"Stamps & Postcards from ..." a Liechtenstein Travel Page by Krystynn

Greetings from the beautiful alphine principality of Liechtenstein.... a country which has managed to enjoy great peace and prosperity... snuggled between two neutral republics - Switzerland and Austria.

Located about 120KM east of Zurich, Switzerland and the nearest international airport, Liechtenstein ranks as the 4th smallest state in Europe - with Vaduz as its capital and the seat of Government.

Liechtenstein has been politically neutral since World War II.

Liechtenstein is famous chiefly for.... wanna make a guess? Yes, it's definitely the postage stamps, wines and the Royal Family... PLUS some pretty interesting tax laws.

Because of the principality's very close relations with Switzerland, the Swiss Franc is the official currency and there are no border controls (as far as I can remember...).

VADUZ, the capital of this tiny principality has an impressive cultural attraction over at the National Art Gallery containing masterpieces by famous artists like Rubens, Van Dyck and Hals owned by THE Prince himself (the reigning Monarch) who lives in the huge castle up in the hills. The population of Vaduz stands at just a small 30,000 inhabitants... (more or less).

Our half-day stay at Vaduz was too short a time for us to do much exploring and forming lasting impressions. So, the next best thing we did was to go souvenir hunting and buy up some nice, cheap chocolates (!), postcards and their famed postage stamps.

Yes, Liechtenstein can be a lovely place for a quick stopover. Sometimes I do wonder whether the folks living here feel a little bored.... because a quick glance around Vaduz tells me that this place can get kinda quiet when dusk falls. Hm!

Enjoy your visit to Vaduz and Liechtenstein.

Full country name: PRINCIPALITY OF LIECHTENSTEIN

State founded: 1719

Area: 160 sq km (62.4 sq mi)

Population: 31,500

Capital city: Vaduz

People: Germanic 87.5%, Italian, Turkish, other 12.5%

Language: German

Religion: Roman Catholic, Protestant

Government: Hereditary constitutional monarchy

Climate: Continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers

Major industries: Banking and financial services, Dental products, Hardware, Pottery, Specialty machinery, Stamps.

Visas: Citizens of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK and the USA do not require visas for visits of up to three months.

Time: GMT/UTC + 2 hours

Electricity: 220 volts, 50 Hz

Weights & Measures: Metric

International dialling code: +4175

Above info courtesy of: The Liechtenstein Tourist Office

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Here's a chronology of key events in LIECHTENSTEIN:

1719 - Liechtenstein acquires its present name and becomes an independent principality of the Holy Roman Empire.

1815 - Liechtenstein becomes a member of the German Confederation until 1866.

1866 - Liechtenstein becomes fully independent.

1919 - The Hapsburg monarchy of Austria is abolished. Switzerland replaces Austria as the representative of Liechtenstein's interests abroad.

1921 - Liechtenstein adopts Swiss currency.

1923 - Liechtenstein enters customs union with Switzerland.

1938 - Prince Franz Josef II ascends to the throne.

1939 - Outbreak of World War II. Liechtenstein remains neutral.

1984 - Prince Franz Josef II hands over executive power to his son, Crown Prince Hans-Adam II. A referendum grants women the right to vote in national elections.

1989 - Prince Franz Josef II dies. He is succeeded by Hans-Adam II.

1990 - Liechtenstein joins the United Nations.

1991 - Liechtenstein joins European Free Trade Association.

1993 - Mario Frick becomes Europe's youngest prime minister at the age of 28.

1997 - Frick is re-elected.

2000 - Reports by the G7 group of industrial nations and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development criticize Liechtenstein for failing to cooperate in the fight against international money-laundering. Liechtenstein changes its banking laws.

2001 February - Otmar Hasler's Progressive Citizen's Party wins elections. Hasler is sworn in as prime minister in April.

Above info courtesy of: http://news.bbc.co.uk website

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Footnote: This travel page is written from impressions taken from my first visit to this beautiful principality in 1996. Travel tips will be penned from my latest visit in 2003. So, not to worry. It won't be 'ancient' tips! I hope you'll find my experiences useful in helping you plan for your forthcoming holiday.

Thank you.

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Copyright (c) Krystynn 2004
Please do not take my personal pics without prior permission.
Thanks.