Liechtenstein Shopping and nightlife
Shopping in Liechtenstein
You can shop for all sorts of things in Liechtenstein. The capital, Vaduz, is the place to go for all your general retail needs, from supermarkets to department stores, and also has a range of souvenir shops for finding items that are unique to the region.
Many of the souvenirs sold in Vaduz are similar to those found in Switzerland. You will find fine embroidery and linen, expert woodcarving, delicious Swiss chocolate, handmade luxury clocks and watches, wonderfully-pungent cheeses and stylish Swiss army knives.
However, there are also a few items which are unique to Liechtenstein.
Liechtenstein is famous for its handmade ceramics and pottery, as well as items made from local Balzner marble. There are also Liechtensteiner wines available, many of which will have been recently picked from the vineyards above the souvenir shops.
But perhaps the most unique souvenirs a tourist can take from Liechtenstein are the postage stamps. All of the souvenir shops in the capital sell current and historical postage stamps, which offer colourful and graphical illustrations of the country's monarchy and major events of the last 100 years.
Be prepared that prices for souvenirs in Liechtenstein are similar to those in Switzerland – that means very expensive for the majority of foreign visitors. It is possible to find some similar souvenirs just across the Austrian border in Feldkirch for potentially half the price.
Nightlife in Liechtenstein
For a small country, Liechtenstein has surprisingly rich and varied after-dark entertainment.
When it comes to cinemas and live entertainment, there are several options. The best cinema is TaKino in Schaan (www.filmclub.li), which offers 99 soft, velour seats for ultimate movie-watching comfort and shows everything from Hollywood films to art house flicks; while TaK, or Theater am Kirchplatz (www.tak.li), is the top venue for theatre, dance and classical music.
For a quiet (or not so quiet) drink, make a beeline for Städtle, a pedestrianised area of Vaduz with a wide variety of bars serving decent beer and local Liechtensteiner wine. Schaan also has a number of trendy bars, while you'll find many others in Balzers, Malbun and Nendeln.
Nightclubs are considerably rarer. Most young people head to Coco Loco Nightclub in Balzers, where a mix of DJs and live bands entertain the crowds into the early hours of the morning. However, there are several live concerts taking place during weekends throughout the year.
It's also worth remembering that it's easy to cross the border from Liechtenstein to Feldkirch in Austria, or Buchs in Switzerland, for further drinking, dancing and entertainment options.
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