Liechtenstein, Hike through the Alps
09 September 2017, continued
The main road through Maienfeld actually continued on all the way up to Liechtenstein, and became the main road through the whole country. Liechtenstein is one of those fascinating places to us. It’s a tiny country located completely within the Alps, which divides the country into such extremes. The main cities are down in the valley, and where we are staying is way up in the mountains. Such a difference, but in terms of crow-flies distance, they are very close to each other.
One of the things Liechtenstein is famous for is the story of the last time its army went off to war. As the story goes, in 1886 the army left the country with eighty men and came back home with eighty-one! Apparently, they had made a friend while in Italy. Yes, 1886 was their last military conflict. Liechtenstein is a nation that believes in maintaining neutrality even while everyone else is at war. That is definitely the kind of country I would love to call home.
The other thing that Liechtenstein is famous for is being inadvertently invaded by the Swiss. Apparently, the Swiss army became lost during a training exercise and found themselves well over the border. Rumor is that they crossed back into Switzerland and sent a formal apology to Liechtenstein, along with a case of wine to make amends. Again, that level of civility is something to be proud of, and something for the rest of the world to strive towards.
The small road crossed through a walled gate and wound around what looked like a military complex in Switzerland that made us a bit nervous about whether we should be driving through there. It was fine really, though if this was a base, it's no wonder they accidentally invaded the small country. Just beyond this was the very nondescript border, just a field with flags along the roadside.
We found a little park spot so I could get some pictures of Burg Gutenberg. We wanted to get up to the mountain for a bit of a hike before it got too late, so we didn't have time to stop in to see the castle properly, but it was a nice sight from across the field as it stood proudly on its hill. We weren't sure what to expect in Liechtenstein so we didn't plan too much time here, but two minutes over the border and we have already found something that is worth coming back for another look.
We cut off the main road to a much smaller one that gradually wound its way up the mountain. Our hotel was along this path in the town called Triesenberg, and beyond that even further up was the trailhead for the path we wanted to hike. It was still pretty early, so we decided to head straight to the trail. The road was slow going, and every time we built up any speed, we had to come to an almost dead stop as we made a 180-degree uphill turn. There was barely a guardrail along the roadside before a straight drop down the mountain! It was intense!
We continued up, and up, and up... seemingly straight up the mountainside, curving back and forth on the narrow, winding roads. It sure was a long way straight down! We passed into the clouds and visibility grew short. I couldn't imagine this road in the winter with snow and ice! No thanks! We came into Triesenberg and drove past the Hotel Restaurant Kulm, our place for the night which we will check into later. Further up into the mountains we went, further along these small winding roads. I remember planning this on the map and seeing how close the trail was to the hotel, but the 2D map didn't account for distance going up! We finally came to the end of the road and a little parking area at the base of the Bärgällasattel. This trail would hike up the mountain and connect to the Via Alpina.
The Via Alpina is an amazing trail. It stretches all along the length of the Alps, passing through Austria, Germany, Slovenia, France, Monacao, Italy, Switzerland, and of course here in Liechtenstein. It is an intense hike through the mountains and the alpine conditions. The physical trail itself is not too technical – it isn't a mountaineering course – but does cross through high elevations and alpine conditions where the weather can be harsh and change drastically. The trail is broken into legs, with each one about one day's hike, and the legs end at a small hiker's cabin with bunks to spend the night. That's how it is set up here in Liechtenstein anyway.
We started up the side of the mountain to the Via Alpina. If there is one thing that will really help you realize just how out of shape you are, a steep mountain trail is definitely it. The air was noticeably thinner, though it was also dense with humidity at times. I assumed we were walking through a cloud as the moisture in the air went up and the visibility went down. Much like the roads leading to the trail, the trail itself wound back and forth to make the climb uphill. It was amazing that there were actually farms up here! I have read before that in Switzerland the cows are lead up to the mountains to feed on the alpine grasses and breathe the fresh air, and that is a large part for the quality and flavor of the cheese. I don't see why Liechtenstein farmers would do it any different, it's more of an Alps thing than any one country...
Finally, we reached a signpost that marked the crossing of the Via Alpina. From here, were we adequately prepared and had more time, we could have turned to the south and made our way across into Switzerland and through to Italy, or we could have turned North and hiked through the sparsely populated northeastern end of Liechtenstein and into Austria. One day we may want to spend a few days traveling along the trail, maybe at least the three needed to cross Liechtenstein from Austria down to Switzerland. But as we say far too often, that is for another time. Instead, we went along the northern end a bit, and further along up to where we saw a cabin. It's amazing how high up we were. In the points where the clouds gave way and we could see into the valley below, the river was a tiny little strip and the houses were mere dots on the landscape. The angle which the trees were growing showed just how steep the mountains were. Amazing!
We weren't going to hike too much of the trail, not even a full leg, as there simply wasn’t enough time. We did want to get up into the mountains however, and spend a couple hours getting a feel for the natural side of the Alps. Also, mid-September may have been nice enough for the Swiss to take a swim in Zurich, but up at this elevation it was pushing into winter weather. The cloud cover was intermittent with rain, the wind was brisk, and the visibility was getting poor. We decided to turn back before the cabin and head down before conditions got worse. The walk down was a bit easier, but by the time we reached the bottom we were soaked through our jackets and cold to the core.
Time to test the heat on the Peugeot!
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