AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Vaduz Castle (Schloss Vaduz) is the official residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein and the unmistakable symbol of this tiny Alpine principality. Perched on a wooded hilltop roughly 120 metres above the capital city, it has dominated the Rhine Valley skyline for over seven centuries and is the most photographed building in the country.↗↗
Though the castle itself is not open to the public — the princely family still lives within its walls — a walk up through the vineyards to its gates is one of the most rewarding experiences in Vaduz, combining medieval history, panoramic Alpine views, and a genuine connection to the living monarchy that gives Liechtenstein its name.↗↗
Eight Centuries on the Hilltop
The story of Vaduz Castle begins around 1200, when Count Hugo von Montfort — lord of the neighbouring counties of Werdenberg and Sargans — appears in the region. The oldest surviving structure is the keep, or bergfried, whose ground-floor walls are an imposing four metres thick and whose original entrance sat eleven metres above the courtyard. The residential tower dates to 1287, and the castle is first mentioned in documents from 1322. In 1342, Count Hartmann III of Werdenberg-Sargans inherited the castle and its lands, took up residence, and renamed himself Hartmann I of Vaduz — effectively giving the town and, centuries later, the entire country its name.