Driving through the town of Vaduz, nothing really stood out to me, but as we began to climb the mountain (in our car), I began to get more excited about the views.
Liechtenstien is the perfect place to take a vacation to do nothing and not feel bad about it. So often when we take trips we are always on the go-go-go because there are so many things to do and never enough time. Here we felt no pressure to immediately head out and explore. Part of that was also staying at a wonderful hotel – the Park Hotel Sonnenhof, which was a relaxing retreat from reality.
Park Hotel Sonnenhof
Perched at the top of the hill, Park Hotel Sonnenhof is designed to give you every opportunity to take in the views. From the spacious room balconies, to the outdoor dining, to the lounge areas throughout the property and along the pool, you can tell they are inviting you to relax and take it all in.
Our room had a large, fluffy, comfortable bed with fluffy blankets and pillows – something that can be rare in non-chain European hotels, but also a chaise lounge and lots of areas to sit and relax with a cup of coffee or glass of wine. After spending time in the spa – where they have an infrared sauna, regular sauna, and peaceful pool area, we grabbed a cup of tea and brought it back to drink on our patio and relax some more.
Vaduz Castle
Within a 20 minute walk of the hotel are the two main sights I wanted to visit while we were there – the castle and the winery. Vaduz Castle is privately owned and therefor you cannot go into it or on the grounds but on a nice day, it’s the perfect walk from Park Hotel Sonnenhof. A little bit of a hill but all paved roads. It’s worth it for another great view of the city (and you know I love my views!) If walking isn’t your thing, you can drive there as well. It is a 3 minute drive from the hotel and there are a few parking spots nearby.
The Prince of Liechtenstein’s Winery
The second stop you’ll want to make is to the Prince’s Winery. Another 20 minute walk, it is a perfect afternoon stop before heading back to the hotel for dinner. Try a tasting for $10 pp of 3 Liechtenstein wines made with the grapes on the property, or grab a bottle or glass of their many other wines to sit out on the patio and enjoy. They had some other visitors while we were there and I had fun seeing them!
Maree
Heading back to the hotel for dinner is a must – in fact, even if you aren’t staying there, you will want to check out their Michelin-Starred Maree. We have eaten at Michelin Star or Bib-Gourmand restaurants in almost every country we have visited and this one definitely earned its place. Everything we ordered was phenomenal and my husband’s steak was so tender you could cut it with a spoon. Literally. It was probably the best filet I have ever had. We ate it so fast I didn’t even get a photo!
The staff was fantastic, very fun and friendly, and if it were earlier in the day or year and we had more light it would have been a great view as well. One of the cool things about our reservation is that it was for the whole night – so we could have showed up any time after the restaurant opened and the table would be there waiting for you. Awesome if you have a reservation, but that means if you don’t have one and the hotel is full — there won’t be a chance for them to squeeze you in.
I definitely would have liked to stay and relax at the hotel for another night or two but we left feeling rested and refreshed. There are certainly other things you can do and see in Liechtenstein (we tried to go paragliding but the weather was too windy so it was cancelled) but sometimes it is nice to take a real stay-cation and do nothing but relax!
If you want to see more behind-the-scenes photos, you can always head to my Instagram Highlights and check out Liechtenstein!
Happy Travels!
Xx
Kali