Liechtenstein

A half day from Zurich. Vaduz, the prince's castle, a moon rock in the TreasureChamber, and one foot in each country on the old Rhine bridge.

We drove over from Zurich on a clear morning, following the lake road along the Walensee with the mountains standing up on both sides, and crossed into Vaduz before we'd decided what we were expecting. The capital is small enough to walk end to end in ten minutes. We parked underground at Parkhaus Zentrum, grabbed a map and a passport stamp at the Liechtenstein Center, and started down the Städtle, the pedestrian lane that runs past St. Florin Cathedral and the red Rotes Haus. Vaduz Castle sits on the hill above the town. The prince lives there, so you admire it from below, but the view from the path is better than most castles I've seen.

The Liechtenstein TreasureChamber is the quirky heart of the visit. Inside the National Museum you'll find an Apollo 11 moon rock, Fabergé eggs, and a replica crown. You have to put a coin in a slot before the vault door opens, which made me feel like I was in a heist film. We spent about forty minutes in there and could have spent more. On the way out we walked to the old wooden Rhine bridge, which connects to Switzerland, and stood with one foot in each country for a photograph Jessica still shows people.

Lunch was at Chapter Two on the Städtle. Chef Martin Weber has a two-star past, and his kitchen reinterprets Liechtenstein classics on plates that look as good as they taste. We sat on the terrace and asked the kitchen to lead. It was the best meal of the day, and it didn't cost us a fortune, which is a rare combination for a country like this.

After lunch we drove back toward Zurich for the Lindt Home of Chocolate. The CHOCO-DELUXE guided tour was worth it, with the chocolate fountain, the museum, and the tastings, plus a behind-the-scenes look at how the factory works. Then we returned to Zurich for dinner at Chifa Izakaya in the Zürich-West district. The couple who run it cooked at DiverXO in Madrid, and the shared plates were a cut above anything else we'd eaten in Switzerland. The ceviches and the lomo saltado were the standouts.

Reflection: Liechtenstein is a half day, not a whole one, and that is the right amount. You can see the castle, the treasure, the bridge and the town, then go back to a bigger city for the evening. It's the kind of country you're glad you visited once.