Things to do in Vaduz & Liechtenstein

Vaduz is the capital of a country you can walk across in an afternoon: Liechtenstein covers 160 square kilometres, wedged between Switzerland and Austria. Prince Hans-Adam II's castle sits on the hillside above the town and is not open to the public, so the view from Stadtle promenade is as close as most visitors get.

The Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, a black basalt-and-concrete cube, holds part of the princely art collection and charges CHF 15 admission. Most people come for the passport stamp, sold for CHF 3 at the tourist office next to the town hall. From Lucerne, reckon on around 2 hours by train and postbus via Sargans, so this works better as a day trip than a quick stop.

In summer, a postbus runs up to Malbun, the country's only ski resort, at 1,600 metres, for hiking with views into Austria.