Things To Do In Vaduz In One Day: A Perfect Itinerary
Vaduz, the small, sleepy city of Liechtenstein is an often overlooked European capital for tourists, but there are surprisingly plenty of awesome things to do in just one day.
Having visited Vaduz, I was surprised with just how much it has to offer. From magical castles to astonishing landscape views, this city is an idyllic place to visit for one day or longer.
So I’ve put together this perfect one day itinerary based on my experience to help guide you through what to do in this uniquely different and special city.
Plan Your Trip With My Recommended Resources:
🚆Bus or Train: Bookaway is a great resource for tickets
🏨 Accommodation: I always use Booking.com
🚙 Rental Car: Discover Cars has the best car rental prices
❤️ Travel Insurance: I recommend using Visitors Coverage
✈️ Flights: Kiwi.com has the best prices on flights
📱eSIM: Airalo has a fantastic range of eSIMs
Things To Do In Vaduz In One Day
So what exactly is there to do in Vaduz in a day? It really depends on your personal preference. You can either choose to take in the city’s culture or experience the natural landscapes nearby with a small hike.
Let’s dive into what I believe to be the perfect itinerary for spending one day in Vaduz:
One Day Itinerary For Vaduz
I recommend spending your morning in Vaduz by visiting its most well known tourist attraction; Vaduz Castle. You can also choose to go on a short hike before lunch.
For breakfast, I recommend visiting American Bagel & Coffee Co. located in the centre of the city. This is a delightful small bagel shop that I really enjoyed. It has a top selection of bagels and is the perfect spot for breakfast.
Explore the town centre
Next on your itinerary, I suggest taking a stroll through the city centre. Städtle is the main square and centre of the city. It is fairly small but does have several shops, restaurants and cafes.
It’s a quiet place but ideal for a morning stroll before discovering the highlights of Vaduz.
See Liechtenstein’s most famous castle
Probably the most iconic and famous historical landmark in the city is Vaduz Castle.
Located just a short 20 minute walk from the city centre, this medieval castle sits dominantly up in the hills overlooking Vaduz. It’s a great spot to see the breathtaking Rhätikon Mountains (which is a part of the central Alps) in the distance.
Although it’s not possible to enter the castle as it’s owned by the Prince of Liechtenstein, it’s still worth seeing up close in all its magnificent glory.
It dates back to the 12th Century and is an impressive sight, equally impressive as its beautiful surroundings.
Enjoy Liechtenstein’s landscapes
One of the best attractions of Vaduz and Liechtenstein for that matter is the beautiful scenic landscapes that surround the city.
It’s no surprise that the sixth smallest country in the world is an absolute paradise for hikers and nature lovers. The views in the distance are absolutely breathtaking.
There are several hiking trails which you can begin from Vaduz. The most popular being ‘The Liechtenstein Trail’ which takes over 4 hours to complete. It is considered fairly challenging, covering 4 different stages around the country.
For more details on all the different hiking trails in Liechtenstein, check out this blog post about the best things to do in Liechtenstein.
Of course you don’t have to complete the trail in its entirety. Instead, I would recommend spending an hour or two on the trail to fully appreciate the stunning views on show, before returning to Vaduz for a spot of lunch.
Lunch in Vaduz
I recommend visiting the New Castle restaurant for lunch. This is a lovely restaurant that has a varied menu at reasonable prices and the portions are decently sized too.
The service here was exceptional and it has some vegetarian and vegan options available which was suitable for my needs.
Afternoon In Vaduz
For your afternoon activities, I recommend a rather relaxed and cultured affair in Vaduz. This includes seeing some more iconic buildings and visiting one of the city’s many museums that it has to offer.
See the Red House
Following lunch, it’s time to visit another famous Vaduz historical landmark: the Red House.
This is another beautiful medieval building dating back to the 12th century. It features a stone tower, gabled stairs and surrounded by a vineyard. It is quite an impressive piece of architecture to admire.
Situated in the quaint medieval village Mitteldorf, which is just a short 5-10 minute walk north from Vaduz, the Red House is now used for political purposes. Therefore, you can only admire it from the outside.
Mitteldorf itself is a lovely area full of traditional houses and streets, making you feel like you’re in a fairytale movie which you’ll have pretty much all to yourself.
Visit a museum
If you’re a fan of museums then you’re in luck when visiting Vaduz. For such a small city, it has surprisingly several very uniquely interesting and varied museums to choose from. You really are spoilt for choice.
But if you only have just one day in Vaduz, then you’ll be a bit pushed for time to visit more than one museum. So I recommend visiting:
Liechtenstein National Museum – If you want to find out all about the history of this inspiringly different nation then this is the museum for you.
Based centrally in a building that dates all the way back to 1438, this is a real cultural institution that features the best art, history and culture that the country has produced.
See the Kathedrale St. Florin
After geeking out at one of Vaduz’ top museums, there’s one more tourist attraction that can’t be missed at the end of your day in the city – and that’s the beautiful Kathedrale St. Florin.
This is a Roman Catholic church that was built in 1873 and boasts very striking neo-Gothic architecture.
Whether you’re religious or not, there’s no denying this Cathedral’s majestic beauty – both interior and exterior, and is a perfect way to end your day in Vaduz.
Dinner at Torkel Restaurant
If you’re only going to be in Vaduz for one day then I highly recommend Torkel restaurant for your evening meal.
This is an exceptional fine dining restaurant with a top quality menu. It feels like a traditional restaurant but the dishes are quite modern looking.
I was super impressed with the outstanding presentation of the dishes here. There are a lot of meat dishes but I went for the Atlantic Sea Bass dish which was delicious and memorable.
Staying the night in Vaduz
If you decide to stay the night in Vaduz then I can personally suggest a stay at Hotel Gasthof Löwen. Based very close to the centre of the city, this 4 star hotel is set in a historic building which made my stay all the more special.
It’s a beautiful building set in a perfect location with some great views of the Alpine mountains in the distance. The service from the staff there could not have been better.
How To Get To Vaduz
With Liechtenstein being a landlocked country in Europe, it is fairly easy to reach from one of its neighbouring countries; Austria, Switzerland or even Germany.
However, the country doesn’t have a commercial airport so you will have to travel there either by train, bus, car or taxi.
I caught a train from Salzburg to the border of Liechtenstein and this is a really scenic journey that I recommend.
In fact, all train routes towards Liechtenstein from either Austria or Switzerland are absolutely fantastic when it comes to scenic views, passing by glorious natural landscapes in this pleasant part of the world.
However, Vaduz does not have a central train station, so you will have to catch a bus or a taxi from one of the nearest stations to reach the capital. There are currently 3 working train stations in Liechtenstein, which are as follows:
- Schaan-Vaduz – this is the main train station in the country, located in Schaan which is about three and a half kilometres from Vaduz and 22 trains stop at Schaan-Vaduz every day, 11 each in the direction of both Switzerland and Austria.
It is very close to the Swiss border and you’ll definitely stop here if catching a train from Zurich. From here you can catch the number 11 bus to the city centre, which takes just 7 minutes to reach and runs regularly. - Forst Hilti – this station is located north of Schaan-Vaduz and is one of four stations on the Feldkirch–Buchs railway line in Liechtenstein.
- Nendeln – a station that is based in a village of Nendeln, in the municipality of Eschen in Liechtenstein. Same as both Schaan-Vaduz and Forst Hilti, a total of 22 trains stop here every day, 11 each in the direction of both Switzerland and Austria.
- Schaanwald – this is a small village next to the Austrian border. It does have a train station but trains have stopped calling here since 2017.
How To Move Around Vaduz
Compared to pretty much all other European capital cities, Vaduz is very small and hence very easy to move around.
It is one of the easiest walkable capital cities I’ve ever visited, with only one main high street. Vaduz’s main square is easy to reach, as are most if not all the other tourist attractions on foot.
The city does have a very good public transportation system however, with buses running from Vaduz to and from other towns and municipalities within Liechtenstein.
This is handy if you’re planning to visit Vaduz from its neighbouring countries; Austria and Switzerland. You can catch taxis as well from Vaduz but these are known to be expensive and not entirely necessary.
Map of Vaduz
Check out this interactive map of Vaduz, that features markers for all of the locations mentioned in this blog post, as well as hotel listings you may want to consider:
Vaduz FAQs
Still not sure about visiting Vaduz for just one day? Let me answer some of the most commonly asked questions about this capital city:
Is Vaduz worth visiting?
Absolutely! As previously mentioned, you may be a little underwhelmed as you arrive in Vaduz but first impressions can be deceiving.
There is so much to do in the capital. It is such a quaint, charming and friendly place – I completely recommend visiting Vaduz.
Other European capital cities like Paris, Rome or Madrid are incredibly crowded and overpriced and full of the same old stores you see everywhere.
In my opinion they are similar to Disneyland for adults and not really a true reflection of the country’s culture if truth be told.
Vaduz on the other hand couldn’t be more different. It’s definitely not overcrowded (Liechtenstein itself only has a population of less than 40,000) and doesn’t attract many tourists at all.
This makes it something of an unspoilt hidden gem and offers a completely different European vacation to the typical expensive sightseeing cities.
How many days is perfect for Liechtenstein?
In my opinion, you can see most of the main tourist attractions in Vaduz on a day trip, but you may feel slightly rushed going from one location to the next.
With just one day you won’t have time to see the rest of Liechtenstein, such as spending a good amount of time trekking on one of the many hiking trails and really soaking in the fantastic views.
So, I would recommend 2 days in Liechtenstein if you’re pushed for time, but 3 days would be absolutely perfect.
In my personal experience I actually only spent one day in the whole of Liechtenstein. Because it’s such a tiny country it’s possible to walk across it in just several hours, which is exactly what I did.
In fact, I wish I had spent an extra day or two to fully explore Vaduz and the rest of the country.
When is the best time to visit Liechtenstein?
I would definitely recommend visiting Vaduz during the summer months. Although this is the peak season, it is the best period especially for hiking. The weather will be glorious which will make your trip all the more pleasant.
Vaduz won’t be overrun with too many tourists either because it is such a less popular place, unlike other European capital cities.
If however you want to save money then I recommend visiting the city during either the spring or autumn months.
The weather may not be as nice or warm as the summer time, but you can expect cheaper deals when it comes to flights and accommodation.
Conclusion: The Perfect One Day Itinerary For Vaduz
So that concludes my one day itinerary for Vaduz and everything you need to know about exploring this fascinating place.
Vaduz and the whole of Liechtenstein for that matter offers such a different experience from most other capitals/countries in Europe that it’s definitely not to be missed.
From the enchanting Vaduz Castle to several really interesting museums and gorgeous hikes, it is a city that is easy to discover in just one day.
I hope you’ve found this one day itinerary for Vaduz useful and that it’s inspired you to see what all the fuss is about!
➡️ Planning your trip? Here are my favourite resources:
🏨 Accommodation: I recommend using Booking.com
🚙 Rental Car: Use Discover Cars for the best car rental prices
❤️ Travel Insurance: I recommend using Visitors Coverage
✈️ Flights: Use Kiwi.com for the best prices on flights
