Liechtenstein

(Three reasons to visit)

Voluntarily, people come to Liechtenstein for three things: a stamp in the passport, a stamp for the postcard to send home, and the right to say, "I've been there!" I came to Liechtenstein for no other reasons.

Liechtenstein, one of the smallest countries in the world, is sandwiched between Austria and Switzerland. It has no airport (the closest one is Zurich), and very few trains stop within its borders. Its capital, Vaduz, is nothing more than a little village with one street turned into a tourist trap where you will find a few restaurants and several gift shops.

There is not really much to see in Liechtenstein.

Seeing the flag hanging from the building is an attraction of itself.

Yeah, the views are nice, but frankly, the views in the neighboring Switzerland or even Austria are the same or better. Vaduz has a stamp museum (one big room with some stamps on the walls), which is worth a 5-minute look, perhaps a bit more for stamp collectors. It's free anyway. Right next to the museum is the tourist office, where I paid 2 Sfr. for a passport stamp. Hey, it's pure supply and demand, and the locals take advantage of it. There are a few other small museums if you care, but that's about all there is to do in Vaduz. Other villages have even less "attractions."

So, what's the verdict? Liechtenstein is on the Vienna-Zurich train line, which passes through Salzburg and Innsbruck. If you are traveling from Switzerland to Austria or vice versa and have a few hours to spare, Liechtenstein is worth a few hours (Get off at Buchs and catch a later train the same day). However, I wouldn't go completely out of the way to visit Liechtenstein. It's not worth it.

All aboard! On the train out of Liechtenstein.

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