Balzers

About this place

Balzers is a municipality and village in the far south of Liechtenstein, on the east bank of the Rhine, with 4,806 people in 2024. It takes in the villages of Balzers and Mäls with Gutenberg Castle between them, and high mountains surround it, giving the finest views in the south of the country, with the castle as its clearest image. Its name has a Romansh origin, which explains what its people are called. The Rhine and the Swiss cantons of St. Gallen and Graubünden border it. Ellhorn mountain belonged to it until 1949, when Liechtenstein ceded it to Switzerland in return for an equal area and a cut in wartime debt. The municipality also owns the ruins of Grafenberg Castle in neighbouring Switzerland. From the valley you see a huge grey mountain wall, with a small hill at its foot topped by the castle. Green fields and vineyards spread on the slope, and a pointed church tower rises among the houses. The castle hill gives a wide view to the Rhine and Swiss peaks, and the village has quiet squares, public buildings and a modern red sculpture on a meadow. It is 8.4 km in a straight line from Vaduz, with public buses to the capital. It makes a good starting point for walking to Gutenberg Castle or cycling along the Rhine. Bring a hat and water, as the slopes are exposed. Farms and vineyards are private, so keep to the paths. The light on the mountain wall is best in the morning or just before sunset.