PHOTO: The Eclectic Architecture in Vaduz, Liechtenstein

The eclectic architecture in Vaduz was one of the biggest surprises of Lichtenstein. Shown in this photo is The Red House, a gabled stairs structure with a large tower. The house is named for the dark red color that has adorned its exterior since the 19th century. Another example of unusual architecture in Vaduz can be seen on the trail to the castle of the Prince of Liechtenstein. Halfway up the hill, a contemporary house is topped by a wooden latticework that resembles a giant set of vertical blinds.

In the city center, the Liechtenstein Museum of Fine Arts is housed in a modernist black cube, while the Parliament building resembles the sharpened tip of a pencil. And then there is the Castle itself, a 12th century Romanesque monolithic stone structure that was once a fortress. All of this is scattered around a lush green valley tucked between soaring mountains. Liechtenstein may be the sixth smallest country in the world, but it certainly has a big architectural tradition.