How people live in Liechtenstein. Natalia ilina amazing liechtenstein
One of the most liveable countries in the world, the Principality of Liechtenstein, which boasts a very small area of 160 square kilometers between Austria and Switzerland, a population of no more than 37,000 people, the annual growth of this population is up to 1% per year, 65.6% ethnic Liechtensteiners, the rest of the population is from Italy, Switzerland, Austria and other countries. Recall that for a comfortable life in Liechtenstein, knowledge of the German language is necessary, in the domestic sphere the Alemannic dialect of German dominates, however, the country is international and you will not be lost here either with English or Italian. There are also cities in Liechtenstein, although they are very small by our standards, so the largest city is Shan with a population of 5950 people, Vaduz 5500, Triesen 4950, Balzers 4540, Eschen 4290 people.
Liechtenstein is not a member of the European Union, but of course it is part of the single economic space of this geopolitical entity, it is also a common Schengen zone, so that Russians or Ukrainians who have received a Schengen visa can freely enter the territory of the principality. The currency used is the Swiss franc, the currency is very strong.
In Liechtenstein, Russians or foreigners in general are attracted by low taxes, an efficient banking system, low taxes on capital investment and profits that are strictly kept secret, ease of doing business. Liechtenstein is considered the so-called tax haven or tax haven along with countries such as Andorra and Monaco, it is easy for the rich to hide here from the government of their country, which would like such a citizen to legally share his savings with the people, however, businessmen can only open their company in Liechtenstein after 10 years of residence in the country.
With high economic indicators, Liechtenstein has its drawbacks, it is, first of all, the absolute monarchy of the principality, in other European monarchies power is also inherited, but such power is only illusory. the country is not much like symbolic kingdoms such as Great Britain or Sweden in this regard, it is rather a monarchy similar to what we see in the Persian Gulf, the Liechtenstein monarch can do whatever he wants in his country, for example, dissolve the government if he does not like it , the Prince of Liechtenstein acts as the real head of state with unlimited powers, the monarch of Liechtenstein can impose a final and irresistible veto on any bill.
Real estate, houses and apartments in Liechtenstein
It is impossible to become an immigrant by opening your own business or buying real estate in Liechtenstein; a foreigner without a residence permit cannot purchase real estate in Liechtenstein. Acquisition is allowed only after 3 years of living and running your business in the country, but on the other hand, in order to open your business, you must live in Liechtenstein for at least 10 years. Before buying real estate, each investor is considered by local authorities for the illegal origin of finances and the absence of a criminal record.
The minimum prices for apartments in Liechtenstein start from 350,000 euros, for that kind of money you can buy a small two-room apartment with an area of 50 square meters, normal apartments and houses start from 1 million euros. Buying real estate in Liechtenstein as a subsequent rental is not reasonable, as the profit from renting an apartment will not exceed 4% of its value. Note that Liechtenstein has a very high property tax, namely 1.08% per year of the cost, here you can add a municipal tax from 0.16 to 0.85%.
Work in Liechtenstein
In Liechtenstein, it seems that there are no labor migrants at all, foreign workers come from neighboring Austria and Switzerland, these can be both highly qualified employees, bankers, and service personnel in hotels, restaurants, it is difficult to call them migrants since they live in their own country, and go to work in Liechtenstein during the day. Living in the principality itself is very expensive, the cost of real estate is high, there is no opportunity to buy new housing or rent, there are practically no offers for sale or rent, everything that could be built up was already built up. There are no conditions for illegal migrants in Liechtenstein, everyone knows each other, it will not be possible to get lost, a suspicious person will be immediately known.
Finding a job in Liechtenstein is very problematic for foreigners; there are vacancies in the country in the manufacturing industry, optics, instrumentation, metalworking, and processor production. The pharmaceutical and food industries, winemaking and canning are developed. There are textile factories and the production of ceramics, most of the manufactured goods are exported to Europe. Only 2% of the population is employed in agriculture in Liechtenstein, 55% in the service sector and 55% in tourism, and 43% in industry.
Local legislation is structured in such a way that almost every adult resident of Liechtenstein is a co-founder of a company, mostly foreign representative offices.
Leisure and recreation in Liechtenstein
Entertainment in Liechtenstein is museums, restaurants and nature, but in general the place is really boring, but beautiful nature, stunning hiking trails that you want to follow, but someday it will get boring, and what to do later, you can only remember about life in Moscow or St. Petersburg.
The inhabitants of Liechtenstein move on their own two legs, which is very reasonable, since there is nowhere to accelerate by car or train, the railway here is represented only by a section of the route from Zurich to Vienna via Schaan, there is a Liechtenstein bus network that connects all the cities of the country, foreigners have a car renting in Liechtenstein is an unreasonable business.
Standard of living in Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein has one of the highest standards of living on the planet, here are the highest salaries, for example, according to statistics from the International Labor Organization (ILO), the average salary is about 4090 US dollars, compare in the closest pursuer Norway 3680, Austria 3440, US 3265 dollars, in Russia 490 , Ukraine 130 dollars (for 2015). Liechtenstein's GDP is the highest in the world, behind even Luxembourg and Qatar.
At the same time, Liechtenstein is a very calm, one might say, a slow country, it is amazing how such prosperity has been achieved when people are not in a hurry around, everything is done slowly, even with such Mediterranean slowness.
Life in Vaduzou
Life in such cities as Shan, Vaduz, Triesen and others is almost no different from each other, surprisingly there are very few people on the streets, even on Friday evening it is very empty, if not for foreign tourists, Liechtenstein could seem like a ghost country. Relatively crowded only on the main street of these cities, in order to see live Liechtensteiners, you need to go there, for example, in Vuaduz this is Stadtle Street, it is recommended to go to one of the restaurants on the weekend, locals must be in such establishments, the streets of cities are empty very early, starting Nobody since 9 yesterday. The youth of Liechtenstein can rest in neighboring countries, Switzerland and Austria, which are not so provincial in this regard. Due to the fact that the principality is very small, these same young people do not always prefer to live in their own country, young people go to study in other EU countries and want to stay there to live and work, there are more opportunities for career growth.
In the cities of Liechtenstein, locals know each other by sight, foreigners differ not in clothes, but simply in unfamiliar faces. Small settlements have given rise to ancient habits of saying hello to everyone, even if they are strangers, foreigners also in Liechtenstein are very disturbed by the fact that everyone greets them on the street.
The cities of Liechtenstein seem to be very solid, everything is made to last, there is no conspicuous cheapness and nothing disposable, along with historical buildings today you can see a lot of modern architecture, even avant-garde or futuristic.
The surrounding landscapes are excellent, the Alps will surround you in Liechtenstein, each city is located in a valley between the mountains, modern cars look interesting next to walking sheep and horses, all these animals are also present on the city streets, which adds to the feeling of a rural area.
The shortest way to Liechtenstein from Zurich is about an hour and a half without traffic jams. But since the purpose of the visit is to get acquainted with the princely art collection, 55 items from which can be studied until October, my path runs through Vienna, where an impressive part of that very collection is stored in two palaces belonging to the princely family.
Prince Philip, the younger brother of the current head of state Hans-Adam II and part-time CEO of the LGT Group, the main princely family business, welcomes guests on the threshold of the palace. Lunch with the prince is an exclusively secular event, so it is not supposed to go beyond the discussion of the palace, the Moscow exhibition, and the mentality of the Liechtensteiners that has remained a mystery. As a bonus, however, one manages to get a short lecture on the differences between oligarchy and democracy, with the hardly sudden conclusion that the best form of government in the world is, of course, a constitutional monarchy. In fact, the same democracy, only much better - after all, it is headed by a wise and fair monarch, who is loved by his people and does not take a single decision against the will of this people. Otherwise, it’s disgusting, in fact, when people are forced to lick the sovereign’s shoes, Prince Philip expressively stamps his foot. I involuntarily look at the prince's shoes - suede, brown under a gray suit, obviously beloved. I wonder what it's like to be a prince in the 21st century. “Oh, I don’t even know,” Prince Philip shrugs cheerfully, puts an empty glass on the table and turns away. The framework of secular conversation is violated, nothing more can be learned, conclusions will have to be drawn independently.
Wine and tartlets are followed by a tour of the princely estates, fairly filled with Rubens, Rembrandt and Brueghel. Art lovers can get acquainted with the palace for€ 20 on Fridays - by appointment. But here, of course, there is relatively little — the main masses are stored in the storerooms of the City Palace and in the cellars of the residence in Vaduz. But this suits everyone, the princely family has no ardent desire to demonstrate the masterpieces accumulated over the centuries — episodic exhibitions are quite enough for the princely family. When asked why not make a full-fledged museum out of this, Prince Philip laughs it off: “Do you like it when strangers constantly walk around your house?” And a little more seriously:financially unprofitable. Art lovers will breathe much more intensively on masterpieces and erase expensive parquet than they will replenish the prince's capital. Actually, an attempt to make a full-fledged museum was — he worked from 2004 to 2011. But it didn't pay off. Therefore, now the palace serves as a place for protocol meetings with the family. — the princely family has about 100 people, most of which are fairly scattered around the world, and once a year everyone gathers here in Vienna. In the free time from family meetings, the palace is rented out for weddings and other ceremonies. Unlike lovers of antiquity, lovers of ceremonies, apparently, are able to replenish the prince's capital. Just business, nothing personal. No wonder Hans-Adam II, according to Forbes, is one of the richest monarchs in the world.
Hans Adam II
***
Liechtenstein looks exactly the way a principality should look from general considerations. Valleys, mountains, towers of the castle visible from afar and a bridge over the thin Rhine (if not hanging across the moat). Actually, along the Rhine lies the border of Liechtenstein with Switzerland. Passes, by the way, not for long - the Principality is only 25 km long.
Understanding what Liechtenstein really is is quite difficult. A tiny central street with cafes and restaurants, faceless neighborhoods around, not a single person on the streets, and a little higher up the mountain - a nice Central European landscape with cute private houses. And still not a single person on the streets. It is almost impossible to identify and feel the area. True, they say that there is a prison here, but they didn’t show me the prison, and it is unlikely that it could pull off all the specifics of the region.
However, if you get to the Park Hotel Sonnenhof, then the puzzle instantly adds up. A small family hotel, where all the details necessary for the pastoral "Visiting the Prince": air, mountains, silence and the prince's castle are at a glance. The inn is run by a youthful, cheerful lady, and one of the region's most popular restaurants, Marée, is run by her son. Both willingly go out to the guests and have a leisurely small talk with them. And at this time in the Alps it is rapidly getting dark and the moon is creeping over the castle from behind the mountains. The pastoral becomes three-dimensional.
Park Hotel Sonnenhof
At dinner, everyone is actively trying to figure out what is interesting in Liechtenstein. The official version is the industry. Liechtensteiners, exposed to representative powers (and half of them are ethnic Swiss or Austrians), almost instead of greeting, utter a recitative that “Liechtenstein is an industrial state”. What exactly is produced in Liechtenstein, apart from Swarovski crystals and Hilti nails, has remained a mystery. However, nails and crystals definitely produce.
What to bring from souvenirs, except for postage stamps? Maybe some kind of cheese - the Alps, after all. “Well, the cheese is from Switzerland,” answers Josef Back, chairman of the Liechtenstein Chamber of Commerce and Industry, thoughtfully. We don't have any cheese. But we have a prince.”
***
They say that the youngest of the princes can be met on weekends in the supermarket - he buys food for the whole family there, and Crown Prince Alois, to whom the current head of state Hans-Adam II transferred the daily powers of government in 2004, can be admired not only on August 15 (national holiday in honor of the acceptance of sovereignty) in the square in front of the princely palace, but also during his morning runs around the palace.
In the prince's castle, everything is simple: a view of the Alps, spiral staircases, a small chapel, a large living room with carpets and family portraits (one of the princes, far from public affairs, by the way, is married to a black woman - there is complete matrimonial democracy) and carefully equipped with all those cellars are masterpieces. There is an impressive warehouse of weapons and armor, sideboards with goblets and dishes with Chinese painting, and, of course, endless paintings. The collection began to be assembled in the 17th century, so today it is more than impressive.
“Be careful, the princess is on her way,” the director of the princely collection, Johannes Kraftner, who plays the role of a guide, nods warningly at the road. The princess really is driving - in a red Audi, in beads, with good styling. Everyone steps aside and nods respectfully. The princess laughs. A young girl in breeches slips out of the castle.
"A princess too?" I ironically ask Josef. He nods curtly. In fact, what is there to be surprised - the castle is a princely one. - Tell me, is there Wi-Fi here?
“Yes, in the chambers,” Josef looks at me with disbelief. No, I don’t need to urgently post a selfie from the chapel - I’m just interested in how life is organized. But in general, apparently, the same as everyone else. Unless in every basement there is a warehouse of weapons and utensils of the last 400 years. But although the story about modern princes is devoid of a significant part of the dramatic component of belonging to an aristocratic family and rather gravitates towards the history of a family business with the management of a nice little state to boot, one way or another, a prince is a status. A collection is a status thing. As well as their own winery.
The winery, of course, is quite small - all Hoefkellerei production fits in one spacious room, and the vineyard occupies only 4 hectares. True, there is one more - between Vienna and Brno. On average, 10,000 bottles are produced per year, of which about 6,000 Pinot Noir and 1,000 Chardonnay. The latter are sold out in a month and immediately take a queue for the next year. Since it's so popular, why not make more? “What is difficult to get is valued much higher,” the director of the winery smiles slyly. Export is not a priority task, they generally do it for themselves, but they still export something - to neighboring Switzerland, not far from China and, oddly enough, to Kaliningrad. Once a man came here who tasted wine until it was taken out of here, and when they took it out, he shouted that from now on princely wines would certainly be in Kaliningrad. Everyone nodded politely. A month later, he showed up and signed a contract. But in general, this story is not about business, but about status. The Pinot Noir is excellent, by the way. Like the rosé zweigelt, the federweiss is a rosé with a rich, fruity red and fresh white. By the way, after 1990, 2013 was the most productive year, which means that next year's game will be especially successful.
The presentation of Liechtenstein as a tourist state fits into three and a half minutes with pictures. Alpine valleys in dandelions in summer and in snow in winter, the Malbun ski resort with a single slope, which, however, is several times longer than all of Liechtenstein, the Art Museum and the Postage Stamp Museum, the city center 300 m in diameter and Vaduz Castle. Actually, nothing fundamentally new. Only it was possible to find out that Ribel porridge and cheese dumplings are considered truly national dishes here.
- Tell me, what should make the traveler, choosing between Switzerland and Liechtenstein, still choose Liechtenstein?
“We have a prince,” Ernst Risch, head of Lichtenstein Marketing, shrugs.
The prince here is not just a symbol and head of state. Not only that, by its existence, it determines the very fact of the existence of the whole of Liechtenstein. But he also determines all the specifics and national identity of the country, which, apart from him and the corn ribel, has nothing.
Varvara Brusnikina
There was a queue for the Roy Lichtenstein retrospective at Tate Modern on the first day of work - to get into it, you have to wait several hours after purchasing a ticket, and all tickets for the first weekend are already booked, according to the gallery's website. And this is not at all surprising, because Tate is today hosting one of the first Liechtenstein retrospectives organized after his death at the age of 73. Prior to this, about 100 of his works were exhibited by the National Gallery of Washington, and more were brought to the UK. The central figure of American pop art, Roy is presented in 13 halls of the gallery with 125 works from private collections and museums in the USA, England and other countries. The exhibition, which opened on February 21, will run until May 27.
From the early Brushstrokes series, in which Lichtenstein interpreted abstract painting in his own way, to the 1961 Mickey Mouse painting Look Mickey, when Roy became fascinated with pop art and popular culture, visitors will follow through all his work, finally reaching the latest series of "Chinese landscapes", which was exhibited in succession by Gagosian Gallery affiliates around the world last year.
Roy Lichtenstein Brushstroke, 1965
Roy Lichtenstein "Look Mickey!", 1961
Roy Lichtenstein "Oh Jeff... I love you too... But...", 1964
Thanks to Tate Modern, all of Liechtenstein can be seen in one place, and if earlier you knew him mainly as the author of comic-like portraits of a girl with phrases like "Oh, Jeff... I love you too... But..." - then here you can radically change the idea of the artist. He appears both as a talented landscape painter, and as a sculptor, and as a master of nude paintings, and as an artist who interpreted everything he sees around him into the cycle of his signature benday dots. So, Lichtenstein painted a triptych based on Claude Monet's "Rouen Cathedral" and his "Still Life with a Goldfish" by Matisse, in his own way he presented the works of Picasso and Piet Mondrian, as well as other famous artists. Matisse, with his "Red Studio", inspired him to create paintings on this plot - the above-mentioned painting with Mickey, hanging on the wall, appeared in Liechtenstein's workshop.
Roy Lichtenstein Artist's Studio "Look Mickey", 1973
Roy Lichtenstein We Rose Up Slowly, 1964
Roy Lichtenstein Whaaam!, 1963
Today at Tate, next to large-scale war-themed comics and the famous Whaaam! 1963, you can see beautiful "dotted" landscapes on layers of plexiglass or canvases, as well as his series of "mirrors" or black and white images of objects that surrounded Roy - from a diary and a glass of effervescent tablet to a radio or wheel. There are works that are completely different from the well-known Liechtenstein. For example, in the hall called Perfect/Imperfect you can see his later abstract compositions of the series of the same name. Roy takes the lines beyond the edge of the classic rectangular canvas, builds a mosaic out of them, fills the resulting fields with bright paint, shading or benday dots. "The line goes beyond the picture - as a symbol that I forgot about the boundaries of something," explains Lichtenstein and makes deliberate pictorial mistakes to take a step from a work of art into the world of the viewer.
Roy Lichtenstein Imperfect Painting, 1995
Roy Lichtenstein Alka-Seltzer, 1966
The following rooms show paintings of recent years - paintings of the Late Nudes series painted in the 1990s, as well as works in which Roy again returns to his early techniques, but works with them differently. Drawing a naked female body, Lichtenstein, unlike most artists, does not use live models - he again turns to comics and his early sketches, "undressing" the girls depicted on them. Tired of working with classic benday dots, Roy paints over them with wide and bright strokes, again, as in the early 60s, returning to abstract expressionism, but working in this style in a completely different way. And the exhibition ends with a hall with the aforementioned "Chinese landscapes" - four paintings from this series, which Lichtenstein was inspired by the era of the Song dynasty.
Roy Lichtenstein Blue Nudes, 1995
Roy Lichtenstein Landscape With Philosopher, 1996
Roy Lichtenstein Still Life with Goldfish, 1972
Roy Lichtenstein Seascape, 1965
I left boring Bavaria without any regret, and, having passed Austria and Switzerland, I ended up in the dwarf state of Liechtenstein. Of course, if you compare Liechtenstein with the Vatican, you get about the same proportion as Russia with Georgia, but still the country is actually small, smaller than the unrecognized Transnistria. With the recognition of Liechtenstein, everything is in order, and even though the state does not have a single high-speed road and has to use neighboring ones, Austria, Switzerland, and the rest of the world keeps their money here.
It is not surprising that this is one of the most prosperous and wealthy countries in the world, and the worst crime here is improper parking.
1. This is how the border between Switzerland and Liechtenstein looks like. Just a bridge across the river, in the middle - a commemorative plaque. Yes, in our country the border of the regions is sometimes more strictly guarded, and the police slow down every car, "is there anything." 
2. Actually, here is the river. Liechtenstein on the left, Switzerland on the right. 
3. It’s a pity that they don’t put stamps in the passport here, otherwise it would end very quickly: can you imagine how many times a day you can go back and forth? :) 
5. The first thing you meet in Liechtenstein is birch trees. I want to hug them and cry... 
6. Next - another river, already small. 
7. And here I am in Liechtenstein itself, in a village called Rugen. I parked my car and went for a walk around the village. 
8. The village is like a village, nothing special. Ha, yes, we have half of Rublyovka built up with such villages! 
9. But there is one very significant difference, take a closer look! 
10. The houses here are not fenced with three-meter fences. Yes, they are not fenced at all. So, a fence, and then more for beauty. 
11. Naturally, the village has perfect asphalt and even a sidewalk. 
12. Country track. Well, that is the only road between villages within the state. 
13. Someone brought a real English telephone box to their site. And why, to store firewood in it? 
14. But the cow in prosperous Liechtenstein turned out to be some kind of skinny. 
15. A third of the country is occupied by forests, so they build such cozy stops out of wood. 
16. What does this road sign mean? Or is it not a sign at all? 
17. If you climb into another village, along the forest serpentine, you can look at excellent views. That's just Switzerland. 
18. By the way, the roads here have not been repaired for years. 
19. At the entrance to the city of Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, there is a turn and a hill, climbing which, it turns out in front of the castle. The princely family lives here. Unlike the British crown, the Liechtenstein court is much more modest. They do not strive for publicity, so they ask you not to park on the territory of the castle and not to go inside: signs "Private territory" are installed around the perimeter. You can come close to the castle, it is not guarded from the outside. 
20. Well, why be afraid, this is a castle, an impregnable fortress! Unlike many modern monarchies, the Prince of Liechtenstein actually rules the country, and does not lead it only nominally. And unlike most modern castles, this is not a museum, but the real home of the august family. 
21. Not wanting to disturb the powers that be in vain, I went down the hill back to the track, and immediately saw the sign "Welcome to Liechtenstein". It was surprising, because I have already traveled 15 kilometers across the country! But they put up a welcome shield in front of the capital because there are a great many entries into the country, at least ten from Switzerland alone. 
22. Here it is, a handsome castle. Hanging like a rock over the city of Vaduz, it reminds "Do not indulge, we see everything." And the prince really sees everything, it is enough for him to install a telescope on the balcony to look into every window of his subject. 
23. The city of Vaduz itself is quite modern, it is clear that they say goodbye to old huts here, without regret. He is even more polished than Bavaria. 
24. It's like heaven! Bumblebees fly everywhere and pollinate roses! 
25. Everywhere is green, beautiful, well-groomed. 
26. The brother of a man who was talking on the phone in Landsberg, Germany, confesses his love to the whole world! 
27. Liechtenstein protects himself from worldly concerns, including diplomatic ones. For example, the interests of the principality in Russia are represented by the Swiss Embassy. And the Liechtensteiners themselves communicate directly only with their dwarf brothers - Monaco, the Vatican, Andorra, San Marino. 
28. There is not a single homeless person here, the Liechtensteiners do not even know who they are. A few years ago, a monument to the stone homeless was erected, and now they proudly say that our state has its own beggar! Unlike the flesh-and-blood vagrant, this one doesn't need to be served anything and doesn't require food. And it doesn't stink. 
29. In general, Vaduz is known precisely for its strange and sometimes ridiculous monuments. What is there just not: walking fat men. 
30. An incomprehensible structure in front of the post office. 
31. Wall with a doorway. By the way, when you pass through this arch, you can see that inside, between the two walls, there is a fountain, and the stream is pouring right over your head.
32. In one of the yards lies a naked fat woman. The prince should be clearly visible her bronze boobs! 
33. Namely, it seems to me that the Tygydym horse should look like this. 
34. There are no comments here at all, come up with a signature yourself. 
35. Almost under every bush there is a fountain. And you can drink, and create coolness, and irrigate the plants. 
36. Throughout the city there are Rolex watches that show the time in different time zones. Moscow is not. 
37.
38. Office building. 
39. The official maximum speed in Liechtenstein is 130 kilometers per hour. But there is simply nowhere to accelerate :) 
40. By the way, this is how Liechtenstein license plates look like. Now I also have one, in the collection to the Lithuanian and American, already hanging on the wall. 
41. Suddenly I witnessed a terrible crime!!! Some scoundrel, some bastard and reptile, left his car in a place where parking is prohibited! At the same time, I parked obliquely, did not close the car, and boots were also lying in front! Indeed, according to statistics, the most serious offense for many years is improper parking. Despite this, as many as 120 policemen protect order in the country. There is no army in Liechtenstein at all, for 150 years already. At the time of the abolition of the army, it consisted of 80 people. 
42. Saturday is the day of weddings. And I was lucky, this Saturday there was just a wedding, this happens in Vaduz not even every month. 
44. The groom reminds me of someone ... 
45. Parallel to the main street there is another one, a pedestrian one. There are restaurants, shops, souvenir shops. 
46. The prince is vigilantly watching the tourists. If only he could hear! And I heard! Walking down the street, I accidentally drew attention to the conversation of a Ukrainian family: "Well, you look, and no one here dries panties on the balcony!" Dear prince! If you read my report about your small state, please issue a decree obliging your subjects to dry their shorts on the balcony! And that, in fact, is somehow worthless! 
47.
48. The casino is giving away a mini-cooper. 
49. Yes, this mini-cooper of yours is cheap :) 
50. And this is how ordinary Liechtensteiners live. The working outskirts of Vaduz. 
51. The most remarkable thing about Liechtenstein is the absence of ostentatious, eye-catching luxury and wealth. Even the castle itself does not look as pretentious as some dachas near Moscow. But at the same time, if you look closely at the details, there is nothing cheap on the streets here: no cheap pizzerias, eateries, burrs, and the summer tables themselves on the street are made soundly, and not from Chinese plastic. The people who live here live in abundance. Someone is fabulously rich, someone is not very rich, but they all have enough for a comfortable life, and prices here are higher than in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, this is noticeable. The main secret of the wealth of the small principality is the banking system. And what is the main secret of their well-being and well-groomed country? Think wealth? 
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Geography and nature of Liechtenstein
The name of the country comes from the ruling dynasty of Liechtenstein.
The Principality of Liechtenstein is one of the smallest countries in the world. The length from north to south is 28 km, from east to west the width of the territory does not exceed 10 km. Total area - 160 sq. km.
Liechtenstein is smaller than Belgium, smaller than most of the Caribbean Islands or the archipelagos of Micronesia.
The Principality of Liechtenstein is located between Austria in the east and Switzerland in the west. Liechtenstein is landlocked.
Liechtenstein, along with Uzbekistan, is one of the two countries in the world, in order to enter the World Ocean, it is necessary to cross two states.
Liechtenstein has three geographic regions that are different in nature and topography:
the fertile Rhine valley in the west, the edge of the Tyrolean Alps in the southeast, and the northern lowlands.
The Principality of Liechtenstein is located on the right bank of the Rhine River.
3/4 of the territory of Liechtenstein is occupied by mountains (Rhaetian Alps). The border with Austria runs along the highest ridge.
From the top of Augstenberg (Augstenberg, 2222 m) you can see three countries - Liechtenstein, Austria and Switzerland.
The highest mountain in Liechtenstein is called Grauspitz (der Grauspitz), which means "Gray Peak". It is located at an altitude of 2599 meters above sea level.
The forests of Liechtenstein occupy more than one-fifth of the country's territory.
Liechtenstein is poor in minerals. Only limestone is mined for building purposes and white clays and alabaster for making pottery and ceramics.
Gampriner Seele is the only lake in Liechtenstein.
About 55 species of mammals live in Liechtenstein (in Switzerland - 83), 17 species of bats (in Switzerland - 26), 140 species of birds nest (in Switzerland - 205), 7 species of snakes (in Switzerland - 16), 10 species of amphibians ( in Switzerland - 20), 24 species of fish (in Switzerland - 67), 120 species of butterflies (in Switzerland - 206), 342 species of beetles, 76 species of midges, 194 species of flies and 65 species of mosquitoes.
