http://www.vaduz.li
( 455 meters elevation )
capital of Liechtenstein
residence of the Princely Family
seat of the Government and Parliament
Vaduz Castle, old neighborhoods of Mitteldorf and Oberdorf, Red House, Liechtenstein High School, Music School, Hochschule Liechtenstein, Liechtenstein Museum of Fine Arts (opened November 2000)
Liechtenstein National Museum, Postal Museum, Ski Museum, National Library
cinema, indoor tennis and squash courts, open-air swimming pool with water slide, mini-golf course, Hang-Loose paragliding school, various sports facilities

General information on Vaduz
Vaduz Castle, the most prominent landmark of the town, is the residence of the Reigning Prince of Liechtenstein. The former farming town, known mainly for its excellent wine, has become a location for internationally recognized industry and trade, banks, and various service enterprises and many shopping opportunities.
Vaduz is home to the Liechtenstein Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum, the Liechtenstein High School, the Music School, the Hochschule Liechtenstein, the Postal (postage stamp) Museum, the Ski Museum, the National Library, an open-air swimming pool, the Rhine Park Stadium, and various other sports facilities.
In the 12th century, Vaduz was documented as "Faduzes" or as "De faduze". The settlement of the town probably began in the 5th century, considerably earlier than the Castle, whose oldest parts are from the 12th century.
Beginning in the 14th century, Vaduz was written as we do today. The original center of Vaduz was the Mitteldorf. Many houses in Mitteldorf and Oberdorf are historically protected. The Red House can be seen from far away, a medieval corbie gable house.

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Historical buildings and sites in Vaduz

• Government Building
  The Government Building in Vaduz, constructed from 1903 to 1905 in neo-Baroque style according to the plans for the princely architect Gustav von Neumann of Vienna, was a particularly large-scale and imposing building for its time. It common parlance, it is called the "Large House". It was a symbol of power, optimism, and self-confidence. The project and execution of the construction were characterized by numerous technical achievements, such as the first central heating in the country, electric light, and modern sanitary facilities. The Government Building was restored from 1984 to 1994 and placed under historical protection in 1992.
• St. Florin´s Parish Church
  The neo-Gothic parish church of Vaduz was built between 1868 and 1873 on the site of a medieval chapel. It was constructed according to the plans of the Viennese architect Friedrich von Schmidt (who built the Vienna City Hall) and was consecrated on 5 October 1873. With the consecration of the church, Vaduz was elevated to a parish. The interior was renovated from 1965 to 1966 and the exterior from 1975 to 1976.
• Vaduz Castle
  The central landmark of Vaduz is the Castle, actually a medieval fortress expanded in the 16th and 17th century. The earliest explicit mention of the fortress was in a document with which Court Rudolf von Werdenberg-Sargans pledged the fortress to Ulrich von Matsch. The owners at the time – and probably also the builders – were the counts of Werdenberg-Sargans.
  The castle keep (12th century) and the buildings on the eastern side are the oldest part of the complex. The tower’s footprint is 12 by 13 meters; the thickness of its walls at its base is up to 4 meters. The original entrance was on the courtyard side at 11 meters height.
  The basic structure of the Chapel of St. Anna was probably established in the High Middle Ages. The main altar is late Gothic. In the Swabian War of 1499, the Swiss burned down the Castle. The round tower was built from 1529 to 1532. The western side was expanded by Count Kaspar von Hohenems (1613 – 1640).
  Since 1712, the Castle has been in the possession of the Princes of Liechtenstein. The Castle served as a temporary seat for the imperial administrator, but the large part of the building became increasingly dilapidated. Under Prince Johann II, the Castle was finally extensively restored from 1905 to 1912 and was later converted into a residence by Prince Franz Josef II. The Castle has been the permanent residence of the Princely Family since 1938. It is not accessible to the public.
• Liechtenstein National Library
• Postage Stamp Museum
• Rheinberger House with Rheinberger Memorial
  The "Count’s Office" in Vaduz was built in 1550 and first documented in 1613. 200 years later, it was renamed the "Renthaus". It is the birthplace of the composer Josef Gabriel Rheinberger (1839 – 1901). The house was renovated in 1967 and converted into the Liechtenstein Music School. The memorial of the composer, a bronze portrait (1939/40) stands in front of the house. Josef Gabriel Rheinberger died in Munich and was reburied with his wife after the Second World War in the Vaduz Cemetery in 1945.
• National Museum
  The house at Städtle No. 43 (the Imperial Administrator’s Office) was built in the late Gothic style around 1500 and served as the seat of the imperial administrators. In the Brandian imperial register of 1505/1510, it is noted as a guesthouse. The "beautiful room" is from this era; its ceiling is still a gem. The house is identical with the former inn "Zum Hirschen", which was called the "Zum Adler" tavern around 1810. In 1637, Count Kaspar von Hohenems purchased the inn. It then served as the princely tavern, whose tenants also acted as customs officers.
  It was the seat of the main customs office in Liechtenstein, where transports of goods on the trade route between Chur and Feldkirch were checked. On the night of the 1st to 2nd of June 1788, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe slept at this guesthouse on his return trip from Italy. With the change of reign at the beginning of the 18th century, the house was transferred to the Princes of Liechtenstein. From 1865 to 1905, the house was the seat of the Government in Vaduz. The Gothic cellar served as a prison. The house has been the seat of the National Museum since 1972. In 1992, it was closed due to structural damage. It is now being thoroughly restored.
• Administrator´s House (Verweserhaus)
  The Administrator’s House in Vaduz, built in 1550 and documented in the Hohenems imperial register in 1613, was a striking pointed gable construction connected to the south side of the National Museum. It served as the "new government office" and later as the residence of the imperial administrators. The house lost its previous character during a renovation in 1983. Until 1938, it was the residence of the Princely administrator. In the course of the renovation and expansion of the neighboring National Museum, the Administrator’s House will become an integral part of the museum buildings.
• English Building
  The house at Städtle No. 37 was built in 1933/34 by the architect Erwin Hinderer on the order of an English company as an office building. Since 1936, the Postal (postage stamp) Museum and the Liechtenstein Tourism office have been located in the ground floor of this English Building in Vaduz.
  Until the autumn of 2000, the building housed temporary exhibits of the Liechtenstein State Art Collection and the Collections of the Prince of Liechtenstein.
• Town Hall
  The building in Vaduz was constructed in 1932/33 according to the plans of Franz Roeckle and was renovated from 1982 to 1984. Its southern façade is particularly noteworthy, with its ornaments around the window and the balcony fresco by Johannes Troyer. On the front of the building facing the street, the coat of arms of Vaduz is chiseled into stone.
  The Princely hat symbolizes the Princely residence, and the church banner recalls the Counts of Werdenberg-Sargans in Vaduz, under whose rule the cornerstone of the later sovereignty of Liechtenstein was laid in 1342.
• The Red House
  The Red House in Vaduz (in the past "Vaistlihof"), the town's landmark, on the Prince Franz Josef street, is a late medieval gabled stairs construction. Its tower can be seen from the distance. The house was acquired by a Vaistlis' heir in 1525, from the St. Johann Monastery in the Thurtal Valley, from where the proper Wingert, had the designation of "Abtswingert".
  Canton St Gallen sold the possession to Johann Rheinberger in 1807, after the abrogation of the St. Gallen Monastery, where St. Johann was incorporated. It is still in possession of the Rheinberger family. It suffered a substantial reconstruction under the leadership of Egon Rheinberger; the tower dates from that time. The "Torkel", which harbours the old press beam ("Torkelbaum"), is situated in the right corner to the house.
• National Archives
• Liechtenstein Museum of Fine Arts

Vaduz, with a car-free center, is
the capital of Liechtenstein

Vaduz Castle characterizes the
townscape of the capital and
is also the residence of the
Princely Family

The Red House is one of the
historical sites of Vaduz

The Vaduz vineyards: the source
of renowned wines for centuries