• Norway!

    Norway: Sunnylvsfjord. Go Now!

    Norway
    Known for its natural beauty, Norway is home to isolated villages, fjords, and mountains that create a culture and landscape without compare. Begin Your Journey!

  • Vatican City!

    Vatican City: Vatican Museums. Go Now!

    Vatican City
    The smallest country in the world offers the heart of Catholicism and among the world's finest art collections, including the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms (ceiling pictured). Go to Vatican City!

  • Macedonia!

    Macedonia: Traditional architecture. Go Now!

    Macedonia
    Macedonia is a country still finding its unique identity, but its architecture is already one of a kind. Explore Macedonia!

  • Austria!

    Austria: Belvedere Palace. Go Now!

    Austria
    Belvedere Palace (pictured) is just one of many palaces found in Vienna. The capital is a good start to Austria, which also features the Alps, the Lakes District, and incredible history & food. Go Now!

  • Spain!

    Spain: Guell Park and Gaudi architecture. Go Now!

    Spain
    Fusion foods, lively music, historic ruins, and cultural events like the Running of the Bulls and La Tomatina make Spain and Barcelona (pictured) a favorite tourist destination. Explore Spain!

  • Ukraine!

    Ukraine: Traditional Village. Go Now!

    Ukraine
    Ukrainian culture is based on village life, particularly that found in the Carpathian Mountains (pictured). Begin Your Journey!

Culture & Identity of Liechtenstein

Introduction

The small Principality of Liechtenstein can at times seem like one large community, in which everyone knows everyone else. Although this is not true, the people are quite similar in so many ways, beginning with their close living proximity. The country is truly a mountain valley centered on the city of Vaduz. But no one is far from the city and the life from city to country varies little unless one truly spends all his or her time in Vaduz or outside of Vaduz.

Most of the people in Liechtenstein are highly educated (although there are no universities in the country, many people go to university in nearby countries), with jobs primarily in the services industries. In fact, the situation is so favorable, the country is one of the wealthiest in the world with a GDP per capita of nearly $90,000. However, with high wages also come high prices.

The people tend to work hard to earn this money, most workers have regularly scheduled job hours, often beginning work at about 8:00 am and ending at about 6:00 pm. Likewise, many children go to school similar hours, although schools generally end in the early to midafternoon.

Evenings and weekends (Saturday-Sunday) in Liechtenstein can be consumed with any number of activities. Family is important in Liechtenstein as school nights are often consumed with school work in the home. Weekends are a time to get out to ski, hike, visit a museum, or do anything else an individual or family desires. The nightlife for young singles is a bit muted in Liechtenstein since there are no university students in the country and many young people from Liechtenstein start careers elsewhere. Despite this, there is no shortage of bars and restaurants in the country, just a shortage of rowdiness, which is helped with high prices.

Identity

Today, the people of Liechtenstein primarily identify as Liechtensteiners. Being a Liechtensteiner is defined more on principles, local cultures, and nationality than ethnicity, religion, or language. Liechtenstein is ethnically and linguistically German, but their principles are more similar to neighboring Switzerland, although they most definitely are not Swiss either. In this way, it is perhaps the nationality that is the strongest identifying factor to the Liechtensteiners, but the identity is much deeper than just being a citizen.

This page was last updated: November, 2013