In May we took a wonderful trip to Europe, and it was a vacation of firsts for me — first time in Italy, and first time in the Alps! It was strange to tell people we were going to Italy but wouldn’t be in Rome, probably wouldn’t be eating much pasta, and probably wouldn’t be speaking Italian.
For a very long time I have been so drawn to the Dolomites. This mountain region in northern Italy is part of the Alps, and it’s named for the French geologist who first discovered the specific cocktail of minerals that make up these peaks that seem to glow from the inside out in the sunlight. What’s so interesting culturally about the area is that it was part of Austria until the end of World War I. So in architecture, food, lifestyle, and language, being there was very much like stepping into The Sound of Music. We decided to run with the Alpine theme, so we flew through Zurich and did a road trip, spending a few days in Liechtenstein and the Western border of Austria!
Liechtenstein is a tiny little pocket-sized country, but what it lacks in square footage it makes up for in spectacular mountain scenery, a relaxed outdoorsy culture and a rich, proud heritage. We stayed a few miles away from the capital city of Vaduz in the very quiet and peaceful village called Balzers.
We always think we will ‘take it easy’ on our first day of vacation, to overcome the jetlag, the time change and everything, but then we always end up trekking all over town and putting in a long day. It was not our plan to hike up to the the top of Gutenberg Castle before dinner, but there we found ourselves at sunset. We didn’t even have a camera with us, just a phone, but the views were breathtaking and liberating. All we could hear was sheep bleating and cow bells clanking in the fields below.
We found a little cafe bright and early the next day for some pastries and espresso. Weaving our way through town we passed kids playing at recess, a busy farmer’s market, and women walking their babies along the stream that snaked through town. It was unreal how simple and idyllic everything felt. We then spent the afternoon in Vaduz where one of the main attractions is a very old wooden bridge where you can walk or ride your bike across the Rhine into Switzerland! Soo we did that. We also had sandwiches, beer and aperol spritzes for lunch, bopped around the national museum, and finished our day with a meandering drive. I’m so happy we spent a few days in this beautiful country. If you find yourself in central Europe, there’s really no good reason not to go!
Where to get a good meal:
Riet – We generally have a rule that
we make a dinner reservation for our first night of vacation, because we
already don’t make firm decisions, and when you throw in travel fatigue and
another language, we just walk around in a starving stupor and end up bickering
with each other. It’s ugly. So we made a snap decision to eat at Riet because
it was the first place we walked past. We walk in all gross with our greasy
hair and plane clothes and it is super nice in there. But it would have felt
weirder to turn around and leave. And they didn’t throw us out. So we sat and
ate. The upside – we had amazing, hearty, truly delicious meals that brought us
back from the brink of death. The downside – these meals, without alcohol,
clocked in at about 50 euros per person. Ohh well.
Bäckerei Kaufmann Balzers
– Great selection of homemade pastries and baked goods, some casual seating,
and a little tiny general store of essentials.
Pizzeria
Ristorante La Perla – This was where we learned that for the rest of the
trip we would be ordering our own pizzas and not sharing. We had a great pizza
pie here though and split a salad.
Restaurant
Adler – This place is in a lemon yellow building in the capital and has
throwback vibes inside. An extensive menu at decent prices.
The Traveling Greaves 