Liechtenstein

The princely family actually lives there, so there is no going inside; you look at it from outside. A thirty-minute climb from town reaches a point where the castle and the Rhine valley line up together.

The building itself, finished in black basalt, is the landmark of the town. Parts of the princely collection rotate through it.

Being inside Schengen there is no border control and so no entry stamp. The tourist office will stamp your passport for a small fee as a souvenir.

A ridge route named for the prince who had it cut, with a sheer drop on one side. Avoid it if you dislike heights, and only walk it in summer once the snow has gone.

The country’s only ski area, at 1,600 metres. Small, but better value than its neighbours, and a hiking base in summer.

Stamps once provided a sizeable share of state revenue, which made the country famous among collectors. The museum is small and free.

Museums, government buildings and shops along one street, all walkable. The population is under six thousand.

The transport hub, so buses from the Swiss railway stations pass through here. Less for a visitor to see than Vaduz.

Set above the Rhine valley, with a museum on the Walser migration that settled it. It is on the road up to Malbun.

A castle on a rock outcrop looking over the village. The courtyard is open to walk up to.

A flat cycle route along the river that forms the Swiss border. Cross a bridge and you are in Switzerland, so both countries fit into a day.

Twenty minutes by bus from Sargans or Buchs in Switzerland. Most visitors come for the day and leave again.

The valley thaws while the high paths are still closed by snow. The quietest time of year.

Every ridge route is open and the lifts run at Malbun. On the national day, 15 August, the castle gardens open and the whole country turns out.

Colour and clear skies while the paths are still open. It is also harvest in the princely vineyards.

Ski season at Malbun. The valley gets little snow and stays quiet.

Inside Schengen, so there is no border control and you simply drive or ride in from Switzerland or Austria. Up to ninety days in any one hundred and eighty across the whole area.

A currency union with Switzerland means francs. Some places take euros but give change in francs.

There is effectively no railway station inside the country, so you arrive by bus from Sargans or Buchs. A single ticket covers the whole network.

Eating out and accommodation are expensive enough that many people stay on the Austrian side and come in for the day. Supermarkets close the gap considerably.

The local speech is an Alemannic dialect, but standard German is understood. English is enough in Vaduz.

The pan-European number reaches police, ambulance and fire. Swiss rescue services operate in the mountains here as well.