Tiny Gem of the Alps
When and Where: 11/1998 – Vaduz
14th Country Visited; 9th European Country
Visited
Interesting Facts:
·
Liechtenstein is smaller than the District of
Colombia.
·
Liechtenstein’s per capita GDP is the second highest
in the world.
·
Liechtenstein is one of the few countries in
the world without an airport.
I will never forget the day I spent in Liechtenstein. It was a cold and damp late fall day. I was travelling with my friend George and
his family. We had left Munich in the
morning and stopped to see the Dachau concentration camp. We were all in somber moods after. Having just seen the unimaginable, we began
to make our way back to Zurich Switzerland, where we began our journey days
before. As we crossed the border from
Germany into Bregenz Austria, I suggested we make a side journey to the micronation
of Liechtenstein. At roughly 22 miles
long and 3 miles wide, it is the fourth smallest European country after The
Vatican, Monaco and San Marino. As we
approached the border, I could see a McDonald’s in a tiny village called Triesen. Before
we knew it, we had crossed the border with little more mention than a sign
noting the border from Switzerland. The Austrian
Alps form the backbone of the country which are visible across the
country. At the first traffic light, we
made a right and headed south to downtown Vaduz, the capital. With a population of just over 5,000 people,
there is not a lot to see in Vaduz.
However, it is the hub of the country.
We stopped and got out of the car in downtown. It was cold and snow began to fall as daylight
began to fade. The air was crisp and the
streets were quiet for the most part as it was dinnertime. We popped into the tourist office in the
center of town to find out more about what to see and do in Vaduz. We were welcomed at the Tourist Office by two
knowledgeable older women who took time to share the story of their
homeland. First they told us about Vaduz
Castle, a castle perched atop the Alps overlooking downtown Vaduz. It is the official residence of the Hans Adam
II, Prince of Liechtenstein. The
monarchy dates back to 1608 and Hans-Adam II has been in power since 1989. Unlike many monarchies around the world, the Prince
is the leader of the country and not just a figurehead. His residence looked regal and elegant atop
the perch. The ladies went on to talk
about the richest Liechtensteiner, Christoph Zeller, whose business generates
half of the nations GDP. Zeller made his
fortune in the dental products business and makes approximately 20% of all
dentures made worldwide. We also learned
about the Banking industry.
Liechtenstein is an important financial center for Europe. The country has low tax rates and loose
incorporation laws which makes it attractive to foreign investors. For a country of 31,000 people, there are over
15 different banking organizations and 70 public investment companies. Finally, the women told us how more than half
of the country’s workforce lives outside of Liechtenstein (either in
Switzerland, Austria or Germany). From
our short visit to the tourist office, we learned a lot.
The ladies then pointed us across the street to the Postmuseum. Like many other small countries, stamp
collecting by non-citizens is big business.
Unusual philatelic sets are popular with stamp collectors. A young women at the museum took the time to
tell us about what stamps are currently popular with collectors across the
world. As I previously mentioned, the
start of this day was bleak after visited Dachau Germany. But the visit to Liechtenstein changed the
course and mood of the day. This fascinating
gem of a nation is off the beaten track and worthy of a visit by adventurous
travelers.
Vaduz Castle
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