We popped into Liechtenstein while we were in the neighbourhood. You really can just pop into Liechtenstein, since it’s only 160km² and has only about 35,000 people. The tiny country has Switzerland to one side of it, and Austria to the other. There’s just a mountain range in between. Everyone Most people seemed to live around the train station, it seemed. Castle Vaduz, where the Prince lives, overlooks the capital. We went for a walk up to it, but you can’t go in or even around the property, since the Prince and his family actually live there.
When we arrived we wandered around in circles for a bit looking for the hostel. A local man pulled over and asked where we were going, and then insisted he give us a lift to the hostel (which was about 6 blocks away). He proudly spoke of his country in pretty good English, and we asked him as many questions as we could pack into the 5 minute car ride. It turns out that at Christmas the royal family has a big party, and invites all the residents of the town to come over. I thought that was pretty neat!
We were in Liechtenstein for just a day, but the stop was definitely worth it! The small country has a lot of character! And set in the Alps, it can’t help but be gorgeous.
I think this last picture is pretty amazing. Rob woke up at dawn and snuck outside the hostel to take it. The mist, the lighting, and the angle make for an incredible photo! When he came in to show me (and wake me up for our train) I was very impressed and a little jealous that I missed it!