The Rhine valley view
From the forecourt the valley and the Swiss mountains open out.
Christian David — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rafael P. D. Suppmann — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rafael P. D. Suppmann — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0
Vaduz Castle is Liechtenstein's symbol and its image on every postcard: a white castle of round towers and red roofs clinging to a rocky ledge 120 metres above the capital, with the Alps rising directly behind it. Its oldest part — the massive square keep — is twelfth-century; it was enlarged in the sixteenth century and restored in the 1920s. The important thing to know before climbing: **you cannot go inside**. The castle is the private home of the reigning Prince Hans-Adam II and his family, and is never opened to the public — it is seen from outside only. That does not devalue the climb: the mountain path from central Vaduz (about 20–30 minutes on foot uphill, or a few minutes by car) passes the prince's own vineyards and ends at a forecourt by the gate with a view that opens the whole Rhine valley and the Swiss mountains opposite. The single exception: on the National Day (15 August) the prince opens the castle gardens to everyone and receives the people with a free drink — a day when a third of the country's population gathers on the lawn, and the best possible day to visit Liechtenstein.
From the forecourt the valley and the Swiss mountains open out.
The climb passes the prince's own vineyards.
15 August: the prince opens his gardens and receives the people.
Schloss Vaduz, 9490 Vaduz
Treasure Chamber of LiechtensteinThe Treasure Chamber (Schatzkammer) is a small, concentrated museum showing the 2 minutes walk3.8
Postal MuseumThe Postal Museum sounds like a marginal subject until you learn that **postage 2 minutes walk4.3
Kunstmuseum LiechtensteinThe Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein is the national museum of modern and contemporary 2 minutes walk4.4
Liechtenstein National MuseumThe National Museum (Landesmuseum) tells Liechtenstein's whole story in a buildi2 minutes walk4.7
The Städtle (central Vaduz)The "Städtle" is Vaduz's main street and everything that resembles a "city centr3 minutes walk4.6No, never — and this surprises most visitors. The castle is the private residence of the reigning princely family (unlike most European castles, which became museums), and there are no interior tours at any price. It is photographed from outside and from the forecourt. To see the family's art treasures: the prince's famous collection is shown at the Kunstmuseum in town, and at the Liechtenstein palaces in Vienna.
From central Vaduz follow the "Schlossweg" signs — an uphill path between vineyards and forest, 20–30 minutes at ordinary fitness in comfortable shoes (steep in parts). By car: a narrow road climbs to a few parking spaces near the gate. The path itself is lovely and worth it even though the castle cannot be entered.