micro-country it has a lot to offer. I thought Hedidorf was well worth visiting as well to give a look into the story and rural Swiss life in the 1800s. I really hope to be able visit Liechtenstein again and spend at least a night or two there to explore the nation that is small in size but big in adventure!
If you are Interested in this trip:
Contact Donna or Jason Miller with ET Family Travel and we can help you book your dream trip today including customized trips, guided tours, cruises and much more. Our travel planning services are completely free if you book with us. Contact us at donnamiller.etfamilytravel@gmail.com or jasonmiller.etfamilytravel@gmail.com to book today!
More Switzerland Tour Options!
