4 Best Sights in Liechtenstein

The gorgeous black box that is the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein offers frequently changing exhibitions of modern art. Don't come expecting Old Dutch Masters, because this collection embraces Peter Fischli and David Weiss, Andy Warhol, and Donald Judd, as well as lesser-known rising stars like Bill Bollinger and Günter Fruhtrunk. The casual café is one of Vaduz's cooler spots, a great place to relax with a volume from the well-curated bookshop.

Liechtenstein's postage-stamp-size postal museum demonstrates the principality's history as a maker of beautifully designed, limited-edition postage stamps.

At the top of a well-marked hill road (you can climb the forest footpath between Restaurant Ratskeller and Café Burg) stands Vaduz Castle. Here, His Serene Highness Hans-Adam II, prince of Liechtenstein, reigns in a romantic fortress-home with red-and-white medieval shutters, massive ramparts, and a broad perspective over the Rhine Valley. Originally built in the 12th century, the castle was burned down by troops of the Swiss Confederation in the Swabian Wars of 1499 and partly rebuilt during the centuries that followed. A complete overhaul that started in 1905 gave it its present form. It is not open to the public, as Hans-Adam II enjoys his privacy. He is the son of the late beloved Franz Josef II, who died in November 1989 after a more than 50-year reign. Franz Josef's birthday, August 15, is still celebrated as the Liechtenstein national holiday. Heir to the throne Prince Alois increasingly has taken over daily business while Hans-Adam II travels to Vienna several times a year, where the family museum is one of the city's finest cultural jewels.