Ich Komme Aus USA: My Adventures with Alice in Wonderland...oops, I mean, Switzerland!

Way back in the middle of October, my friend Alice came to visit for a few days. It was very exciting...our first non-relative! But then the trepidation set in...what was I going to do with Alice? Alice used to live in Paris...Alice's sister used to live in Zürich...Alice has been to Switzerland more times than the number of months (maybe even days) I've lived here...Alice was probably in Switzerland before I ever even flew on an airplane...yikes!!!! Well, turns out there is actually someplace Alice hasn't been...Liechtenstein! So off we went to explore a country new to both of us...and to get another fun stamp in our passports :)

The Principality of Liechtenstein (its official name - since it is monarchy governed by a prince) is surrounded by Switzerland to the west and south, and Austria to the east and north - and the only country completed within the Alps (if you can trust Wikipedia...) With a population of about 35,000 on approximately 62 square miles, it is a pretty small place. There wasn't much information on Liechtenstein in any of our Switzerland travel books - but we took what we could find and set off for our adventure! Unfortunately there are no direct trains from Zürich to Liechtenstein...but there was a direct train from Zürich HB (main train station) to Sargans, Switzerland, where we then hopped on the Liechtenstein bus which would take us to Vaduz! (In case you're not really up on your European trivia - Vaduz is the capital of Liechtenstein...)

Off to Liechtenstein!

First thing you notice in Vaduz is the castle up on the hill - that would be the prince's castle! You can walk up to it and walk around - but can't go in - as he actually lives and works up there. What an awesome view he must have - can see his entire "princedom" (is that a word??) We were going to walk up there, but never made it...too many other fun things to do in Vaduz!

Schloss Vaduz - the prince's castle

First stop was the visitor's center where we could get our passport stamped (no border control) for a mere 3 CHF. Everything here appears to be priced in Swiss francs. As Liechtenstein is not a member of the EU either, I guess that makes sense. As we peppered the visitor's center girl with questions about where to go and what to do, she decided to give us the hard sell on the "Liechtenstein All Inclusive Adventure Pass." For just 18 CHF we could get the passport stamp for free (3 CHF), get a glass of wine at the Prince's wine cellar (8 CHF)...and so much more! We let her talk us into it and set off with our cool new passes to find the Schaedler Ceramics Workshop. Unfortunately this was the one place she knew nothing about (but we did??) so she ended up sending to a bus stop that was not quite where we wanted to go...but we made it there anyway. Beautiful ceramics in a dazzling array of fantastic colors - one more stunning than the next! Took us awhile to decide, but eventually made our purchases...and then the owner offered to give us a ride to our next stop - the prince's wine cellar - since he was heading that way anyway! On the way, he just needed to deliver something to the university...if that was okay with us. Well, what should we find at the university, but a field full of cows! I guess I forgot to mention earlier that Alice and I discovered our mutual love of cows...or at least trying to take awesome photos of cows. We jumped out of the car, cameras in tow, for this awesome photo op! We did run into another field of cows earlier in the day, but these were closer to the road! Eventually our ceramic shop friend returned to his car, found us down the road with the cows, and "herded" us back in so we could continue on our way - a very worthwhile stop at the university!

Running over to see us!

Close-up "Kuh" (cow in German)

Artsy Kuh

At the Hofkellerei des Fürsten von Liechtenstein (Wine Cellars of the Prince of Liechtenstein) we sampled a few wines and then bought a few wines, "sold only here" Liechtenstein chocolates, and a couple of "Hofkellerei Liechtenstein" engraved wine glasses! Quick romp through the prince's vineyard on our way back to town and the bus to Sargans. Got all of the things we wanted to do accomplished...but never made very good use of our Liechtenstein All Inclusive Adventure Pass. Didn't show it at the winery...and they still gave us our two free glasses of wine. Reviewed the booklet later...and found out we should have received free ceramic cups at the pottery place...should have read the booklet earlier! Oh well...next time...

The prince's wines (with his portrait behind) - they sell these wines
at the Wine Shop in Zurich! And on the wine boats too!

Schloss Vaduz overlooking it's vineyards.

And FYI...we took Alice to another place here in Switzerland that she had never been - Rapperswill - just down the lake a two hour boat ride (30 minute train ride) from Zürich! It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon for a boat ride and then we walked around the town for a bit before taking the train back to Zürich for dinner. That makes TWO places in or around Switzerland that Alice had never been to!!! Such fun! Can't wait for next year's visit for the Christmas markets :)