Liechtenstein Trail stage 4, village to village across the Unterland

After three days of climbing and dropping along hillsides, the fourth stage of the Liechtenstein Trail is almost a stroll. It crosses the Unterland, the northern part of the country, village by village and with barely any gradient. What it lacks in mountain scenery it makes up for in history, because it passes the spot where, according to the tourist board, today’s Liechtenstein began. And there’s a lake for a swim halfway.

Setting off from Nendeln station

The stage starts at Nendeln station, where the previous one finished, so if you’re coming from Vaduz it’s just route 14 via Schaan. The tourist board gives 14.8 km and 3 hours 55 minutes of walking, with 252 m up and 271 m down. The highest point is 543 m and the lowest 433 m. On paper, it’s the easiest of the five.

You soon reach Eschen, whose emblem, according to the tourist board, is the Pfrundbauten, the old presbytery and chaplain’s house beside St Martin’s church, now used for cultural events. If you like village architecture, it’s worth a slow lap round them before moving on. I’d give them a good ten minutes, as this stage is short enough to allow for lingering and there are no big climbs waiting to punish you for it later.

The historic path over the Eschnerberg

From Eschen the route follows a stretch of the Historischer Höhenweg, the historic path along the Eschnerberg, the ridge that separates the Unterland villages. The municipality of Gamprin says it was laid out between 1972 and 1975, runs along both sides of the ridge and is well signposted, with panels carrying QR codes. Nothing explains the Unterland better than this stretch, because from up there you see the Rhine valley and the villages at the same time.

Along the way, the tourist board also points out a maize mill where you can learn about centuries-old milling technology and the history of the trade. It’s a short, rather charming stop.

Why does the church hill at Bendern matter?

The stage’s most meaningful moment comes at Bendern, a village within Gamprin. Its church hill is counted by the tourist board among the oldest settled places in the country, and it’s where the oath was sworn. On 16 March 1699 allegiance to the prince was pledged on that hill, and the tourist board presents it as the symbolic birthplace of present-day Liechtenstein.

Today the hilltop holds the parish church and the Liechtenstein-Institut. It isn’t a showy monument, but I find it one of the most significant places on the whole trail, because it explains why there’s a country here at all.

A swim at the Grossabünt

Around midday comes the stop you’ll be most grateful for in summer. The Grossabünt in Gamprin is a 4.5-hectare leisure area with a bathing lake, fitness trail, pump track, beach volleyball court and playground, open daily from 06:00 to 23:00. The tourist board sells it as the place for a summer swim in Liechtenstein, and I’ve put it alongside the other options in my guide to lakes in Liechtenstein.

I’d make this the long break of the day, with a sandwich and a dip if the weather plays along. Less than half the stage is left and it’s all flat, so there’s no hurry to lace your boots back up.

Through the woods to Ruggell

The final stretch crosses the Kratzera woods, which the tourist board describes as quiet, and comes into the centre of Ruggell, right up in the north of the country by the Rhine. The natural finishing line is the Küefer-Martis-Huus, opened in 2002 as the municipal museum and cultural centre, and the starting point for the final stage.

Heading back to Vaduz, Ruggell has LIEmobil routes 31, 32 and 36. Route 36 runs via Bendern to Schaan, where you change for the capital. Cards or the app only on board.

My take on this stage

It’s the least dramatic stage of the Liechtenstein Trail, and I still wouldn’t skip it. You get the country’s founding story, a ridge walk with views along the Eschnerberg and the handiest swimming stop on the route, with the lake right beside the path. If you’re walking with children or tired legs, it’s the perfect stage to do in full.