From Paris to Rome and Barcelona, Europe is full of sprawling capital cities – but with many countries fighting overtourism, there’s increasingly little peace and quiet to be found here.
If you’re looking to explore somewhere a little less travelled this summer, there’s one country that stands out from the crowd – and it’s so small there’s not even space for an airport.
Perched between Switzerland and Austria, Liechtenstein is Europe’s fourth smallest nation – so tiny that its area measures just over 62 square miles.
For perspective, the UK is around 94,354 square miles, which is around 1,521 times the size. In fact, it could fit into London, at 607 square miles, nine times. It’s so small, that Lonely Planet adorably called it a ‘pipsqueak of a country’.
Liechtenstein is also completely landlocked, so there are no wide expanses of beach to be found here. But, don’t let that put you off. There’s no shortage of places to take a cool dip in during the summer as there are the Rhine and Samina Rivers, as well as Gampriner Seele.
The only lake in the country, which formed naturally after significant flooding of the Rhine back in 1927, is not only crystal clear, but it’s also a popular spot for picnics and birdwatching.
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And, as Lonely Planet also said, the place is ‘pure fairy-tale stuff’, with a castle nestled among the hills, home to an actual Prince.
So, while Liechtenstein is teeny tiny, there’s plenty of beauty to be found here.
How to get to Liechtenstein
As Liechtenstein is so teeny and has a relatively mountainous terrain, there’s no airport, so from London, your best option is flying to Zurich in Switzerland.
The flight takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes, and there are options available from the likes of British Airways, Swiss Air, and easyJet.
From there, it’s just shy of 1 hour and 30 minutes to Liechtenstein in the car – or you can take the train from Zurich to Sargans and change again to a direct line to Vaduz, the capital.
Things to do and see in Liechtenstein
If you’re an outdoorsy person, Liechtenstein should be at the top of your list. With just under 250 miles of hiking trails across the country, there’s lots of trails to ramble around considering its size.
The Three Sisters is a particularly popular route, spanning views of the Rhine Valley and over to Lake Constance, while the Fürstin-Gina-Weg finishes at Augstenberg in the Eastern Alps.
Open between June and October, the iconic Pfälzer hut sits at an altitude of 2,108 metres and has a restaurant, as well as accommodation for an overnight stay.
Liechtenstein isn’t just geographically beautiful: it might be small, but it’s a mighty cultural hub. Spend a day on the Museum Mile, like a pub crawl, but for museums.
Spanning six institutions in the heart of Vaduz, the route includes Liechtenstein Art Museum, Hilti Art Foundation, Liechtenstein Treasure Chamber, Liechtenstein National Museum, Art Space Engländerbau, and Liechtenstein Post Museum.
It might be a bit of a stretch to attempt them all in one day, but never say never, right?
Vaduz is also famous for its sculptures – and they’re not paywalled inside galleries either, as many of them line the city’s streets. Take The Prayer of Heinz Mack, made from crystalline granite from Norway, which is more than 400,000,000 years old, or Daniel Spoerri’s bronze Renaissance.
If you fancy a walk rather than a hike, Vaduz Castle overlooks the city – but note that you won’t be able to take a look around inside, as the Prince of Liechtenstein still lives here.
What’s the weather like in Liechtenstein?
If you’re looking for balmy weather and temperatures in the 30s, Liechtenstein might not quite have what you need – but if you’re happy with just a little bit of sunshine in the summer, it’ll be right up your street.
In June, the average temperature dips up to highs of 23C, while July and August get ever so slightly hotter at 25C and 24C.
You’ll want to pack your raincoat as well as your suncream though, as rainstorms are particularly common during the summer.
Winter is a different story, though, as January sees the daily maximum temperature reach 5C, while February gets marginally warmer at 6.8C.
Things are relatively clement by April at 16C, while May is typically around 20.1C. The perfect temperature, if you ask us.
Small countries in Europe that pack a punch
Liechtenstein isn’t the only small, yet perfectly, formed country in Europe that’s worth a visit.
Another small spot is Andorra, and its capital city, Andorra la Vella. The stats are remarkable: at 1,023m above sea level it’s Europe’s highest capital — and it’s also one of the smallest. It’s covers an area of just 5 sq miles, which means the city could fit into London roughly 121 times (London covers an area of roughly 607 sq miles).
There is no airport and not a single train station in the entire country, let alone in Andorra la Vella itself, but that doesn’t stop tourists from flocking to the city, famed for it’s duty free shopping and one of the largest spa complexes in Europe.
There’s also San Marino, which, like Andorra, you can only reach by travelling through another country first. This time, Italy.
Nestled comfortably on the calf of the country’s famous boot, the tiny mountainous microstate is surrounded by north-central Italy from every angle. And, like Andorra le Vella, there is no airport or train station.
Still, on this occasion, size clearly doesn’t matter as travellers describe San Marino as incredible, and many recommend tacking it onto an itinerary if you’re travelling through Italy.
On Reddit, one person called it the ‘coolest place’ they’ve been, ever, while another described it as one of the quaintest places in Europe.
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