This is my 3rd and final post on hiking the 75km Liechtenstein Trail. I had an amazing time walking from the Swiss border to the Austrian border. Therefore I walked from the south to the north of Liechtenstein.
Liechtenstein has the densest network of forests on mainland Europe. The trail takes you along some beautiful forest trails and through picturesque towns and villages.
Post 1 contains an overview of the process and the details on day 1
Post 2 continues my journey and covers days 2 and 3
This post is about days 4 and 5. Each of the 5 days gave me a wonderful and unique insight into the Principality of Liechtenstein.
Day 4 – Nendeln to Eschen to Bendern to Ruggell, 15km
After another great nights sleep, I woke up early. I was desperate for a coffee and really looking forward to breakfast. You will need to read my previous post to learn why I was hungry and yearning for coffee !
This was the first morning I was the only person in the breakfast room. The lady in charge was helpful and friendly. After the same breakfast (which wasn’t getting boring as everything was so fresh), I prepared my lunch from the buffet and got ready to leave.
While the first hour is interesting, if your goal is to get from A to B as quickly as possible, you could bypass this. You start near the train station and then walk a loop around a field. You then pass by offices, the library, sports facilities and the local soccer pitch. The highlight is the monument erected when Pope John Paul 2nd visited and celebrated mass here. This was the first time a Pope had visited Liechtenstein.
This was by far, the most relaxing morning I had on the trail. It was an easy walk, the weather was absolutely perfect and it was interesting to get a little insight into how the locals live.
I had my morning snack sitting on a park bench overlooking the town of Eschen. I was surrounded by beautiful green fields. Several people were walking by so it appeared to be a popular walking trail. When I read the sign by the bench, I got a surprise. I was sitting at a place where people had been executed. Yes executed !!! This seemed so bizarre given the tranquil setting.
My route continued along a path through fields allowing a great view of Eschen and its beautiful church tower. Again I was surprised by how close the cows were grazing to the houses.
I then came to a small village with yet another beautiful church. Just before the church was a spotless self-cleaning public toilet. I walked by a grotto to St. Bernadette of Lourdes and through another field. The road then took me to the outskirts of Bendern, where I was staying on my last night.
To my delight I next arrived really close to the River Rhine. It’s extremely picturesque and I decided to have my lunch at a park bench overlooking it. And yes, it’s almost an aqua green colour, something I had wondered about when I first saw it from above a few days before.
The trail then continued by a water treatment plant and a park with a large lake. Lots of people were swimming or sitting on sun loungers. I purchased an ice cream at the cafe. This was the first time I had came to a shop which was open and was able to purchase a treat on the trail.
There are toilets and changing rooms by the lake. If you know it will be hot, stopping for a swim would be a lovely way to relax for awhile. Personally I would prefer to swim in the Rhine but I didn’t see anyone swimming when I passed.
The trail then took me to a forest path. As the sun was high in the sky, it was lovely and cool – the ideal walking conditions. After about 30 minutes I arrived in another residential area, with cattle grazing nearby. I met no people in the forest or in the residential areas. Everywhere was deserted and tranquil.
I was now in Ruggell which was my stop for the day. I googled my hotel and it was a 16 minute walk away. I was really hoping I would be able to get an evening meal as the breakfasts and lunches were not sufficient at this stage.
I passed by a restaurant with lots of people sitting outside. I considered stopping but I really wanted to shower first. As my hotel was quite large I was pretty confident it would have a restaurant. Hotel “Kommod” was at the end of an industrial estate.
Again it was self check-in and I needed to register to enter the main door. I started to get a little concerned as it was deserted and no-one was at reception. My bag was there so I went to my room on the 3rd floor. Thankfully this hotel had a lift. My room was bright and extremely comfortable but there was no minibar or tea / coffee making facilities.
After showering and changing I couldn’t ignore my stomach rumbling so I went downstairs. Everywhere was deserted but through some glass doors I could see men all wearing the same t-shirt, which I presumed was the hotel uniform. I walked towards them only to discover the room was packed with men all wearing the same t-shirts ! I clearly had walked into a private meeting. As I apologised and explained I was looking for the restaurant one of them pointed me to another area.
I then found myself in the kitchen and the chef came to talk to me straight away. I explained I was walking the trail and looking for food. He said the restaurant was closed and he was preparing food for a function. The men were not hotel employees but the Liechtenstein National Soccer Team. They were playing Scotland in a friendly match that night in Vaduz. He was preparing them their post match meal. I am a big sports fans so this was quite exciting !
The chef started goggling nearby restaurants. The one I had passed seemed to be the only one open. While I was tired I really needed food and I knew the path back was flat. The chef told me to find him if I didn’t get food and he would give me a portion of what he was preparing for the team. I really appreciated this but wished I had been told before I arrived that there were no facilities open on that day.
When I went in the lift to go to my room, several of the soccer players were also taking it. They asked if I got food and appeared to be impressed that I was walking across their country. None of them had done it before. I assured them I wasn’t Scottish and wished them well as I tried not to look like a fan-girl !!
The restaurant was beautiful with traditional wooden beams. I walked in and was greeted by a gentleman. I asked if I could sit outside and asked for a menu. To my dismay he told me the kitchen was closed but I could order a drink or ice cream ! At this stage fatigue was getting the better of me and I was beginning to get a little disillusioned.
Without thinking I said “I think I might cry right now”. He seemed quite shocked. I explained I was hiking the trail, didn’t have dinner last night and that my hotels restaurant was closed. He immediately said he would make me a sandwich and started explaining the traditional meats he had. I was a little worried he wasn’t going to be my “saviour” when I said I was vegetarian. But he didn’t hesitate and asked would I like cheese, tomato and lettuce. I was delighted, said that would be perfect, thanking him profusely. I asked for a glass of dry white wine and he told me he had a lovely local one.
When he brought me the wine and water he said he had vegetables left over from lunch which he could heat for me. I said “bring me whatever you can – I will eat it”. The wine was from Eschen which I had walked through earlier. I was delighted with my fresh bread roll with cheese and tomatoes. It was served with a bowl of very fresh, lightly boiled vegetables, with some nuts sprinkled on top. It was absolutely delicious and the wine the perfect accompaniment.
I ended up having a great chat with with my “saviour” who turned out to be the owner Geri. He told me his premises has three bedrooms and often hikers stay. They recently celebrated their 165th anniversary and he showed me some photographs of the party. While my hotel was lovely I would have preferred to stay here as it was a more unique venue. Also, Geri appeared to enjoy talking to the hikers and he really is a great ambassador for Liechtenstein.
After enjoying my meal, I walked back to the hotel. It was only 4.30pm and I really didn’t want to spend the rest of the evening in a hotel room. Thankfully there was a coffee machine in the lobby so I had one while sitting there. However, it just was just too sterile and quiet for me. The soccer team had now left for the match. I really would have loved to have sat in the bar, watched the game and enjoyed another glass of wine.
I decided to write an email to management. While today was a national holiday they also may have closed the restaurant for the soccer team. However, these hotels are not cheap and when hiking you need food. Even an “Honesty Bar” offering some snacks, is better than nothing. I noticed the vending machine was out of order and there was no minibar in my room. So other than coffee, there was nothing else available.
I decided to go to my room and watch the match. To my disappointment it wasn’t televised. After reading for awhile, tiredness got the better of me and I fell into a deep sleep. Something woke me up abruptly. I could hear a light knocking. I didn’t think it was at my door and presumed someone was knocking the one beside mine. I listened for awhile and didn’t hear any voices. While I am not nervous about travelling alone I am cautious, so had no intention of opening my hotel door. When I looked at my watch it was 9.20pm. My stomach was now rumbling so it was hard to get back to sleep !
By the way, I had now completed two more stages and had walked 56.3km.
Nendeln to Bendern, 8.9km, official estimated walking time = 2 hrs and 18 mins
Bender to Ruggell, 5.6 km, official estimated walking time = 1 hr and 24 mins
Day 5 – Ruggell to Schellenberg to Mauren to Schaanwald, 19km
I woke early and was really looking forward to my breakfast. My stomach was rumbling and I had a very slight headache so needed coffee.
When I opened my hotel door, I almost fell over a food basket. So the knocking I heard last night was at my door. It contained a meat sandwich, two pears, an apple, two small chocolate muffins and a bottle of water.
The breakfast was the same as previous days and I prepared a similar lunch again. The same chef, I had met the day before was there. He offered to make a sandwich for me – which is the first time this had happened.
When I checked my email there was a reply from the hotel manager. She had replied just after 9.00pm. The email was apologetic saying that she had contacted the chef to bring something to my room. I appreciated that she didn’t make excuses and appeared to understand my frustration. I really think with better communication and planning this issue can be resolved without much additional work for the hotel.
I was packed and ready to leave early. I did feel a little sad as this would be my last day on the trail but it would also be the longest day. The official length was 19km.
I handed my room key at reception and I was asked what my room number was. When I replied the receptionist asked me to wait for a moment and she called a lady over. This was the manager and we had a brief chat. Again I really appreciated she didn’t challenge me. She apologised and acknowledged my disappointment. I thanked her for the food basket and confirmed I had taken most of the items with me.
Day 5 started opposite the restaurant I had eaten at yesterday (image 1 below). I first walked along a path beside a river. It was extremely tranquil and I only met one person walking a dog. This again is a section you could bypass, if you are under time pressure. You could meet the trail opposite the road from the hotel, reducing walking time by about thirty minutes.
After crossing the road, I passed a field where lots of people were picking strawberries. They didn’t look like workers so it must be a field where you pay for what you pick. I did steal one and it was delicious.
The trail then passed through a beautiful nature reserve. The app has requested hikers be very quite when walking through this area. It’s one of the most important conservation areas in Liechtenstein. While I couldn’t see many birds the sounds of them was absolutely beautiful. I kept stopping and peering into the reeds and bushes. I did see movement at times but only a few birds flew above me.
I then saw some massive black and white birds, walking in the field. They didn’t appear fazed by me walking close by. I throughly enjoyed this stretch and didn’t meet anyone.
To my delight I then arrived at the border with Austria. I walked across and took the obligatory photograph. This had an official checkpoint where cars were slowing down, when passing through. I wondered if an official was watching me cross over into Austria. They probably see hikers do the same thing and take the same photograph all the time. Unfortunately the wind didn’t blow to show the flags fully.
The trail continued through a field and I came to a building (image 1 below) with a park bench outside it. There was no sign of anyone so I decided this was the perfect place for my morning snack. But I realised I had no phone or wifi reception. I did the usual reboot but I didn’t pick up a signal. I wondered if this happened as I was so close to the border. But I really wasn’t sure. A few minutes later, I passed by a tree house which was facing the border. It looked very strange and I wondered about its original purpose !
I was glad I had eaten and drank some fluids as the next section was quite a hard climb. I used both walking poles and it was a challenge. The forest area opened at the edge of Schellenberg, which I knew was one of then main milestones for today. I still didn’t have phone reception, which surprised me as I was now in a small town. Again the main focal point was a beautiful church. There were a few people driving and walking along the street. People did acknowledge me and didn’t seem surprised to see a disheveled hiker walking along the main street.
Thankfully the signs were very visible and I didn’t miss having access to the app. A sign pointed me into another forest area. After a few minutes I came to a lovely outdoor gym. It’s very refreshing to see such facilities being respected and not vandalised. I thought this was a beautiful place to work-out.
At one stage the trail was a steep set of steps and some small children were running down it. As had become typical, when I met children, everyone of then shouted “Hoi” and had a good look at me as they ran by. I reached the top quickly and then walked across a field and through some turnstiles. I passed several more children, with backpacks and hi-vis jackets. I thought it was lovely to see them all running home from school safely and clearly enjoying one another’s company.
The trail then took me up a hill. Under a beautiful crucifix a park bench overlooked an amazing panoramic view. This was the ideal spot for my last lunch. My phone still wasn’t working but I really was enjoying the solitude.
Suddenly, one of those large birds soared above me, circled for awhile and made its way downhill. The wingspan is just amazing with its colourful feathers. I purposely didn’t take out my camera and just watched this majestic creature. It really was one of my favourite moments of the past few days. Not for the first time, I reflected how glad I was that I did this trail !
Again I was taken through another forest and I needed my walking poles. After a few minutes I met two elderly hikers, clearly on a mission to complete their walk. They both greeted me with large smiles.
I could see some movement ahead but then the person disappeared. As I continued along the narrow path a female voice called out to me. When I walked over a young lady was looking across a beautiful lookout point. This was the first time I talked to a hiker on the trail. The lady, originally from Honduras lives and works locally. She asked me how far I was walking and said she occasionally meets people doing the same route. The viewpoint was just spectacular, showing an amazing view of several towns and cities. I asked her to tell me what each one was and her local knowledge was to prove extremely important later !
She pointed out which were in Austria and which in Liechtenstein including “Mauren” which was my next destination. I really enjoyed chatting and she wished me well as I went back to the route.
After a few minutes I arrived in another small village. Despite seeing several signs of construction I saw no people and it was eerily quite. The sign pointed me downhill and I spotted another forest path. However I didn’t see the “Liechtenstein Weg” sign. It did have the yellow trail sign I occasionally saw (image 1 below). I decided to walk along it for awhile. Above me was the ruins of a castle. I passed a few people so knew I was on a popular trail. After a few minutes I came to a fork in the trail and again the sign I needed wasn’t there.
Something didn’t feel right so I decided to walk back to the last trail sign I had seen. I looked around for awhile but I couldn’t the sign I needed. I still didn’t have phone reception. I pulled out a paper map and tried to figure out where I was. Just then a young man appeared and I asked him for help. He told me the castle above me was the ruins of Schellenberg castle. Mauren was clearly to the right of that so I decided to walk through the woods again.
I walked through the woods for about forty five minutes. It wasn’t a challenging route and I refused to worry that I would get lost. I knew from the map and the conversation I had with the lady earlier the direction I needed to follow. While I came to a few paths going different ways, I do have a fairly good sense of direction.
I then came to a residential street. It was deserted but the few cars I saw appeared to be travelling in the same direction i.e. down the hill. While I had no idea where I was, I decided to walk that way also. I was delighted to see a bus stop so I headed for that. To my delight it said “Mauren”. I was pleased I had reached this area as it was now close to 2pm. I hoped if I found the center of the town I could find a trail sign and get back on the correct route. Based on the time, I didn’t think I had gone too far astray.
I continued walking downhill. I criss crossed each street so I wouldn’t miss seeing a sign. Eventually I found the distinctive red and blue “Liechtenstein Weg” sign on a small street. I almost kissed it (image 2 below) !
From memory I had about 5-6km to walk. This would be my last section and I felt sad that this wonderful adventure was about to end.
The next thirty minutes took me through some farmland. I was delighted to see two more of those beautiful large white birds again. The path was flat so I suspected there had to be one more forest trail. The majority of the wooden houses I had passed over the past few days were really beautiful. Sometimes the wood had been treated by burning it as a preservative. It really is aesthetically beautiful. In this area I saw two of the most colourful houses I had seen.
I knew I must be getting close to the border when I saw train tracks. Liechtenstein doesn’t have it’s own train network. I then crossed a street and ventured into my last forest trail. I was a little disappointed that it was easy with no uphill paths so my poles stayed in my bag.
As soon as I left the trail I was close to a busy road and I could see Swiss and Austrian flags. After 5 days and 75 kms I had walked from the south to the north of Liechtenstein. While it’s a small country this isn’t something you get to do frequently. The trail ends in Schaanwald, on the north east of Liechtenstein.
Again I stepped into Austria. This was a much busier border crossing than the one I saw earlier. It’s an official checkpoint where cars slow down and random checks can take place. I debated finding a cafe and having an Austrian beer to celebrate but that didn’t feel right as I wanted to celebrate in Liechtenstein !
While I had finished the trail, I needed to get a bus to my hotel. I walked back across the border and boarded the number 11 bus. This bus route travels across the country. It starts in Sargans in Switzerland and ends in Feldkirch in Austria. My hotel was in Bendern and the journey took about 20 minutes. I didn’t know how large Bendern was as the trail had taken me to the outskirts. I hoped it only had one bus stop as I didn’t know where my hotel was. When a 2nd stop appeared on the screen I asked the driver. My stop was less than a two minute walk to the hotel. I was staying in the B-Smart hotel, which is on a busy road. It’s part of a large chain so I was hoping they’d have a restaurant.
When I walked into reception the receptionist greeted me warmly. I was the only hiker due that day and she said hikers usually arrive anytime within a two hour window. I was close to the middle of that time. This surprised me as I thought I had a leisurely day. She checked me in, told me my bag was in my room and pointed out the restaurant.
A brown bag with the Liechtenstein trail card attached to it was on the table in my room. While it only contained a bottle of water and some promotional leaflets – it was a nice touch !
After a shower and putting on some dressy clothes I went to the restaurant for my first evening meal in three days ! I devoured pasta with tomatoes and garlic and a side order of grilled vegetables. A glass of local wine and a coffee washed it down. I then documented my last day in my journal.
I had now walked 75.6km and had finished the trail. Starting in Switzerland, I had walked from the bottom of Liechtenstein to the top and into Austria.
Ruggell to Schellenberg – 8.3km, official estimated walking time = 1 hr and 21 mins
Schellenberg to Mauren – 6km, official estimated walking time = 1 hr and 37 mins
Mauren to Schaanwald – 5.3km, official estimated walking time = 1 hr and 25 mins
I slept extremely well and was a little disappointed the following morning that I wasn’t hiking again. This was a very conformable hotel but everyone at dinner and breakfast looked like business people. I certainly didn’t see any hikers. While I would have preferred to walk from the trail to my last hotel (or stagger with tiredness) getting a decent meal made up for that.
Final Thoughts
I throughly enjoyed the Liechtenstein Trail. I can’t recommend it enough and I am delighted I completed it. I strongly suggest you research where you are staying if you hike on a Sunday or a public holiday. It really isn’t a good idea to walk this distance without decent meals. Thankfully I am a good sleeper but I did struggle at times with being hungry. While you can always bring extra snacks, they can get very hot in your rucksack and not be very edible in the evenings.
I also think you could condense this into 4 days. However, the best way to do this would be to consolidate parts of day 3 with day 2. This would mean you don’t stay in Vaduz, the capital though. Personally I loved Vaduz and I think it’s a shame if you don’t stay overnight.
I did contact Liechtenstein Marketing about giving them some feedback but they haven’t replied to me. Maybe if I get some good viewership on my posts, I can entice them to listen to me. I certainly didn’t find anything online as detailed as this post before I went.
Thank you for reading this. If you have completed this trail or can recommend a similar one (I have the hiking bug again ….), I’d love to hear from you. Please leave me a comment below !
And last but not least – my certificate and a selfie with the “Liechtenstein Weg” sign !!
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