Liechtenstein with kids, a country sized for short legs

Travelling with children in a country you can drive across in a morning has obvious perks. Nobody spends the day strapped into the back seat. Liechtenstein also charges children little or nothing in plenty of places, and in Malbun it has a mountain village built around families. Here’s what I’d do depending on age and season.

Vaduz in a morning

The capital works well with children because it’s all on one street. The Citytrain, the little tourist train, tours Vaduz with commentary and charges children between 4 and 16 just five francs, and a family ticket is CHF 30. In the Städtle, the SchatzKammer shows crowns, jewels, Fabergé eggs and even moon rock, and the LandesMuseum presents the country’s wildlife in a very visual way. Under-16s go free at the LandesMuseum and the Kunstmuseum, and the PostMuseum is free for everyone. If they need to let off steam, the tourist board lists playgrounds by the Rheinpark Stadion and at the Familienpark Waldhotel. More in museums in Liechtenstein.

Malbun, the children’s village

Malbun earned the Swiss Familien willkommen label in 2007, and you can tell. In summer the Spielpark, at 1,600 metres, has a water and mud zone, a zip line and a barbecue spot. From there the Forscherweg sets off, an explorers’ trail of ten stations with a backpack, magnifying glass and notebook lent by the Malbun Center. The Schaukelpfad has ten swings with views, and the 18-hole crazy golf runs through the whole village. And Falknerei Galina puts on its bird of prey show for CHF 12, until 3 October in 2026. I go into it in Malbun in summer.

In winter the malbi-park is free, with a snow carousel, a magic carpet and a children’s tow, and youngsters born from 2020 onwards ski without a pass. Sledging costs nothing either, on the long run down from the Turna alp or on the short, safe slope the lift company prepares outside the Peace Chapel for the smallest. It’s all in skiing in Malbun.

Where can children swim?

In summer my favourite is Grossabünt, the man-made lake at Gamprin. It has an area where small children can stand, clean water with no chemicals and a playground with a wooden pirate ship. The municipality warns there are no lifeguards, so keep everyone in sight. In Vaduz the Mühleholz pool charges CHF 3 for ages 7 to 16 and nothing for under-7s. And at Steg, the tourist board recommends the Gänglesee lake for paddling and a barbecue.

Animals and nature

Besides the birds of prey, Triesenberg has llama and alpaca walks, short or half-day, and by torchlight in winter. In Mauren the Vogelparadies Birka has birds from all over the world plus a playground, and in the Ruggeller Riet, a protected area of about 90 hectares, you can watch storks. The tourist board adds that marmots are easy to spot on the alpine meadows.

A municipality with a UNICEF label

If you’re in the Unterland, look out for Ruggell. Its council says UNICEF recognised it in 2018 as a child-friendly municipality, ahead of any other in the country, and that the label was renewed four years later. It also calls itself Liechtenstein’s cycling village. It’s flat, has playgrounds by the school and the Riet a stroll away, and it suits an afternoon with children who can already ride a bike.

Getting around and saving money

The bus is the easiest way to get around with children. LIEmobil charges a reduced fare up to the day before a child’s 16th birthday, CHF 2.50 for a one-zone trip, and it doesn’t take cash. If you’re combining museums, the chairlift and buses in a single day, look at the ALL INCLUSIVE pass, CHF 25 for adults and CHF 17 for ages 6 to 15. The details are in my page on the adventure pass.

Where to stay with children

My advice is Malbun. Hotel Turna looks after children from age two and the JUFA has an indoor play area, and both are next to the lifts. The Gorfion, the valley’s classic family hotel, was closed for building work in late September 2026. They’re all in hotels in Malbun. Book early for the Christmas and February holidays, when Malbun’s handful of hotels fill up first.