Malbun

Malbun sits at 1,600 meters at the end of a mountain road that the country essentially built for the purpose of reaching it. The valley is narrow and enclosed by peaks on three sides — the Sareis to one direction, the Augstenberg to another — and in winter the snow comes in and the whole place becomes very contained and very quiet in the particular way of high Alpine settlements. I drove up from Vaduz in November, the first significant snowfall of the season whitening the pines, and by the time I arrived at the small cluster of hotels and the base of the ski lifts I felt thoroughly removed from everywhere.

This is Liechtenstein’s only ski area. Prince Hans-Adam II learned to ski here. The royal connection is not incidental — this valley has a certain relationship with the ruling family that predates the resort infrastructure, and there are old photographs in the hotel lobbies of Alpine expeditions with members of the princely house looking appropriately windswept. In summer, the whole lift infrastructure serves hikers instead, carrying people up to the ridge walks that connect into the broader Liechtenstein Alps and eventually, if you walk far enough, into Austria.

The skiing itself is unambiguously for families and beginners. There are eleven runs, none of them particularly long or challenging. What there is, though, is an atmosphere of genuine Alpine pleasure without the anxiety of the large Swiss resorts — no helicopter parents furious about lift queue management, no influencers filming in the fresh powder. On a January weekday I skied the same blue run four times without encountering another person on it. The lift operator waved at me on each pass. By the third pass he knew how many times I’d been up.

In summer, Malbun transforms entirely. The hiking from here into the Liechtenstein Alps is some of the best in the country — the trail to the summit of Augstenberg at 2,359 meters takes about three hours from the valley and delivers views that stretch across four countries on a clear day. I did this in August, starting early when the light was still low and golden and the mountain flowers were opening in the meadows. By the time I reached the summit, I was alone on the highest point in Liechtenstein, which is a small and unexpected pleasure.

The food in Malbun is mountain food — Rösti, cheese fondue, hearty soups, and the occasional pasta that has drifted north from Italy across several border crossings. I ate at the same hotel restaurant both evenings I was there, not out of lack of options but because the cheese fondue was exactly what the altitude called for, and the woman who ran it seemed pleased each time I returned.

When to go: December through March for skiing — snowfall is reliable at this altitude and the resort is quieter than comparable Swiss alternatives. July and August for hiking, when the wildflowers are at peak and the Augstenberg summit walk is fully accessible. The road up from Triesenberg is occasionally closed after heavy snowfall in deep winter; check conditions before driving up.