Liechtenstein

Today I am really excited. Not only will I take you to a new country. I will take you to a country that is not that easy to be visited because it is one of the smallest in the world - Liechtenstein.

Next to the Tourist Information you will find the "0" point, from which all distances are calculated. Not that they are long of course, after all Liechtenstein has only 160 km² of surface.

The capital city of Liechtenstein is Vaduz. It is the seat of the most important institutions in the principality. This yellow building is one of them.

You may think that it is rather small for a parliament, but remember that the parliament in Liechtenstein includes only 25 people.

Next to it, comes a different type of power place - the National Bank. 13% of the country's GDP is created by the financial industry so one should not underestimate its importance.

Just next to it you will see the seat of the government. This one is also modest since it includes only the prime minister and 4 ministers.

On top over the main entrance you will see the coat of arms of the principality.

Just a few steps further another important place of power - the cathedral. Roman Catholicism is the official state religion of Liechtenstein.

Next to the entrance you can see the previous rulers of the country, Prince Franz Josef II and Princess Gina. Now the country is officially ruled by his son, Hans-Adam II but in reality the current Prince has retired and passed most of his power to his son, Alois.

The cathedral is of course not too big but it is surprisingly full of light.

In the back you can see, of course, the organ. Since we visit the cathedral on a Saturday morning, we can assist a last rehearsal for a wedding ceremony. This is promising to be an unforgettable day.

Alright, let's move out on our tiptoes. And admire the cathedral again. If you look a bit upwards you will for sure notice a building on the top of the hill. This is actually the most important place in the city and the entire country - the palace of the Prince.

We will try to get closer to it. Let's take the main road first. You will see there a number of museums - the historical museum ...

... the art museum ...

... and even the post museum.

But what I really liked was that the main street of Vaduz is by itself a piece of art and an open-air museum.

These nice gentleman live next to the parliament. They are a symbol of the bitter truth that politics are a difficult balancing act.

Look, there is also a horse! Look like my uncle Rusty who used to serve in the army.

Here it is at last - the pathway to the castle.

Don't worry, it is an easy one, even for those who are not fans of hiking.

On the way you can admire some small waterfalls ...

... and discover important facts about Liechtenstein and its history.

I propose we stop for a second to admire the panorama of Vaduz. Unfortunately, it is already foggy autumn. If we were here on a sunny summer day you could see the Alps all around. Now you will have to believe me that they are here.

Finally, we reach the last turnaround. Here comes the Vaduz castle.

The castle is much older than the state of Liechtenstein, which you can easily guess by its medieval style.

Unfortunately, the castle is not open for the public since the princely family still lives there. You can only try to stretch your neck and look inside the garden.

What is quite amazing is that just on the other side of the street you can see the house of a local farmer.

Now the last point of our visit. Apologies if not all of you were on my address list this time but it really took me over half an hour to write all these down.

And here they go!

I hope that you have enjoyed this trip. I must admit that Liechtenstein has stolen my heart.

I hope that I will be able to come here once again on a sunny day. Just to see this ...

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