Fürstensteig hike

Despite not-so-excellent weather, we went to Liechtenstein today, more precisely to Gaflei, above Vaduz, to hike the Fürstensteig from here. It is not, as one might suspect, a via ferrata, but a very beautiful hike for relaxing that leads through the Liechtenstein mountains.

Fürstensteig Start

Although the hike is rather easy, I don't recommend skimping on equipment. I always wear my sturdy hiking boots here and bring my poles. Especially on the descent later, your knees will thank you for it.

You first walk up the mountain towards the forest and then turn straight off the road onto a small path. There, keep to the left and you will reach the Fürstensteig.

From here, you still have the opportunity to visit the Berghaus Sücka in Triesenberg. On longer tours, you can also spend the night there. But today we want to hike. So, continue towards the beginning of the Fürstensteig.

Now it goes for about 45 minutes along the Alpspitz mountain towards the Gaflei Saddle. The view here is magnificent. You can see down into the St. Gallen Rhine Valley. Today, due to the fog, the ground is only visible now and then. The Rhine forms the border between Liechtenstein and Switzerland. In the foreground, you can see the municipality of Schaan, and behind the Rhine lies Buchs. Where there are sometimes small exposed sections, ropes have been installed to provide secure footing. In general, you should be at least sure-footed and not afraid of heights for this path, as it goes down very steeply in some places.

Having arrived at the Gaflei saddle, you are offered a great view into the Saminatal, where you can look down all the way to Austria, as long as it's not too foggy like today. Here you have the option to take a detour to Feldkirch. Detour about 4 hours =)

Fireplace – It's finally getting really hot here

Now you continue walking towards the fireplace, where there's a 160-meter ascent straight up. Okay, you'd rather not know that at this point, but the climb is worth it, as you arrive behind the Alpsitz and have a great view down to Steg in Liechtenstein.

A great bench awaits here, where you can comfortably rest =) with a green smoothie today. After all, breaks during a hike are super important.

Descent

Refreshed, I can now head back to Gaflei. Due to the fog, there's no point visiting the Alpspitz summit today, so I decided to descend straight away. I'll go down over lush green meadows to Bargällaalp at about 1600 m. After about 30 minutes, I'll reach Gaflei again, where it seems I was the only hiker today. My car is parked alone and abandoned in the parking lot.

For me, the hike up here is a pleasure every time. I've climbed the Alpspitze countless times already, and from here you can also extend the hike to the Three Sisters. A great mountain range that is a bit more challenging.

One last tip: If you plan to hike in the spring, please check with Liechtenstein Tourismus to see if the Fürstensteig is already free of snow. There are some shady spots, and these are impassable if there is still snow. I've had to turn back a few times after completing almost half of the hike. This is frustrating and can be avoided with a phone call.

Now I'll show you a few more impressions from my hike today. Have fun!