Central Europe Part 2, 2024

Liechtenstein 🇱🇮 is a goldmine of trivia for keen quizzers, so naturally I was very excited to come here! 🤓 It is one of 5 European microstates, one of two double-landlocked countries and one of four countries in EFTA; it's effectively the last relic of the Holy Roman Empire, has the highest GDP per capita in the world and is ruled by the only remaining german-speaking royal family. It has a political system that fuses a powerful monarch 👑 with referendum-based direct democracy 🙌 Basically it's a one of a kind country, so I was keen to see it for myself.

After taking a train to Sargans, I caught a bus to Vaduz, the capital "city" (by any other standard it would be a town). From there, it was a short hike up one of Liechtenstein's several mountains to Schloss (Castle) Vaduz 🏰 where the Reigning Prince Hans-Adam II lives. I'd read his book on political theory so was hoping to bump into him but, alas, he clearly had more important matters to attend to. The hike up there treated me to a number of views of the spectacular surrounding landscapes - what Liechtenstein lacks in coastlines it makes up for in mountains!

After surveying the tiny country from above, I headed to the Landesmuseum to get up to speed on the country's history. The exhibition took me through the country's past, beginning with the bringing together of Vaduz and Schellenberg under one Count during the medieval period through to the establishment of the Principality. For most of its history the country was composed primarily of cattle-rearing peasants. However in the 20th Century, as its ruling family fled German-occupied Vienna and so started actually living in the country they ruled, the country was quickly transformed into a fully fledged export-based modern economy with a heavy focus on R&D.

After filling my brain with history for a couple of hours I had worked up an appetite so headed to a restaurant in the centre of town and ordered Liechtenstein's national dish, Käsknöpfle - cheesy pasta with apple sauce. It was delicious, particularly washed down with a pinot noir 🍷 from - you guessed it - Liechtenstein!もっと詳しく