In a bizarre situation, which can probably only take place in such a small country, since June 2003 it has been possible for private businesses to rent out the entire country for conference hosting, weddings and so on; they are even given the keys to the capital city. If you can’t afford to hire the entire country, then there is still plenty to see, which is remarkable when you think about the size of the tiny country.

Vaduz

The capitol city was founded in the thirteenth century by the Counts of Werdenberg, ad it is a good place to start your trip, and its 5,248 inhabitants should make you feel at home. It is one of the very few capital cities in the world without a train station or airport, but it is easily reachable by bus from the Swiss town of Sargans, which is only seven kilometres away.

Vaduz Castle was built seven hundred years ago, and has been in possession of the Prince of Liechtenstein since 1712. It is not open to the public as it is where the royal family resides, however it is a beautiful sight, which can be admired from far and wide and can be reached by walking along a romantic and magical footpath. The oldest parts of the castle are its east side, which date back from the twelfth century.

Liechtenstein National Museum has forty two exhibition rooms, and a host of national treasures, and thus is the number one museum for those who want to find out more about the Liechtenstein nation and its people. The permanent exhibition, is themed around six different modules, namely: Archaeology; the Middle Ages; ruling in the Modern Era; celebrating Ethnic Studies; creating the 19th and 21st Century; and utilising Natural History. There are also a number of special exhibits on wide ranging topics which further add to this fascinating museum. Other museums in the town include the National Art Gallery (Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein), which focuses on cotemporary modern art. It was built by the Swiss architects Morger, Degelo and Kerez, and has the appearance of a “black box.” One can also find the interesting Postage Stamp Museum and Ski Museum in the town.

The Red House is one of the must sees in the capital city. The star attraction of this beautiful house is the medieval gabled stairs structure, which was added in 1904 after it cam under the ownership of the Rheinberger family a century before. In the Middle Ages the house was kept by the Vaistlis, until in came under the ownership of Monastery of St. Johann in the Thurtal valley, before it was later sold to its current owners.

As you walk around this small and charming capital city, your attention might also be drawn to the Government Building which houses the national parliament and is situated and the edge of the pedestrian zone, as well as the Pfrundhaus (Gemeindeverwaltung) which hosts a selection of local exhibits by regional artists.

Outside Vaduz

Gutenberg Castle

Gutenburg Castle dominates he village of Balzers, sitting proud atop a seventy metre high spur of rock, casting its shadow down on the land below. Like the Vaduz castle, this was also built around seven hundred years ago, and is also now owned by the state, after it was purchased from private ownership in 1979. Now the castle plays host to a number of important national cultural events including the Gutenberg Castle "culture meeting" which takes place in the inner courtyard each summer.

It has been shown that the Schellenberg Ruins give evidence to suggest that the settlement of Schellenberg has been continuously inhabited ever since around 3,000 BC probably because of its protected location, sitting high above the Rheintal valley. Part of the ruins include a castle which was built in the thirteenth century. Another place of historical importance is the Kirchhügel in Bendern which is where the subjects under Schellenberg rule gave an oath of allegiance to the new ruler Prince Johann Adam Andreas von Liechtenstein, after he purchased the dominion. Thus, it can be claimed it was the starting place of present day Liechtenstein.