Liechtenstein - Liechtenstein

This name is used by several places. Places with similar spellings of this name can be found under Lichtenstein (signpost)

Liechtenstein is a very small country in the middle of Europe. It can only be reached via one of its two neighboring countries, Austria and the Switzerland. The country is part of an elongated valley along the Alpine Rhine. The Rhine itself forms the western border of Liechtenstein. The eastern half of the country is mountainous and leads to Austria.

The landscape in particular attracts tourists, as well as the fact that you are visiting a tiny, but very proud, sovereign country. The capital Vaduz is a village with about 5000 inhabitants along a cliff; The castle of the ruling prince is enthroned above her.

The affluent country is based on Switzerland in many ways. So you pay with Swiss Francs and you are part of the Schengen area, but not the European Union.

cities and communes

Oberland

• Balzers
• Triesen
• Triesenberg with the districts web, Masescha and Malbun
• Vaduz (Capital)
• Schaan
• Planks

Unterland

• Gamprin with the district Benders
• Ash trees with the district Nendeln
• Moors with the district Schaanwald
• Schellenberg
• Ruggell

Other goals

• Vaduz Castle (no visits possible)
• Städtle Vaduz (promenade)
• State Museum Vaduz
• Vaduz Art Museum
• Vaduz Ski Museum
• Old Rhine Bridge Vaduz
• Vaduz Church (Princely Crypt - can only be viewed on All Souls' Day)
• Vaduz outdoor pool (open-air swimming pool during the season)
• Football club FC Vaduz (Swiss league operation - games mostly on Saturdays or Sundays during the season)
• Triesenberg onion dome church
• Chapel footbridge
• Steg reservoir
• Altes Tunnel Steg (tobogganing in winter)
• Malbun ski area
• Masescha (with a wonderful view of the Rhine Valley)
• Schaan Church
• Bendern Church
• Ruggeller Riet
• Schellenberg castle ruins
• Balzers Castle
• Schaanwald / Feldkirch border crossing (with the option of a passport stamp for the Principality of Liechtenstein)

background

Liechtenstein is a principality. It belonged to the Holy Roman Empire (until 1806) and the German Confederation (1815-1866). Since the end of the Confederation, the sovereign state is no longer part of (political) Germany. Until 1918 the country was more oriented towards Austria and since then towards Switzerland.

getting there

Entry requirements

Between the Switzerland and Liechtenstein there has been a customs treaty since 1924, which is why the guarding of the border crossings between these two countries was dismantled soon afterwards. The border crossings have been monitored with cameras since 2008. A valid passport or identity card is only required when traveling from Austria. The borders between Liechtenstein and Austria are regulated by both the Austrian and Swiss border guards.

For citizens of the EU, the national identity card (identity card) or passport is sufficient for visa-free entry as a tourist. The Principality has been part of the Schengen area since November 1st, 2008. This makes entry, despite customs controls, usually possible without showing an ID.

By train

The almost 8 kilometers long, operated by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) Railway line in Liechtenstein is used by the international long-distance trains on the route Vienna – Linz – Salzburg – innsbruck – Feldkirch – Buchs SG – Zurich happened without stopping. It is possible to travel by long-distance trains via Buchs SG or Feldkirch:

• Buchs SG in Switzerland is only 3 km from Schaan and 6 km from Vaduz away. From there there is a good bus connection with bicycles to Liechtenstein (please check on a case-by-case basis). Buchs is particularly well suited if you want to continue your journey by bike or on foot, due to the short distance to the places in the Liechtenstein Rhine Valley.

• Feldkirch in Austria is 10 km from Schaan and 15 km from Vaduz away. There are direct bus connections to the Liechtenstein Unterland and to Schaan on the line Feldkirch - Buchs SG, with bicycles (please check in each individual case). Feldkirch is possibly cheaper for travelers from Austria and Germany to travel to Liechtenstein than Buchs SG, especially since the railway line is shorter.

Traveling by local trains to one of the three Liechtenstein train stopsNendeln, Hilti Forest (Schaan) and Schaan-Vaduz (Schaan) is with switch to Buchs SG or Feldkirch possible. However, the train service is limited to commuting times (→ mobility).

For journeys from / to an Austrian train station or an ÖBB border station to a Liechtenstein train station as well Buchs SG is the ÖBB domestic tariff.

The same applies to trips from abroad to a train station in Liechtenstein ÖBB international tariff like traveling to an Austrian train station. Also Sparschiene-Tickets to a station in Liechtenstein from abroad or in the opposite direction are available, in traffic with Switzerland there are e.g. the Sparschiene for the Nendeln – Zurich route from € 14 (as of December 2018).

The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) do not offer continuous tickets from Switzerland to the Liechtenstein stops; the ticket is only issued up to Buchs SG, for the rest of the route from Buchs SG an additional ticket for the tariff association Ostschweiz (OTV, also: "Ostwind") must be purchased.

InterRail- and Eurail-Passports, which apply in Austria, also apply to the railway line in Liechtenstein.

Tariff details for "domestic traffic" within the cross-border region of Eastern Switzerland / Liechtenstein / Vorarlberg: → mobility

By bus

The closest way to get there by long-distance buses is the long-distance bus station in Austria Feldkirch. From there it is possible to travel to Schaan-Vaduz and some other places in the Principality by train or regional buses.

By boat

The Rhine near Liechtenstein is not navigable and only partially suitable for small boats (white water trip). In summer, however, it is sometimes possible to linger and grill on the sandbanks in the Rhine. Bathing is clearly not recommended as the current of the Rhine is very strong here.

By bicycle

Liechtenstein offers many opportunities for cyclists. The Rhine dam in particular, which stretches across the whole of the country near the Swiss border, offers a unique experience for cyclists. Swiss regional route 35: Liechtenstein Rhine Valley route Sargans – Altstätten - map

In the street

If you come from the north, you can use the Austrian Feldkirch drive. You can then reach Liechtenstein via a country road. If you come from Germany, the best thing to do in Germany is to buy a vignette for the Austrian motorways at a petrol station, so that you can get on faster in Vorarlberg. There is a cheap vignette for 10 days.

The other, faster route is via the Swiss A 13 autobahn. It drives west past the Rhine and Liechtenstein. You can easily get to Liechtenstein over one of several bridges. The only disadvantage is the higher price for the Swiss vignette, which is unfortunately only available for a whole year. There are the motorway exits: Balzers, Vaduz, Schaan, Gamprin benders or Ruggell. Liechtenstein itself does not have a motorway.

The alcohol limit on Liechtenstein streets is 0.8 and drugs are generally prohibited.

By plane

Liechtenstein does not have its own airport and can therefore only fly to nearby countries:

• Airport Zurich (Switzerland) - distance by car approx. 100 minutes
• Airport St. Gallen-Altenrhein (Switzerland) - distance by car approx. 35 minutes
• Airfield Hohenems-Dornbirn (Austria) - distance by car approx. 35 minutes
• Airport Friedrichshafen (Germany) - distance by car approx. 70 minutes

mobility

The most important form of public transport is the bus; local rail transport is limited to commuters. As a small buffer state between Austria and Switzerland, the Principality is well connected to the neighboring regions by public transport, with tariff cooperations between Liechtenstein, Vorarlberg and Eastern Switzerland.

By train

The Railway line in Liechtenstein covers almost eight kilometers and is part of the railway line Feldkirch (Austria) – Buchs SG (Switzerland), which is wholly owned by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and operated exclusively by ÖBB. The Liechtenstein stops are Nendeln, Hilti Forest (Schaan) and Schaan-Vaduz (Schaan), where only local trains stop. Buchs SG is also the ÖBB border station.

The train service is geared towards commuters. There are currently four local trains running on weekdays in the morning and four in the late afternoon in each direction on the route Feldkirch (Austria) – Buchs SG (Switzerland). The trains are in ÖBB timetable image 401 listed and also in Timetable book of the transport association LIECHTENSTEINmobil (LIEmobil) contain. The project S-Bahn FL.A.CH for a S-Bahn-like operation has not yet been implemented.

There is a connection to Vorarlberg local transport as well as long-distance transport to Austria and Germany in Feldkirch, to Swiss local and long-distance transport in Buchs SG.

By bus

Liechtenstein has an extensive bus network. Most lines run every 30 minutes until around midnight. Only the higher-lying communities (such as Triesenberg, Planken and Schellenberg) are a little less accessible.

Rail and bus fares

• Transport associations

LIECHTENSTEINmobil (LIEmobil) is the name of the principality's transport association and is also the operator of the bus routes.

With the Vorarlberg transport association (VVV, logo Vmobil) and the Ostwind tariff association (Logo east wind) (also OTV for "Ostschweizer Tarifverbund") exist Collective bargaining, therefore one-way tickets are available in all three countries. Regarding VVV combined tickets issued (addition of the two prices), while for cross-border journeys to Eastern Switzerland for the entire route the Ostwind tariff is used because the Liechtenstein tariff zones as Extension area in the OTV are integrated.

Tickets can be bought in Liechtenstein, Austria and Switzerland.

• Special rail regulations

In principle, the network tickets (LIEmobil, Ostwind, combined tariffs) for the Buchs SG - Nendeln route are also valid on regional trains (regulation since December 15, 2019).

• LIEmobil and Vmobil

Tickets with validity in the respective entire LIEmobil or Vmobil network area (i.e. for Vmobil ticket category "maximo") are also valid on all trains - both local and Long-distance trains (!) - on the entire route Feldkirch (Austria) – Buchs SG (Switzerland) (Note: the LIEmobil tickets for the entire Liechtenstein network area are also valid on the cross-border bus route Schaan – Feldkirch – Rankweil – Klaus to Feldkirch).

• Freedom of choice for tickets for the train

For the railway line Feldkirch – Buchs SG exists for trips within Liechtenstein up to and including Buchs SG and for trips to Vorarlberg only partial group exclusivity. This means that for rail journeys, either network or combined network tickets or optional ÖBB tickets can be used. The ÖBB domestic tariff of ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG. ÖBB tickets can generally be bought via the usual sales channels (in Liechtenstein, however, only in the ÖBB online ticket shop or via the ÖBB mobile app, as there are no ÖBB sales points or ticket machines in the principality): ÖBB-Standard tickets (Normal price) as well as ÖBB-Advantage tickets (for holders of an ÖBBAdvantage card with the usual Advantage card-Discount). Of course, this also applies AUSTRIAcard in the Liechtenstein route section up to and including Buchs SG.

However, ÖBB weekly / monthly tickets for inland journeys are not available, nor are they for cross-border journeys to Vorarlberg. The Simply get out ticket Has not been valid since the 2018/2019 timetable change in Vorarlberg is therefore unprofitable for Liechtenstein due to the short rail route.

• Swiss Pass

General subscription and all Swiss TravelPassports are recognized, so holders do not need to buy tickets to travel in Liechtenstein. On the railway line operated by ÖBB, these passes are only valid on regional trains between Buchs SG and Nendeln.

Half-tax subscription and Swiss Half Fare Card entitle you to purchase reduced prices LIE-mobil- and OTV tickets as well as reduced LIEmobil VVV combination tickets (VVV share according to savings tariff).

language

The official language is German. In everyday life, the residents speak Alemannic dialects, some of which are difficult to understand for outsiders. For German-speaking tourists, you can easily switch to standard German.

shop

The official currency in Liechtenstein is the Swiss franc (CHF). But euros are also accepted almost everywhere, be it at the unfavorable rate of 1: 1. There are ATMs almost everywhere.

Vaduz has a small pedestrian zone with shops. Most shops in Liechtenstein, including supermarkets, close at 6:30 p.m. at the latest.

kitchen

In Liechtenstein you can find a wide selection of both local and international cuisine. There are, for example, restaurants with Italian, French, Japanese, Chinese cuisine and a branch of an American fast food chain.

Since Liechtenstein is very expensive in international comparison, the food is not cheap either. Even a doner kebab can easily cost CHF 12.

nightlife

The nightlife in Liechtenstein is relatively sparsely populated. However, there are a few bars and nightclubs. Most of the time is generally in the capital Vaduz, although the options are limited and some pubs and restaurants have a smoking ban.

accommodation

There is a campsite in Triesen. You have to calculate around CHF 15 per person per night. (Web link)

Learn

The country has a university with more technical subjects. It is located in Vaduz. Most of the locals do an apprenticeship, whereby the respective vocational schools are mostly located in the neighboring canton of St. Gallen, as Liechtenstein does not have a vocational school itself.

Work

Obtaining a work permit in Liechtenstein is not very easy. A residence permit is also very difficult to obtain. Over 50% of the employees in Liechtenstein now commute back and forth daily from the neighboring countries of Switzerland and Austria.

public holidays

Next appointment	Surname	importance
Saturday 1st January 2022	New Year	New Years Day
Thursday, January 6, 2022	Holy Three Kings	Holy Three Kings
Wednesday February 2, 2022	Light meas	work-free due to collective labor agreements
Saturday March 19, 2022	Josefi	work-free due to collective labor agreements
Friday March 25th 2022	Annunciation
Friday April 15, 2022	Good Friday	Commemoration of the crucifixion of Christ
Monday April 18, 2022	Easter Monday	Easter, commemoration of the resurrection of Christ
Saturday 1st May 2021	Labor Day	International Labor Day
Thursday May 13th 2021	Ascension Day (Ascension)	Commemoration of the Ascension of Christ
Monday, May 24, 2021	Whit Monday	Commemoration of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit
Thursday June 3, 2021	Corpus Christi	Catholic solemnity of the bodily presence of Christ in the Eucharist
Sunday 15th August 2021	National holiday (Assumption Day)	Catholic solemnity of the bodily acceptance of Mary into heaven
Monday 1st November 2021	All Saints Day	Christian festival at which all saints are remembered
Wednesday, December 8th, 2021	Immaculate conception	Catholic solemnity of Mary, the mother of God, received without original sin
Saturday 25 December 2021	Christmas	Christmas, commemoration of the birth of Christ
Sunday, December 26th, 2021	St. Stephen's Day	Christian day of remembrance of the martyrdom of the holy deacon Stephen

The national holiday is August 15th and an annual highlight. Every year between 30,000 and 40,000 people make the pilgrimage to Vaduz to take part in this great festival. In the morning at 09:00 there is a field mass on the Schlosswiese in Vaduz with a church service, the singing of the national anthem and the speech of the sovereign. Then the royal family invites the population to an aperitif in the garden of the castle, where you can also take photos with the royal family.

In the afternoon the folk festival starts in the Städtle in Vaduz, where dozens of associations have their stands and sell delicacies or attractions are offered. In the evening at 10 p.m. the legendary fireworks will take place, which will be fired down from the castle. After about 25 minutes, the so-called waterfall is burned down, with which the official part of the festival is over. However, the stands of the clubs are open well into the night and entertainment is also provided.

Another highlight in Liechtenstein is the carnival season. Even if there are no official holidays for this, many shops are closed and the fool's time has a long tradition in Liechtenstein.

security

Liechtenstein is a very safe country. This is already evident from the fact that the locals rarely lock their bicycles, even if they park them for several hours in the middle of the capital. The feeling of security is higher than the real one. Violent crime is almost unknown in Liechtenstein, but there have recently been cases of blackmail victims who were attacked and beaten up on the street. Statistically, a murder case only occurs every three years, which is why there is very little police presence in Liechtenstein.

On normal days there are only two police cars on the road across the country. Unfortunately, that is not enough to prevent break-ins in cars and homes, which unfortunately are now part of the daily news in the newspapers. Nevertheless, everyday crime cannot be compared with larger cities in German-speaking countries.

health

There are no special diseases in Liechtenstein and no vaccinations are necessary. The medical care is excellent and the state hospital is located in Vaduz.

The following emergency numbers exist in Liechtenstein:

• Police 117
• Fire department 118
• Ambulance service / emergency doctor 144
• Rega 1414

The European health insurance card is valid. Co-payments in Liechtenstein are high, in 2019 it was CHF 115 per month. It can therefore make sense to travel to nearby Austria or Germany.

climate

The climate in Liechtenstein is mild and characterized by foehn-like gusts. The measurements of the annual amount of precipitation show around 900 to 1,200 millimeters. In winter the thermometer rarely drops below minus 15 degrees, while in summer the average temperatures are between 20 and 28 degrees. Warm clothing should be worn in winter.

respect

Liechtenstein is a very enlightened, tolerant and educated country. Although the high German politeness formula you exists is in the Alemannic dialect with Hoi greeted each other. This is also done with strangers and is in no way to be understood as disrespect.

The inhabitants are proud of their country, the prince is very popular. One should keep this in mind when discussing politics.

Practical advice

Liechtenstein has its own telephone network with the country code 423The independent Liechtensteinische Post AG works closely with the Swiss Post through the postal contract with Switzerland. This is made clear by the fact that Liechtenstein and Switzerland treat each other as domestic and therefore the same tariffs apply.

Since Liechtenstein belongs to the EEA, the EU roaming rules have also been in effect here since June 2017, so that your own tariff from D or A can be used without additional costs.

Liechtenstein is also known worldwide for its postage stamps. There is a postal museum in Vaduz, and you can have a note stamped on your passport at the Tourist Office (for 3 francs or euros).

literature

Web links

• https://tourismus.li/en/ - Official website of Liechtenstein
• Liechtenstein Tourism - official tourism site
• Liechtenstein portal - official portal of the principality
• Liechtenstein State Administration - official website of the state administration
• Liechtenstein Directory - Local internet directory