The old Rhine bridge, 135 metres of timber to Switzerland

There are few simpler ways of changing country. You leave Vaduz heading west, reach the Rhine and cross it on a covered wooden bridge into Sevelen, Switzerland, in a couple of minutes. I think it’s one of the loveliest things in the capital, and hardly anybody puts it on their list.

The last of its kind

For centuries the Rhine had no fixed bridges round here, because it kept changing course and swept away whatever stood in its path. People crossed by ferry or at fords. The first lasting bridges arrived between 1867 and 1871, one for each main crossing, and every one of them was wooden. Vaduz had a ferry from 1850 and its first bridge from 1870-1871.

The one you see today was finished in 1901. According to the Historical Lexicon, it’s the only one of those wooden bridges left; the rest mostly burnt down, like the Bendern bridge, which collapsed after a fire in 1974. It has been listed since 1981 and, together with the Balzers footbridge, it’s the only Rhine bridge still owned by its municipality. The tourist board calls it a landmark of the capital, and that’s no exaggeration.

A bridge that had to grow taller

My favourite part of its story is how it had to keep up with the river. The tourist board says the first wooden bridge, from 1870, was raised twice as the Rhine was straightened and the dykes built up. And after the dyke burst at Schaan in 1927, in the great flood, the 1901 bridge was raised too, to cope with more water. That flood and the river as a whole are covered on my page about the Rhine in Liechtenstein.

In 2009 and 2010 it was thoroughly renovated. Since then only walkers and cyclists use it, while cars cross on the 1975 concrete bridge a little further on. Since 2002 the Rheinstrasse, alongside the Zollstrasse, has led there, built to ease traffic in central Vaduz.

There’s another detail I like. In the 19th century the municipalities asked to charge tolls on the bridges to pay for their upkeep, and the government refused in 1875 and 1903 so as not to hold up traffic. The 1924 customs treaty then ruled out charging to cross between Liechtenstein and Switzerland. That’s why the stroll is free, as it always has been.

Crossing on foot or by bike

It’s covered and 135 m long, so you’re across in a couple of minutes, but I’d stop in the middle, with the Rhine below and the mountains of both countries on either side. The tourist board recommends it for a walk or a bike ride for the river views, and it’s especially popular with cyclists. If you’re after routes on two wheels, they’re in my guide to cycling in Liechtenstein.

What about the border?

The far bank is Switzerland, but there’s no fixed check. Liechtenstein and Switzerland have had no customs border since their treaty came into force in 1924, and both are in Schengen. I’d carry ID anyway. What does change is your phone. Liechtenstein is in the EEA roaming area and Switzerland isn’t, and since Brexit UK networks price each according to their own tariffs, so close to the river your phone may pick up a Swiss network. I’d set the network manually before crossing; I explain how in the guide to phones and roaming in Liechtenstein. The crossing rules are in borders and customs.

Getting there from the centre

The bridge lies west of central Vaduz, in the Rheinpark Stadion area, so from the Städtle you walk out across the valley floor. If you’re driving, the stadium car park costs CHF 0.50 an hour, first hour free, with no time limit. The Citytrain passes nearby, along the Binnendamm and past the stadium, but doesn’t cross. I’d pair the bridge with a stroll along the Städtle and head back into town for lunch. If you’re driving onwards into Switzerland, remember cars have to use the concrete bridge further along, not this one. With children or little time, it’s one of the best-value things in Vaduz, because in a good half hour you’ve walked to another country and back and have a story to tell.