Nendeln

What whispers do the stones of Nendeln hold? Here in this quaint Liechtenstein village, history echoes through the ages. Nendeln is more than just a picturesque stop on our tour. It’s a testament to resilience and a stage for both small and grand moments in time. Nendeln, nestled within the municipality of Eschen, is home to about 1,407 people. But long before this modern village took shape, even before the medieval whispers of Neu-Schellenberg Castle graced this land, the Roman Empire held sway. Imagine Roman villas, unearthed from the soil beneath our feet, relics of a distant era when this area was a crossroads of the Roman world. The very name Nendeln whispers of ancient origins, hinting at a Celtic past, adding to the mystique of this place. Nendeln has witnessed both peaceful moments and times of conflict. The War of the Second Coalition in 1799 saw French troops setting fire to this peaceful village, leaving scars on the land and the collective memory. Years later, in 1939, Nendeln became the unlikely starting point of a political drama. A group from the German National Movement in Liechtenstein (VBDL) began their march from Nendeln towards Vaduz in a putsch that ultimately failed. Today, Nendeln sits on the main Schaan-Schaanwald road, connecting Liechtenstein with its neighbors, Switzerland and Austria. It’s a hub for transport, with its railway station a vital link between these countries. For a time, when the neighboring station in Schaanwald was not in use, Nendeln even served as a customs checkpoint, welcoming passengers arriving from Austria into the Liechtenstein-Swiss customs union. So, as we stand here in Nendeln, let’s appreciate not just the charming village before us, but the echoes of history that resonate through it. From Roman villas to a Napoleonic invasion, from a failed putsch to its role as a modern transport hub, Nendeln’s story is a blend of the ordinary and the extraordinary. It serves as a reminder that even the smallest of places can play a significant part on the world’s stage.