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Vaduz

Capital of LiechtensteinVaduz sits along the Rhine in the small Alpine country of Liechtenstein. The river forms the border with Switzerland, and bridges link the town to the Swiss side.

Why it's the capital

Vaduz Castle, on a steep hill above the town, is the home of the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein, and the national parliament also meets in Vaduz. In 1719 the Holy Roman Emperor joined the lands of Vaduz and Schellenberg into one principality named Liechtenstein.

Fun facts

  1. The name Vaduz goes back to an old Rhaeto-Romance word for "aqueduct", which came from the Latin aquaeductus.
  2. Vaduz is one of the few capitals in the world without an airport; the closest major airport is in Zurich.
  3. Liechtenstein's national art museum, the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, is in Vaduz, in a building completed in 2000 by Swiss architects.

Finding it on the globe

Find where Switzerland and Austria meet in the Alps. Liechtenstein is the thin strip between them, and Vaduz is on its western edge, right on the Rhine.

Easy to mix up

Vaduz is the capital, but it is not the largest town in Liechtenstein: neighbouring Schaan has more people.

Sources: Wikipedia: Vaduz, Wikipedia: Liechtenstein