Introduction to Wheelchair Accessible Liechtenstein
Just over 60 square miles in size, Liechtenstein Europe’s fourth-smallest country behind San Marino, Monaco and Vatican City. The German-speaking principality is located between Austria and Switzerland and, because it has no airport and limited tourist infrastructure, it receives fewer visitors than any country in Europe with the exception of Moldova. With this wheelchair accessible travel guide to the capital city of Vaduz, Liechtenstein, you can plan a unique trip and add this country to your travel map!
Vaduz is easy to reach from nearby Zurich, Switzerland, with the combined rail and bus journey taking approximately two hours. In Vaduz, tourists can enjoy a variety of attractions, including a stunning cathedral, the national museum, and the royal treasury. Wheelchair accessibility in Vaduz, insofar as the city center is concerned, is very good and makes the city well suited for a day trip from Zurich.
Attractions & Sights – Wheelchair Accessible Things to Do in Vaduz, Liechtenstein
The primary tourist attractions in Vaduz are located along a wheelchair-friendly pedestrian zone in the city center with a tourist information office, restaurants and government buildings. Some private shops and businesses lack barrier-free entry, but most of the tourist sites do provide equal access for disabled visitors and can be explored in one day.
Liechtenstein National Museum
The Liechtenstein National Museum, or Landes Museum, offers an in-depth look at the country’s history, culture, and natural environment.
Housed inside of a historic building in Vaduz, the museum features extensive exhibits on archeology, ethnography, and natural history. Displays include ancient artifacts, dioramas, artwork and religious pieces. The Landes Museum provides a comprehensive narrative of Liechtenstein’s development from prehistoric times to the present day, making it an essential stop for anyone interested in understanding the nation’s history and heritage.
The cost of admission is 10 CHF (approximately $11.30 USD) for adults, and 7 CHF for people with disabilities and seniors. Children 16 years of age and under are admitted free of charge. A combined ticket including the Treasure Chamber is available for an additional 3 CHF per person. For more information, visit the Landes Museum website.
Liechtenstein Treasure Chamber
The Treasure Chamber of the Principality of Liechtenstein showcases an impressive collection of artwork, artifacts and treasures from Liechtenstein’s royal collection. Visitors insert a token (purchased from the Landes Museum) to activate an elevator which transports them, one person at a time, into the secure underground chamber.
The darkened room is a sight to behold, with the crown jewels visible immediately upon entering. The chamber also houses a variety of items from the prince’s royal collection, including paintings, rare coins, fabergé eggs and even rocks collected from the moon! The collection is a fascinating glimpse into the nation’s heritage and the opulence associated with royalty. As a history enthusiast, I considered it an experience not to be missed, even though the chamber is small and its treasures not so grand as those associated with other monarchies.
For more information, visit the Liechtenstein Treasure Chamber website.
St. Florin Cathedral
St. Florin Cathedral is a key fixture of the Vaduz skyline and is a stunning example of neo-Gothic architecture. Built in the late 19th century, this Roman Catholic church was elevated to cathedral status in 1997 when the Archdiocese of Liechtenstein was established by Pope John Paul II. While it serves as the seat of the Archbishop of Vaduz, the see has been vacant since 2023.
The cathedral is stunning and features a towering spire, intricate stained glass windows, and an elegant interior adorned with religious artworks. Wheelchair access to the cathedral is provided via a ramped drive to the left, and an accessible door to the right.
Open daily for private prayer and the celebration of Mass, with a list of times for services available on the cathedral parish website. Visitors are welcome and there is a wheelchair accessible bathroom onsite (in a separate structure to the right of the cathedral building). The cathedral grounds contain a small cemetery which is the burial site for members of the Liechtenstein princely family, including the ruling prince’s late father.
Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein
Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein is the country’s national art museum, containing a small but notable collection of modern and contemporary art. The museum’s minimalist architecture and striking facade stand out in the city center, and are the gateway to a diverse range of pieces, from sculptures and paintings to installations by both local and international artists.
The museum’s exhibitions frequently change, ensuring a fresh and dynamic experience with each visit. The cost of admission is 15 CHF (approximately $17 USD) for adults ages 17+, and 10 CHF for people with disabilities and seniors. Children 16 years of age and under are admitted free of charge. For more information, visit the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein website.
Vaduz Citytrain Sightseeing Tour
The Citytrain is a private sightseeing tour that takes visitors on a narrated journey through the city, passing local attractions, vineyards and landmarks in Vaduz. While the vehicle is not wheelchair accessible, staff are willing to assist wheelchair users in and out of the vehicle.
I was able to transfer into the vehicle with some difficulty, made easier by my power wheelchair’s seat elevation feature. The journey of about 45 minutes allowed me to get a closer look at sights like the red house and Vaduz Castle, as well as other local sites like the football stadium and royal vineyards. The tour was offered in many languages, including English, and cost 12 CHF (approximately $13.50 USD).
For more information, visit the Citytrain Vaduz website. I recommend holding off on the purchase of tickets until you arrive in Vaduz, see the vehicle, and determine whether transferring into it will be possible for you.
Castle Casino
Located at the heart of the pedestrian zone and beneath the Vaduz Castle for which it is named, the Castle Casino is a small casino with two floors of slot machines and a small selection of table games.
The casino is wheelchair accessible and features a lovely accessible bathroom facility. I stopped in for a short time, tried my hand at a few games, and walked away a (small) winner — it was a fun place to take refuge from a short rainstorm, and I enjoyed a beer while gaming. For more information, visit the Castle Casino website.
Sidewalk Accessibility in Vaduz, Liechtenstein
The accessibility of sidewalks in Vaduz, Liechtenstein was very good, though I limited my assessment and exploration to the touristic areas of the city center. Vaduz, and Liechtenstein as a whole, is a small place that is much more residential than touristic and so, without a car, tourists are likely to remain in the highly developed city center.
The city center of Vaduz was extremely wheelchair-friendly, with a core pedestrian zone connecting the attractions covered in this guide.
Within the city center, major streets for vehicular traffic had had accessible sidewalks with curb ramps and clearly marked crosswalks. It was easy to wander around the quaint city, admiring its architecture and taking in the beauty of the surrounding hills and mountains.
Beyond the city center, as I saw on my sightseeing tour on the Citytrain, not all streets have sidewalks, particularly those in neighborhoods that are clearly residential. And, while the pedestrian zone around tourist attractions was level, that is not true in many areas beyond, where some steep hills come into play. For wheelchair users planning a day trip to Vaduz (which is the use case for this accessible travel guide), those geographic barriers should not come into play. Enjoy rolling around the city center with ease!
Wheelchair Accessible Public Transportation in Liechtenstein
The Liechtenstein Bus Company or LIEmobil operates a fleet of 46 buses across a network of 25 routes within Vaduz and throughout the principality of Liechtenstein.
Wheelchair Accessibility of Liechtenstein City Buses
LIEmobil buses are low-floor and have a manually operated wheelchair ramp at the rear or center door, as well as space for two wheelchairs in a designated space onboard.
Fares and passes on the LIEmobil service can be purchased with cash or via a number of mobile ticketing apps. Tourists will find the most value in single ride or day passes, which are priced according to the number of zones one is traveling through:
- Short Distance (single ride, up to 5 stops) — 2 CHF
- 1 Zone — 3 CHF (Single), 5 CHF (Day)
- 2 Zones — 4 CHF (Single), 7 CHF (Day)
- 3 Zones — 6 CHF (Single), 10 CHF (Day)
- All Zones — 8 CHF (Single), 12 CHF (Day)
The All Zones ticket or pass covers travel between Vaduz and LIEmobil’s limited stops in Switzerland and Austria. Most travelers make their way from Zurich to Liechtenstein via the Sargans train station, where LIEmobil’s number 11 bus has regular service. The journey of approximately 30 minutes between Sargans and downtown Vaduz is included in the All Zones ticket or pass.
For additional information on public transportation in Liechtenstein, including routes and timetables, visit the LIEmobil website.
Wheelchair Accessible Transportation from Zurich, Switzerland to Liechtenstein
My journey to Liechtenstein started in Zurich, Switzerland, where I purchased a round-trip train ticket and bus fare to Vaduz at a cost of 84 CHF (approximately $94 USD). Tickets can be purchased from the SBB website, or from the ticket office at the station. The nonstop intercity rail service between Zurich Hauptbahnhof and Sargans, Switzerland was operated by Swiss Federal Railways, SBB, and took about an hour. During the day and into the early evening, the trains run at least hourly in each direction.
Although the trains have designated spaces to accommodate wheelchair users, on both of my journeys (there and back) I faced less than desirable conditions. On the journey to Sargans, other passengers left their luggage all around me and I was unable to fully maneuver into the wheelchair space. On the return, I was boarded into a standard rail car and left alone in the space between passenger compartments.
Wheelchair users should notify the SBB railway in advance of their intent to travel via the contact form for passengers with a disability. Because the rail portion of the journey is wholly within Switzerland, only one hour of advance notice is required. Wheelchair users are boarded via wheelchair lifts in both Zurich and Sargans.
Upon arrival to the Sargans train station, I made my way to the LIEmobil bus which, with its fluorescent yellow color, was impossible to miss. The bus every 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the time of day, with the exception of the late night hours where service is suspended. The journey to Vaduz Post, the bus stop in the city center, took just over 30 minutes.
