Liechtenstein is a very small alpine country, locked between Switzerland and Austria.
It is world famous for its magical mountain scenery and its singularly stamps, which are among the most sought after and valued by the philatelists worldwide.
Liechtenstein is the country with the highest living standard in the world.
Best Time to Visit Liechtenstein?
The Alpine principality offer excellent opportunities for tourism throughout the year so that you could not go wrong by no means.
In the winter, Liechtenstein remain the landscapes of the fairy tales – everything is covered by fluffy snow.
This snow fairy makes it one of the most beautiful places in the world in the winter.
In the spring, when the nature returns to life is not less fascinating.
In the summer everything is green and in the autumn the deciduous trees are dyed in warm tones – orange, yellow, red.
Liechtenstein is most suitable for tourism to those, who seek the perfect place for rural tourism.
Here you can find peace and quiet amidst the beautiful mountain scenery.
Weather
Liechtenstein falls within the temperate climate zone.
In the capital Vaduz from May to September the weather is usually warm and pleasant with daytime temperatures between 20 and 25°C.
Highest are the temperatures in August, when can reach even 28 – 29°C.
September marks the end of the summer. In this part of the year there is still very warm and pleasant days.
In October and November, the temperatures fall rapidly.
The daily temperatures fall from 15°C in October to 5°C in November.
The daily temperatures in December, January and February are low and the weather is quite cold with heavy snowfalls.
During these months the daily temperatures are mostly in the range of 0 to 5°C.
Coldest is the weather in January, when the the highest temperature are lower and does not exceed even 3°C.
In March you can feel the beginnings of the spring.
The days begin to become warmer, and temperatures take over again (about 10°C in March and about 14-15°C in April).
The rainfall is quite heavy in the summer months, especially in July and August.
Dark rain clouds often appear out of the nowhere during the summer months and often bring heavy rains.
The winter as a whole is drier.
The winter rains are longer and weaker than the summer.
In January, usually falls about 30 mm of rain, which is negligible amount compared to July, when fall to about 190 mm.
Ambiance of Liechtenstein
The atmosphere in Liechtenstein is incredible.
It can not be described in words – you must feel it.
The first thing that the visitors feel, when they arrive here is the combination of very fresh air and indescribable peace.
The local people are nice and friendly.
The capital is not so busy and dynamic that are the biggest part of the capital cities in the world.
Everything is done somehow with ease.
Geographic Location
Liechtenstein is situated in Central Europe, in the northern Alps.
It is located at 47° north latitude and 9° east longitude.
It is bordered by Switzerland on the west and Austria on the east, while Italy and Germany are situated at less than an hour drive.
The geographical occupation of Liechtenstein played a very important role in its economic, social and cultural development.
The principality is located at the most stable and economically developed region on the planet.
Relief
Liechtenstein there are two types of terrain – flat and mountainous.
The relief is flat in the western part of the country, where flows the river Rhine.
The center of the capital Vaduz is located at an altitude of about 460 meters.
To the east can be seen the Tyrolese Alps, which occupy the biggest part of the country.
The highest point in Liechtenstein is situated on the border with Switzerland in the southernmost parts of the country.
This is the Hinter Graushpits peak, which is 2599 meters high.
Population
With its population of about 35,000 people, this is not the smallest, but still one of the smallest countries in the world.
The main language of the local population is German, and the main religion – Christianity (Catholic).
The main part of the population lives in the valley of the river Rhine.
In the capital of Liechtenstein – Vaduz – live at least 6,000 inhabitants.
This is the largest and most populated city in the country.
Economy
Liechtenstein is the wealthiest country in the world.
Sounds incredible, but is a true the fact that about ¼ of the income of the small Alpine principality comes from manufacturing and selling of expensive postage stamps.
Due to the small population of the country, the postage stamps successfully ensure one of the highest living standards worldwide.
Otherwise, the largest source of income is the tourism industry.
Here, however, the postage marks also occupy an important place.
Much of the millions of tourists, come here because of the local museums, but the museum of the postage marks is among the most popular and visited in the country.
People, who come all year around in Liechtenstein, however, are attracted not only of the marks that are an important part of local culture, but also because of one of the most beautiful mountain scenery in the world.
The amazing and very well preserved nature is the basis of the development of the rural tourism.
But the country is far from being dependent only on the tourism and postage marks.
It should be noted that it is one of the largest manufacturers of dental prostheses in the world.
The official currency of Liechtenstein is the Swiss franc, and Switzerland represents Liechtenstein in its international relations.
Both countries are really highly correlated with one another.