Vaduz Castle, Liechtenstein

 

Fürstentum Liechtenstein

Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein

Burg Gutenberg

Liechtensteinisches LandesMuseum

Kathedrale St. Florin

Postmuseum Vaduz

Vaduz Castle, overlooking the capital, is home to the Prince of Liechtenstein.

 

Principality of Liechtenstein

Fürstentum Liechtenstein (German)

Flag

Coat of arms

 

Motto: "Für Gott, Fürst und Vaterland"
"For God, Prince and Fatherland"

 

Anthem: 

Oben am jungen Rhein
(English: "High on the Young Rhine")

 

Panorama of Vaduz, capital of Liechtenstein

Vaduz,_Liechtenstein._Schweize_Gebirge_im_Hintergrund_-_panoramio

 

 

Liechtenstein (/ˈlɪktənstaɪn/ ⓘ, LIK-tən-styne; German: [ˈlɪçtn̩ʃtaɪn] ⓘ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (German: Fürstentum Liechtenstein, [ˈfʏʁstn̩tuːm ˈlɪçtn̩ˌʃtaɪ̯n] ⓘ), is a doubly landlocked German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east and north and Switzerland in the west and south. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy headed by the prince of Liechtenstein of the House of Liechtenstein, currently led by Hans-Adam II. It is Europe's fourth-smallest country, with an area of just over 160 square kilometres (62 square miles) and a population of 40,023. It is the world's smallest country to border two countries, and is one of the few countries with no debt.

 

Liechtenstein is divided into 11 municipalities. Its capital is Vaduz, and its largest municipality is Schaan. It is a member of the United Nations, the European Free Trade Association, and the Council of Europe. It is not a member state of the European Union, but it participates in both the Schengen Area and the European Economic Area. It has a customs union and a monetary union with Switzerland, with its usage of the Swiss franc. Politically, a constitutional referendum in 2003 granted the monarch greater powers, after he threatened to leave the country should the referendum fail. These powers include being able to dismiss the government, nominate judges and veto legislation.

 

Vaduz Castle

Schloss Vaduz (in German)

Vaduz Castle lies on a hillside 120 metres above Vaduz. It is the symbol of the capital and can be seen from far away. It is thought that the castle was constructed as a fortress as early as the 12th century, before living quarters were added in 1287. Vaduz Castle is first mentioned in documents dating back to 1322

Vaduz Castle (town side) in Vaduz, Liechtenstein

Vaduz Castle as seen from the capital

 

 

Vaduz Castle (German: Schloss Vaduz) is the palace and official residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein. The castle gave its name to the town of Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, which it overlooks from an adjacent hilltop.

 

Schloss Vaduz

History

The former owners, who were presumably also the builders, were the counts of Werdenberg-Sargans. The bergfried (the keep, built in the 12th century) and parts of the eastern side are the oldest. The tower stands on a piece of ground that is 12 by 13 metres (39 by 43 feet) in area. At the ground floor, the tower walls have a thickness of up to 4 metres (13 feet). The original entrance lay at the courtyard side at a height of 11 metres (36 feet). The chapel of St. Anna was presumably built in the Middle Ages as well. The main altar is late-gothic. In the Swabian War of 1499, the castle was burned by the Swiss Confederacy. The western side was expanded by Count Kaspar von Hohenems [de] (1613–1640).

 

The princely family of Liechtenstein acquired Vaduz Castle in 1712, when it purchased the countship of Vaduz. At this time, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, combined the countship with the Lordship of Schellenberg, purchased by the Liechtensteins in 1699, to form the present Principality of Liechtenstein.

View from north

 

Today

The castle underwent a major restoration between 1904 and 1920, then again in the early 1920s during the reign of Prince Johann II, and was expanded during the early 1930s by Prince Franz Joseph II. Since 1938, the castle has been the primary residence of Liechtenstein's Princely Family. The castle is not open to the public as the princely family still lives in the castle.

View from east

 

Vaduz Castle, Liechtenstein

Vaduz Castle, Liechtenstein

Following this taillight trail, we've wended our way to a doubly landlocked land that's comparable to Brooklyn, New York, in land area and to Manhattan, Kansas, in population. Though little Liechtenstein is easily overlooked amid the modern world's enormity, this principality still manages to punch up, boasting a prosperous economy and 100% literacy rate. And as in all the alpine nations, history and nature merge at every twist and turn. Take Vaduz Castle for example, the medieval edifice that overlooks a same-named, valley-nestled town of 6,000 or so—the nation's capital.

 

 

Winter in Liechtenstein

View from the castle

Vaduz Castle and the vineyards of the princely winery

Schloss Vaduz, the home to the Prince of Liechtenstein. In the foreground are vineyards owned by the Prince. This photo was taken from the outskirts of Vaduz.

 

Photographed by Ed Sexton in June 2006 (despite what the camera's meta data may say).

 

St. Florin Catholic Cathedral in Vaduz

Vaduz_Zentrum

Looking southward at Vaduz city centre

Center of Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein; looking to the cathedral

 

The centre of government in Vaduz

Landtagsgebäude_und_Regierungsgebäude

House of Parliament and Gouvernmental Building of Liechtenstein; in Vaduz

University of Liechtenstein, Vaduz, Liechtenstein

 

Vaduz, Liechtenstein

Since 1923, there has been no border control between Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

 

The Rhine bridge near Trübbach, which also forms the border between Liechtenstein (Balzers) and Switzerland. In the background, Gutenberg Castle and the Liechtenstein Alps.

 

Rhein_bei_Balzers_-_Blick_auf_Gonzen

The Rhine in Balzers; view on the Gonzen

The Rhine: border between Liechtenstein and Switzerland (view towards the Swiss Alps)