When I was in junior high school, I found a small country called Liechtenstein on a world map in social studies class. I never imagined that I would visit it as an adult. What’s more, the day I went there was the country’s national foundation day. I’d like to tell you what happened in Liechtenstein on that day.
Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein is a small country bordering eastern Switzerland, with Vaduz as its capital. You can get there from Zurich on a day trip by train and bus.
Click here for detailed directions.
The view from the bus was quite idyllic and there was an interesting castle along the way.
Liechtenstein has a population of about 39,000, with only about 5,000 in the capital Vaduz. Since most of the national government is shared with Switzerland, the currency is the Swiss franc.
Royal Ceremony
August 15th, Vaduz National Day, is a very special day. I could reach Vaduz Castle by climbing the mountain path from the central square. A special ceremony is held on the castle grounds in the morning of Vaduz National Day. Anyone can watch the royal family living in the castle gather together for the ceremony.
Everyone sat on the grass watching the action and singing the national anthem.
After the ceremony, I got free sandwiches, pretzels, and drinks at the yellow tent in the photo below.
While I was eating my sandwich, the royal family passed right next to me, and I was surprised at how close they were to each other. I think this may be because it’s a small country.
On this day I entered the castle grounds which are normally off-limits.
Although I couldn’t enter the building, I could enter the gardens, where food is also being distributed and a concert by a band is also being held.
I was also given some chocolates in the garden.
The town is in a festive mood
The city center will also be enveloped in a different atmosphere than usual. First of all, the roads in the city center will be closed to vehicles and become pedestrian-only.
There are also many food stalls and original Liechtenstein goods for sale.
There is also a live performance stage set up in the square, and the excitement builds as the night progresses.
On this day, admission to art galleries and museums is free.
Photography is prohibited inside the building, so I don’t have any photos, but I still enjoyed sightseeing at a good price.
Although Vaduz is the capital, it is small in size, so you can finish sightseeing in a short amount of time. While there, I learned about the National Foundation Day and enjoyed sightseeing to coincide with the event. If you are thinking of a summer vacation destination, please use this as a reference!
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