Lille
24 hours in the Flemish part of France
Visited March 2022
From insanely breathtaking views to castles to wine tasting and (lots of) cows everywhere, the tiny country of Liechtenstein pleasantly surprised us with a little bit of everything and should definitely not be missed for a quick visit! The perfect destination for a weekend trip, we visited for 2 nights which turned out to be the right amount of time to experience it without being rushed. Its famed hiking was the original draw for us, especially with the new Liechtenstein Trail route that circles the entire country, but between the hiking, wine tasting, sight-seeing, dinner and drinks, we got to do a bit of everything!
Itinerary
Old Lille
Exploring the cobblestoned streets of Vieux Lille
Newer Lille
Venturing out into other parts of the city
Transportation
How we got there and how we got around
Old Lille
Day 1: A view of Vieux Lille
We usually save this section for last in these articles, but Liechtenstein is a bit unique because of where it’s located (one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world!) and the lack of an airport in the country itself. Zurich might be technically closer, but we flew into Memmingen, Germany from London Stansted and rented a car from the Memmingen airport, which we returned to for the second part of this long weekend. The airport is extremely small, so the car rental is just across the street from the terminal and super convenient. It was then about an hour and a half drive to Liechtenstein, an easy trip that, depending on your route, gives you the bonus of a drive through the two countries that fully surround Liechtenstein – Austria and Switzerland.
Because we had a car, we stayed at an Airbnb in Triesen, which is a 5 minute drive from Vaduz, the capital city of Liechtenstein. There were places to stay in Vaduz, and it has more going on than some of the other towns around it (there is also a pay-to-park lot right downtown), but the country is so small that you can basically choose to set up camp wherever you want and still be within a short drive of the restaurants, shops and bars in the capital. Triesen was great for us because it was incredibly quiet (the only sound being the cowbells from the herd across the street) and had amazing views overlooking the Swiss Alps given its higher elevation than Vaduz. It was also much less crowded and easier for parking.
Pâtisserie Méert
Outside Monsieur Jean
Looking towards Méert
Place aux oignons
We usually save this section for last in these articles, but Liechtenstein is a bit unique because of where it’s located (one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world!) and the lack of an airport in the country itself. Zurich might be technically closer, but we flew into Memmingen, Germany from London Stansted and rented a car from the Memmingen airport, which we returned to for the second part of this long weekend. The airport is extremely small, so the car rental is just across the street from the terminal and super convenient. It was then about an hour and a half drive to Liechtenstein, an easy trip that, depending on your route, gives you the bonus of a drive through the two countries that fully surround Liechtenstein – Austria and Switzerland.
Because we had a car, we stayed at an Airbnb in Triesen, which is a 5 minute drive from Vaduz, the capital city of Liechtenstein. There were places to stay in Vaduz, and it has more going on than some of the other towns around it (there is also a pay-to-park lot right downtown), but the country is so small that you can basically choose to set up camp wherever you want and still be within a short drive of the restaurants, shops and bars in the capital. Triesen was great for us because it was incredibly quiet (the only sound being the cowbells from the herd across the street) and had amazing views overlooking the Swiss Alps given its higher elevation than Vaduz. It was also much less crowded and easier for parking.
Rue Saint-Etienne
Chambre de Commerce
Lille backstreets
We usually save this section for last in these articles, but Liechtenstein is a bit unique because of where it’s located (one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world!) and the lack of an airport in the country itself. Zurich might be technically closer, but we flew into Memmingen, Germany from London Stansted and rented a car from the Memmingen airport, which we returned to for the second part of this long weekend. The airport is extremely small, so the car rental is just across the street from the terminal and super convenient. It was then about an hour and a half drive to Liechtenstein, an easy trip that, depending on your route, gives you the bonus of a drive through the two countries that fully surround Liechtenstein – Austria and Switzerland.
Because we had a car, we stayed at an Airbnb in Triesen, which is a 5 minute drive from Vaduz, the capital city of Liechtenstein. There were places to stay in Vaduz, and it has more going on than some of the other towns around it (there is also a pay-to-park lot right downtown), but the country is so small that you can basically choose to set up camp wherever you want and still be within a short drive of the restaurants, shops and bars in the capital. Triesen was great for us because it was incredibly quiet (the only sound being the cowbells from the herd across the street) and had amazing views overlooking the Swiss Alps given its higher elevation than Vaduz. It was also much less crowded and easier for parking.
Rue Lepelletier
Monsieur Jean
Newer Lille
Day 2: Exploring other parts of the city
We arrived at our Airbnb around dinnertime, so we checked in and then headed to Restaurant Kainer in Triesenberg (2 minutes up the hill from Triesen) – a must-visit restaurant in Liechtenstein! Kainer sits on top of a hill with the most breathtaking views of the mountains and delicious authentic food – we would recommend going at sunset and grabbing a table outside! Also, order an Alpagold – a Liechtenstein lager – and you won’t be disappointed.
After dinner, we headed into Vaduz for a drink at Restaurant Adler, a hotel bar that had a nice outdoor patio for drinks (the nightlife in the area around our Airbnb area was pretty nonexistent). After drinks, we walked around the main street in Vaduz – and we were surprised at how quiet and empty it was at night! (Then again this was a Thursday night during COVID, not a weekend.) We scoped out a few spots for the next day, and then returned home for the night.
Palais des Beaux Arts
Maison Coilliot
L’Abbaye
Transportation
Getting there and getting around
We arrived at our Airbnb around dinnertime, so we checked in and then headed to Restaurant Kainer in Triesenberg (2 minutes up the hill from Triesen) – a must-visit restaurant in Liechtenstein! Kainer sits on top of a hill with the most breathtaking views of the mountains and delicious authentic food – we would recommend going at sunset and grabbing a table outside! Also, order an Alpagold – a Liechtenstein lager – and you won’t be disappointed.
After dinner, we headed into Vaduz for a drink at Restaurant Adler, a hotel bar that had a nice outdoor patio for drinks (the nightlife in the area around our Airbnb area was pretty nonexistent). After drinks, we walked around the main street in Vaduz – and we were surprised at how quiet and empty it was at night! (Then again this was a Thursday night during COVID, not a weekend.) We scoped out a few spots for the next day, and then returned home for the night.