Hiking Across Liechtenstein

Hiking probably isn't the word I should use... walking. Walking across Liechtenstein.

A few years ago, a girl I knew over here walked across the country of Liechtenstein. The idea itself is interesting, and the pictures she had were beautiful. The idea planted itself inside my head, took root, and it has been growing steadily since. I have been thinking of going to Liechtenstein for a long time now, but I needed a long weekend to do it (because it is a longer drive to get there). Hello Memorial Day 2014.

Liechtenstein is a small country located between Austria and Switzerland. By small, I mean our walk "across" the country was about eight kilometers. Josh, his friend Todd, and I took Friday off to leave for Liechtenstein. Google maps told me it would be about a five hour drive. With construction, stopping for gas, stopping for the bathroom, and traffic it was about six and a half hours. I was excited because Todd was driving, which meant I (for once) got to have a relaxing drive where I didn't have to help drive or navigate and could simply read my book. I was a happy camper. We were staying on the Austrian border of Liechtenstein, and our drive into Austria was beautiful. The sun was shining against the mountains, which still had a bit of snow on top. Ohhhh mountains. My soul misses you. I found us an apartment for the weekend, and it turned out to be perfect for us.

Saturday morning we got started bright and early heading into the capital of Liechtenstein, Vaduz. I wanted to get some information about walking/hiking trails and a map. I wasn't sure what the border between Austria and Liechtenstein would be like. There is still a border control area, but there was nobody there checking any passports or anything (like most places in Europe). It was a beautiful sunny day, and I was ready to get my map and get out walking. We parked Todd's car, and while the boys were getting a map and figuring out where to go, I snapped some pictures of "downtown" Vaduz (I use quotations because it was this quaint, tiny little area with virtually no one around).

We decided to first hike up to Schloss Vaduz - or the Vaduz Castle. The Prince of Liechtenstein lives in the castle, so it is closed to the public. As we followed the map and signs, we were surprised to find the path to the castle led us up behind businesses and houses. Throughout the weekend we got the impression the locals are used to having random strangers wandering through their backyards.

After we saw the castle, we looked at the map and the signs, and decided to head up the mountain. We weren't sure where we were going, but it was a beautiful hike - in this area I can say hike as it was a steady uphill, winding path we followed. After about an hour and a half of hiking, we stumbled upon castle ruins, which the map called "Wild Schloss." There was a picnic table set out by the castle, and we decided to take a break and eat our packed lunch.

We decided to take a fork in the path and head back down towards some of the smaller towns. Uh... here. Enjoy more pictures of how breath-taking Liechtenstein is.

We wandered our way into a small town, and the boys wanted to find a place to have a beer - which we found in short order. We weren't the only people sitting outside enjoying the sunshine. Many outdoor cafes were full of people. After the boys enjoyed their beverages, we made our way back to the car (another town over - about a three kilometer walk) and went home for the evening. We were exhausted!

The next morning I was ready to get going and meet my goal - to walk across the country of Liechtenstein. We picked a path to go from Austria across Liechtenstein to Switzerland - a path of about eight kilometers. Liechtenstein has many wonderful walking and cycling paths - most of them paved. This is why I say we walked, not hiked, across the country. We were blessed with another sunny, beautiful day. Our walk led us through a few small towns, fields, and across the Rhein river.

Seriously, how beautiful is this?? Incredible.

After we made it across Liechtenstein we went back to the car, and Todd announced he was done walking/hiking. This was okay with me, I was pooped. We drove up to look at some of the higher altitude towns. This will sound incredibly lazy, but I'm glad we drove instead of hiking up there. The pathways were well maintained, and in most places were paved, but it was incredibly steep. But WOW what a view. My favorite was when it seemed like we were on the top of the mountain looking down into the valley. We also went through a tunnel to the other side of the mountain, where there were some beautiful mountain chalets.

As you can see, this post is full of pictures and lacking on words. I think it is better this way. Liechtenstein is incredibly beautiful, and we lucked into some wonderful sunny weather. I am so glad I was able to get to Liechtenstein and full-fill my dream of walking across the country.