Liechenstein

The mountainous landlocked principality of Lichtenstein! The country is surrounded by Austria to its East and Switzerland to its West. The capital city is Vaduz. There are approximately 38,000 Liechtensteiners living here (2022). The official language of the country is German, with Alemannic German as the main dialect. The majority of Liechtensteiners practice Roman Catholicism. The time zone is 6 hours ahead of EST.

In 2017, my family and I visited the capital Vaduz, which is the hub of shopping, cuisine, and culture. While there we checked out the grand Vaduz Castle, the Liechtenstein National Museum, and the historic Main Square known for its famous architecture. We also did some pretty scenic hikes around Vaduz.

One fun fact is that Lichtenstein is the sixth smallest country in the world and most of the population lives in the West, along the Rhine River. It is also one of only two double-landlocked nations in the world, meaning it is landlocked by a landlocked country.

The best thing about Lichtenstein was their vending machines … that sold sausages, lol.

Kosovo

Beautiful mountain vistas in Kosovo Downtown Prizren in Kosovo In 2015, we drove through much of Kosovo and overnighted in Prizren, a quaint and attractive historic city located on the banks of the Bistrica river, and on the slopes of the Šar Mountains in the southern...

South Sudan

Garbage everywhere in the streets of Juba Country Information: The capital of South Sudan is Juba, and there are approximately 13 million people living here. The official language of South Sudan is English, with Arabic spoken by a majority of the population as well....

Vanuatu

Not my favorite destination in the Pacific, although I likely might’ve felt otherwise had the weather cooperated and I had been able to get to the rim of the famed Tanna Volcano, on which you can feel it rumbling with molten lava spitting from its cone. While it...