Vaduz

Vaduz is the capital of the principality of Liechtenstein and the seat of the national parliament. The town, located along the Rhine, has about 5,100 inhabitants (as of 2009),most of whom are Roman Catholic. Its cathedral is the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishop.

While Vaduz is better known internationally, it is actually not the largest town in the principality: neighbouring Schaan has a greater population.

The National Art Gallery as well as the National Museum are located in Vaduz. The art gallery (Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein) is a museum of modern and contemporary art. The building is an architectural landmark built by the Swiss architects Morger, Degelo and Kerez. It was completed in November 2000 and forms a “black box” of tinted concrete and black basalt stone. The museum collection is also the national art collection of Liechtenstein. The Liechtenstein National Museum is showing a permanent exhibition on the cultural and natural history of Liechtenstein as well as special exhibitions. There are also the Postage Stamp Museum and a Ski Museum.

Vaduz Castle, towering on a rock formation above the capital, dominates the town of Vaduz and offers a wonderful view of the Rhine valley. It is the most striking symbol of Vaduz, the residence of the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein. In the 12th century, Vaduz was referred to in official documents as "Faduzes” or "De faduze”, but the first settfers probably moved to the area already in the 5th century, a long time before the castle, whose oldest parts date back to the 12th century, was built.