According to countryaah, Liechtenstein is a principality in the central part of Europe. The microstate is one of the smallest countries in the world. Liechtenstein has land borders with Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is sometimes called the little sister of Switzerland. This is not surprising when you realize that the countries have a lot of similarities. For example, payment is made with the same currency and people speak the same language. The football clubs from Liechtenstein participate in the Swiss league and Liechtenstein, like Switzerland, is not affiliated to the European Union. Like Switzerland, Liechtenstein is a Schengen country.
The history of Liechtenstein actually only begins in 1719 when Liechtenstein became an independent state. This independent state is a result of the two lordships Vaduz and Schellenberg that were merged by Charles the sixth. Before that, the principality was part of the Holy Roman Empire. The country has been part of the German Confederation for a long time. After it fell apart, Liechtenstein developed close relations with Austria, but these faded after World War I. The principality sought rapprochement with Switzerland and, like Switzerland, remained neutral during the Second World War. After the Second World War, the country experienced rapid economic growth due to low taxes and banking secrecy.
Liechtenstein is one of only two countries in the world where there is direct democracy. This democracy is under the leadership of the Fürst of Liechtenstein. In democracies like this, citizens can directly submit and vote on bills themselves. So it is possible for laws passed by the government to be rejected by the people. It is striking that there has only been women’s suffrage in Liechtenstein since 1984.
Sights
The main attraction of Liechtenstein in of course the beautiful natural beauty that the country has to offer. The beautiful mountainous landscape and the valley along the Rhine are very beautiful. There are about twenty museums and galleries throughout the country. This is quite a lot when you consider that the country is not much bigger than Texel and only 36,000 people live there. The most important museum is the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein. This is a museum of modern and contemporary art in the capital Vaduz. This modern designed museum opened its doors for the first time in 2000. Other places of interest in this city are Vaduz Castle and Vaduz Cathedral. Vaduz Castle is the official residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein. The oldest parts of this castle date from the twelfth century. Most tourists come to this microstate in the winter months. The country is therefore a popular winter sports area. This area is known as Malbun in the municipality Triesenberg. In total there are about twenty-one kilometers of ski slopes in Malbun, these slopes are accessible by seven ski lifts.
UNESCO
There are no places, sights, parks or nature reserves that belong to Liechtenstein on the World Heritage List.
Climate
The climate in Liechtenstein is a mixture of the land and the temperate maritime climate. The Mediterranean Sea still has a little grip on the climate in the country, but this is too little to speak of a maritime climate here in its entirety. However, the influence of the Mediterranean Sea ensures that summer and winter temperatures are not too far apart. In the summer months, the average daytime temperature is around twenty degrees Celsius. In the evening and at night the mercury can drop ten to twelve degrees here, which means that it can also be quite cool at night in the summer period. In the winter period the average temperatures are around freezing point in the evening and at night it often freezes hard in the winter. Temperatures of ten degrees below zero are the rule rather than the exception.
There is quite a lot of precipitation in Liechtenstein throughout the year. In the winter period, the precipitation will only exist as wet snow or snow. This makes Liechtenstein a small but popular winter sports destination. The best time to travel to Liechtenstein as a winter sports destination is from mid-December to the end of March. The windward side of the mountains in Liechtenstein see more precipitation on average than the leeward side of the mountains.
Geography
Liechtenstein is located in the central part of Europe and has borders with Switzerland and Austria. It is one of the smallest countries in the world, only five countries are smaller. From north to south, the country measures only 24 kilometers and the width is considerably lower. The total land area of Liechtenstein is only 160 square kilometers. The border with Switzerland is largely formed by the Rhine. There are still several small rivers throughout the country and a few lakes, but these are all quite small and certainly not navigable. Liechtenstein consists entirely of mountainous landscape. The part where Liechtenstein is located is also known as the Rhine Valley in the Alps. As a result, parts of the country are less elevated than you would expect in this region. The highest point in the country is the Grauspitz at 2599 metres. This mountain is located in the extreme southern part of the country on the border with Switzerland. This mountain belongs to the Rätikon Massif.
The largest city in the country is the capital Vaduz. Other notable places in Liechtenstein are Schaan, Triesen and Balzers.
Travel advice
There are no special security risks for a trip to Liechtenstein. There are no other security risks in Liechtenstein than those in the Netherlands. So be alert if you are in a big city or at major tourist attractions. Thieves and pickpockets can roam here. In addition, you have to be extra careful in public transport and in large crowds.
As in the rest of Europe, there is a general threat of terrorism in Liechtenstein.
Travel documents
Since 2009, Liechtenstein has been part of the Schengen countries and since 2011, residents of the other Schengen countries can travel freely to and from Liechtenstein. However, as in the Netherlands, people are obliged to identify themselves, this also applies to children. There are severe penalties for possessing both soft and/or hard drugs, as well as trading them.
Info table
| Capital city | Vaduz |
| Phone (country code) | 423 |
| Internetdomein | .li |
| Language(s) (official) | German |
| Language(s) (colloquial) | German and Swiss German |
| Religion(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Time zone(s) | UTC+1 |
| Time difference summer | In Liechtenstein time runs parallel with the Netherlands |
| Time difference winter | In Liechtenstein time runs parallel with the Netherlands |
| Daylight Saving Time Control | yes, this is the same as in the Netherlands |
| Currency | Swiss Franc |
