Liechtenstein is gearing up for its birthday bash in 2019 as the principality turns 300. To celebrate, it will be pulling out all the stops with a line-up of special events, exhibitions and parties 鈥� the big one will be the National Day on 15 August, with a firework finale.

For a country that lives in its hiking boots (in summer) and skis (in winter), it鈥檚 little wonder that all the hype is about the brand-new Liechtenstein Trail. If hiking is not your cup of tea, you鈥檒l find plenty of other outdoor activities to thrill in this most Alpine of countries.

Liechtenstein Trail

If you鈥檝e ever fancied walking around an entire country in a weekend, now you can. In late May 2019, Liechtenstein is celebrating its birthday with a brand-new , designed to present the country鈥檚 鈥榞reatest hits鈥� in a nutshell. Indeed, there鈥檚 no better way to acquaint yourself with Europe鈥檚 fourth-smallest nation 鈥� squashed between Switzerland and Austria, rippled with mountains, straddling the Rhine and encrusted with castles 鈥� than by hitting the trail.

Easily spread across two to three days of walking, the 75km hike kicks off in the petite capital Vaduz, crowned by the prince of Liechtenstein鈥檚 perkily turreted, 12th-century castle, and home to His Highness鈥� wine cellar. From here, the trail ticks off all 11 of the country鈥檚 municipalities, heading through vineyards and pastures, along the banks of the Rhine, and over moor and mountain. En route there are castles to ignite medieval fantasies, such as ruined Schellenberg and turreted Gutenberg in Balzers (for a history primer, download the when it launches in May). You鈥檒l also take in natural highs such as the wildlife-rich peatlands of the and the mountain ridge of Eschnerberg, with deep views into the Rhine Valley. For details on accommodation and a map, check the .

High-altitude hikes in Liechtenstein

If the Liechtenstein Trail has whetted your appetite for striking out on foot in this phenomenally beautiful, enticingly compact country, there鈥檚 plenty more where that came from. One of the most famous trails is the 12km, five-hour F眉rstensteig, a rite of passage for most Liechtensteiners. Providing you鈥檙e fiddle-fit, sure-footed and have a head for heights, you鈥檙e ready to tackle this at times very narrow, sheer trail.

Starting at 1400m in Gaflei and ending in Planken, the F眉rstensteig meanders from pasture to pine and peak, with exposed sections secured by ropes and railings, in via ferrata style. At Gaflei saddle, memorable views of the jagged Drei Schwestern (鈥楾hree Sisters鈥�) range open up. The hike鈥檚 highest point is the cross-topped Kuhgrat at 2123m, with top-of-the-beanstalk views of the R盲tikon range and the Swiss and Austrian Alps. To maximise those views, you could spend the night at the 骋补蹿补诲耻谤补丑眉迟迟别 at 1428m.

A terrific alternative is the 12km, five-hour F眉rstin-Gina-Weg, which starts at the top of the Sareis chairlift in Malbun. The circular high-level hike leads up to the spectacular summit of Augstenberg (2359m), with broad views into the Liechtenstein, Swiss and Austrian Alps, with the option of overnighting at the where the three countries meet. Slightly shorter and easier is the three-hour ramble on the 5km Gr眉schaweg from Vaduz to the traditional mountain village of Triesenberg, via beech woods and pretty Walser settlements. You can dig deeper into the heritage of the Walsers 鈥� a German-speaking 鈥榯ribe鈥� from the Valais that emigrated across Europe in the 13th century 鈥� at the Walsermuseum.

Trekking with llamas

If the kids need encouragement to go hiking for the day, what better way to tempt them than with a furry, four-legged, doe-eyed friend? In Triesenberg, runs two-hour, half-day and full-day hikes into this mountainous, lushly forested corner of Liechtenstein. They set off in all weather conditions, and there鈥檚 something quite special about walking through the quiet, snowy woods with a llama in tow. These pack animals, indigenous to South America, appreciate personal space but are happy to wander along, loosely attached to a rein, at a mellow pace. Outdoor fondue or barbecues can also be arranged to round out a walk nicely.

On your bike

One of the absolute delights of being in a country as tiny as Liechtenstein is that you can whizz around it in a day with your own two wheels, or even pop over to neighbouring Switzerland and Austria to make a longer ride of it. The country is laced with excellent, well-signposted cycling routes and off-road mountain biking trails that command stirring Alpine views on every bumpy descent. Bikes and e-bikes are available for hire at the central Liechtenstein Center in Vaduz.

One of the most famous routes (and justifiably so) is the 59km, roughly four-hour (Drei-L盲nder Tour), doable by road and e-bike. This route starts and ends in Vaduz and dips into the Rhine Valley, taking in some arresting mountain backdrops in Eschen and the arcaded, late-medieval old town of Feldkirch in Austria. It then follows the Rhine to castle-topped Buchs (in Switzerland) and crosses the shiny-new Energy Bridge in Schaan before heading back to Vaduz. There are no major inclines to sweat out, making the going reasonably easy.

If you鈥檙e into your castles big time, you might prefer the 45km, roughly three-hour , linking Liechtenstein to Switzerland and ramping up the history at five castles (as the name suggests) in Vaduz, Buchs, Wartau, Sargans and Balzers. Alternatively, the 50km, two-stage SwitzerlandMobility route wraps up some of Liechtenstein鈥檚 best bits, racing you through the whole country from vineyard to pasture, peak and princely residence.

Let it snow

The only country that falls entirely in the Alps, Liechtenstein has a whole lot of vertical, and the mountain scenery here is predictably ravishing 鈥� the real winter wonderland deal. While the principality can鈥檛 rival Switzerland and Austria with the scale and height of its slopes, there鈥檚 nevertheless highly decent skiing to be had here, especially for beginners, intermediates and families taking their first turns. On its snowsure perch at 1600m, end-of-the-road Malbun is the go-to resort for downhill skiing and snowboarding. The tiny village, with its sprinkling of timber chalets, cranks into life during the winter season, with chairlifts and a draglift winging skiers up to Sareis at 2000m.

Should you prefer to glide through the white-iced forest in silent exhilaration, there鈥檚 cross-country in the Val眉na Valley, with 15km of classic and skating tracks starting in Steg, including a 3km trail that鈥檚 illuminated after dark. Passes, ski rental and tuition are available at . Or you can up the action with a raft of other winter activities, mostly centred around Malbun, including snowshoeing, ice climbing, tobogganing, ice skating and backcountry ski touring.

Getting there

Liechtenstein might only be little, but planning ahead helps, especially if you鈥檙e intending on hiking the Liechtenstein Trail. For bus network timetables, visit the website. The closest airport is Z眉rich in Switzerland. From there, take a train to Sargans and then a bus to Vaduz; it鈥檚 around a two-hour journey. See the for details.

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