Day 9 - Switzerland and Liechtenstein

We woke up to stunning mountain views in Gadmen that had been covered by clouds the night before. This valley is something I wish everyone could experience — waterfalls around every corner, the sound of the river and cowbells from a herd in the nearby field, and colorful wildflowers everywhere. We could have stayed longer but alas we knew there were more exciting things to see and do so we got on the road again. On the agenda for today — the tiny country of Liechtenstein, only 3 hours away, and then to the quaint Switzerland town of Appenzell, another 45 minute drive. 

The Gadmen pass was an exhilarating drive! Thankfully David is a good driver to navigate the Susten pass. We stopped a lot on this road, trying to take pictures that can capture the stunning scenery but they won’t do it justice. There were more waterfalls around every corner, glaciers, aquamarine lakes, and green hills full of wildflowers. The Bernese Alps are a masterpiece! 

Our route took us to major highways after the windy mountain pass but we still had great views. We passed Lake Lucerne and Lake Zurich, along with several more quaint towns, each with their own beautiful church steeple rising above the buildings.

A three hour drive flew by and soon we were in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. There are lots of websites that give suggestions for visiting this tiny country with only a day or less, so armed with their suggestions, we went directly to the center of town where they have a pedestrian mall that takes you past their beautiful cathedral, government buildings, museums, and many shops and restaurants… all with a lovely castle sitting above on a hill that their royal family still lives in. Honestly, it was like our pedestrian mall in Fort Collins… except the castle part. It was lovely with lots of modern sculptures, places to relax, and play areas for kids. We walked, ate, shopped, played a game of human foosball… all in two hours. And even had time to swing by the grocery store. I’m sure we could’ve done more, but this was enough to say we’ve been and check a 3rd country off our list for this trip. 

After Liechtenstein we headed to the quaint town of Appenzell, Switzerland. This is a picturesque city that is what we all picture in our minds when we think of Switzerland. Rolling green farmland, colorful buildings, lederhosen, embroidery, cow bells… it was just what we needed to end our fast tour of this beautiful country. We got a map from the visitors center to do a self-paced tour and walked the main street. We ate their traditional treats of Appenzeller Biberli, a soft gingerbread filled with an almond paste. And the famous Landsgmendchrempfli, a baked good that looks like an empanada but tastes completely different with a hazelnut filling and unique exterior dough. It was hard to explain but delicious! 

This city was like being inside a Disney movie! It was hard to believe that people actually live and work there. But it was evident in the way people greeted each other with familiarity and warmth… or were planting flowers on a loved one’s grave… that we weren’t all tourists. And we could tell that most visitors arrived by tour busses and were leaving town by the time we arrived. When we were there, the town was very quiet and not at all crowded. 

We decided to try something different for our night’s stay and sleep in the public parking lot just across the street from the main town. It had two spots actually marked for campervans and all we had to do was pay the meter. Since everything we needed was in the van, and since this was such a quiet town, we figured why not give it a try! We ate a picnic dinner in the children’s park nearby and then got settled in for the night. In the morning we look forward to getting coffee and treats from the bakery across the street!