retiredmartin

June 2024. Vaduz. Liechtenstein.

Monday morning in Liechtenstein, coach off to Milan in the afternoon, a few hours to see what makes Vaduz vital (or not).

I’ll say this, they do a good healthy breakfast in that Youth Hostel.

Fresh bread, a cheese board, bircher muesli with fruits, four espressos, and that view.

Vaduz, like Matlock Bath or Mansfield, is all about the views, which culminate at the old wooden bridge across the Rhine.

Remember to walk along the sides as the centre is a bit “mucky”.

All very pastoral and pleasant, not your usual national capital at all. A view to the castle, the hissing of summer lawns, a heron (bottom right) pouncing on mice.

And all the time, art.

From the colourful and indecipherable stained glass in St. Florin,

to the wonderful pedestrianised half-mile containing the civic buildings,

museum (closed),

and occasional high class cafe. Mrs RM forgot to pounce on that sweet.

It all smelt gorgeous, no more so than on the 20 minute ascent to Vaduz Castle, which you can’t visit and is best seen from afar or in 1:1,000 scale (top).

An unusually un-touristy capital, I thought, and most visitors seemed happy with the sausages and take-away pasta from Balu Bakery.

That was £12.50 and fed two, not too bad, but the bargains came at our coach stop vending machine opposite a national stadium graced by Ronaldo, with bottles of juice and peanuts for no more than they’d cost at Sheffield railway.

Unexpectedly, our Flix bus was 20 minutes late. In Switzerland !!!