Liechtenstein Trail stage 3, from the capital to Nendeln by vineyards and Roman remains

Of the five stages on the Liechtenstein Trail, this is the one that crams in the most per kilometre. It leaves central Vaduz, crosses the vineyard quarter, passes two Roman sites, climbs to a viewpoint and goes through the country’s least populated municipality before dropping to Nendeln. If you like to stop and look, you’ll be stopping a lot.

Leaving Vaduz through the government quarter

The start is urban. The stage passes the Peter-Kaiser-Platz, whose east side holds the government quarter, and the Liechtenstein Center, the tourist office, which is worth noting because that’s where you pick up your certificate at the very end. Straight after comes Vaduz town hall, built in 1932 and 1933 and still home to the mayor’s office and the council.

Then the path climbs into the Mitteldorf, Vaduz’s old vine-covered quarter, where you’ll find the Red House, to my mind the most recognisable building in the capital after the castle. I like it best early on, with low light across the vineyards.

The prince’s winery, at the wrong time of day

Just round the corner is the prince’s winery, the Hofkellerei, with its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Herawingert vineyard. The problem is the clock. The public tasting, tour included, happens in the afternoon, at three on weekdays and two on Saturdays. It takes a good hour and a half, costs 19 francs, and small groups of six or fewer needn’t book. By then you’d normally be up around Planken, so I’d do the tasting the afternoon before, after finishing stage 2 in Vaduz.

There’s a workaround if you’re carrying the ALL INCLUSIVE pass, which includes a two-wine tasting at the Hofkellerei. I’d ask in the shop how to redeem it, as it stays open until seven in the evening on weekdays and five on Saturdays, much easier to square with a morning on foot. Mind you, two glasses in, the climb to Dux feels longer.

What’s Roman in Schaan?

The stage then enters Schaan, the most populous municipality in the country, and this is where ancient history surfaces. The path passes the Roman ruins, covered in my page on the Roman fort in Schaan, and two cultural stops the tourist board singles out, the group of houses locals call the sLandweibels-Huus, described as a genuine treasure of historic architecture, and the DoMuS, the municipal gallery and museum.

From Schaan you climb to the Dux tower, a viewpoint over the valley on the hillside above the village. It’s the first proper high spot of the day and a good place for lunch looking out over the Rhine.

Planken and the Drei Schwestern

From Dux the path heads into the woods and reaches Planken, the municipality with the fewest residents in Liechtenstein, perched on the slope. This is where the stage hits its high point, 794 m, and the reward is the view of the Drei Schwestern, the three rocky summits that dominate the north of the country. For me it’s the most peaceful moment of the day. Up here it’s mostly houses, pasture and that skyline, which is exactly why I would slow down here rather than at the busier stops lower down.

Down to Nendeln

The finish needs your attention. The tourist board describes a steep mountain path down to Nendeln, and with 467 m of descent over the stage as a whole, your knees will notice. It isn’t dangerous, but in rain or mud I’d use poles and take my time.

In Nendeln you’ll find the remains of a Roman villa, a farm estate from the period, which round off the day on the same theme it picked up in Schaan. Administratively Nendeln is part of Eschen, and it has the old station with its yellow front, where stage 4 sets off the next morning.

To get back to Vaduz, LIEmobil route 14 links Nendeln with Schaan and the capital. Have a card ready, as drivers won’t take cash.

Who this stage suits

If history and villages appeal more than big mountain scenery, this is your stage. It has 20th-century architecture, the prince’s vines, the Romans twice over and a small hillside village. What you need is decent legs for the end and patience with the clock, because there’s so much to see that the official four hours fall well short.