There is a magical place on Earth, and it is called Liechtenstein. Few people know about it, but it definitely exists, just like a gopher from DMB. The tiny principality in the center of Europe was spared by refugees, the economic crisis, golden youth and other ugliness of the modern world.
The country is ruled by Hans-Adam II, Prince von und zu Liechtenstein, Duke of Troppau and Jägerndorf, Count of Rietberg. He does not just live at the expense of taxpayers, but works by the sweat of his brow: he signs or wraps up laws issued by the Landtag (local parliament). So the monarchy in the Alps is quite constitutional, and not some kind of indiscriminate, as in some parts of the world.
Where does the money come from
The territory of the state is only 160 km2, and the population is just over 35,000 people. In order not to be lonely and sad, the pragmatic Liechtensteiners signed an association agreement with Switzerland and became a member of the European Economic Area, which gave a lot of bonuses, primarily economic ones. If you are not satisfied with work at home, you can safely go to your neighbors or start trading with them, but no one is in a hurry to leave their father's house, since taxation is very gentle.The economy of tiny Liechtenstein is one of the most developed in the world. The average annual per capita income is about 170,000 Euros, which puts the dwarf state on this indicator in second place in the world after oil-rich Qatar.
Here they specialize in the production of precision engineering and instrumentation, top-class optics, microcircuits, microprocessors, as well as metalworking.
Capital
Vaduz is the capital of the state. Smooth and clean streets cause a feeling of discomfort, and you just want to put on slippers so as not to stain anything. Clever Liechtensteiners follow the obvious truth - do not shit where they live. The miniature city has many sights worthy of attention: the parliament on Peter-Kaiser-Platz, Ratausplatz with the City Hall, the Cathedral, cutting through the rarefied mountain air with a spire, the royal residence of Vaduz Castle and much more interesting things.
Postal Museum
In the age of high technology, not everyone knows what brands are, what to do with them and why they inspire awe in the older generation. Philately is not a curse or the name of a terrible disease.
St. Florin's Cathedral
It is also the Cathedral, the cathedral was built in the 19th century on the site of a dilapidated medieval church. The temple is dedicated to the patron saint Florin of Remus. There are no frills inside: mosaics, frescoes and sculptures - you cannot be distracted from communion with the Saint.
Liechtenstein Art Museum
The cube-shaped modern glass and concrete building invites you to explore eclectic paintings and conceptual installations. A special place is occupied by the exposition of works from the personal collection of Prince Liechtenstein.
Cities of Nendeln and Eschen
Vaduz is not the only city in the Principality. Tiny Eshen and Nendeln are no less attractive. The pride of the quiet and calm Nendeln is an ancient Roman villa, a legacy of ancient times. Eschen is famous for its ceramics and tiled stoves. main center its attractions are the chapel and the well-preserved 14th-century Pfündhaus.
Castle Gutenberg
If there is a mountain, there must be a castle on it - this is the Alpine law. The location of Liechtenstein contributes to the presence of buildings on each peak. Gutenberg Castle is the most visited. The former medieval fortress proudly flies over the surroundings at a height of 70 meters. In the courtyard there is an archaeological museum and a small rose garden. In summer, the castle hosts concerts and festivals.
Mount Three Sisters
This natural attraction is located exactly on the border with Austria. The highest point is 2,053 m. The first person to climb it for some reason was a foreigner, John Douglas. An epoch-making event took place in 1870. Until that moment, the locals prudently bypassed the peak - the smart one will not go up the mountain, the smart one will bypass the mountain.Around the Three Sisters, climbing and walking routes are laid, from where picturesque views of Vaduz and the valley open up. Below are the ruins of another castle.
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 whom 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. The Liechtensteiners, exposed to representative powers (moreover, 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 zweigelt rosé, the federweiss is a rosé wine 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
Moldova has two different climates and is dominated by Dfb.
classification
| classification | check | Köppen Geiger | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warm humid continental climate | 1618 | Dfb | Kishinev , Tiraspol , Balti , Bendery , Rybnitsa |
| Hot humid continental climate | 28 | Dfa | Vulcanesti , Taraclia , Giurgiulesti , Vadul lui Isak , Manta |
Kishinev
The climate in the city of Chisinau is close to temperate cold climate. There is significant rainfall throughout the year in Chisinau. Even during the driest month there is a lot of precipitation. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification is Dfb. The temperature here averages 9.9 °C. About 525 mm of precipitation falls annually.
diagrams
Tiraspol
The climate in Tiraspol is warm and temperate. There is significant rainfall throughout the year in Tiraspol. Even during the driest month there is a lot of precipitation. The climate here is classified as Cfb by the Köppen-Geiger system. The average annual temperature is 10.0 °C in Tiraspol. About 503 mm of precipitation falls annually.
diagrams
Click one of the graphs for more information.Balti
The climate in Balti is close to cold temperate. The rainfall in Balti is significant, with precipitation even during the driest month. The climate here is classified as Dfb by the Köppen-Geiger system. The temperature here averages 9.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 587 mm.
diagrams
Click one of the graphs for more information.Bendery
The climate is warm and temperate in Bendery. Is a large number of precipitation in Bendery, even in the driest month. This climate is considered Cfb according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. The average annual temperature is 10.1 °C in Bendery. About 503 mm of precipitation falls annually.
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