Introduction
We followed the majority of Route 66 — Liechtenstein’s flagship long-distance trail — in three stages: Planken to Steg, Steg to Pfälzerhütte, and Pfälzerhütte to Malbun. Where the standard route takes the easier line, we opted for the high ground to bag the peaks. It’s harder, but the views make the case convincingly.
One detour worth flagging: at Gaffleisattel we turned left towards Chemi, which cost us the Fürstensteig — arguably the route’s most dramatic section. A worthy reason to return.
| From | To | Up m | Down m | km | Time hh:mm |
| Planken | Steg | 1645 | 1135 | 18 | 08:30 |
| Steg | Pfälzer Hütte | 1192 | 366 | 12 | 05:15 |
| Pfälzer Hütte | Malbun | 716 | 1219 | 10 | 04:00 |
| 3553 | 2720 | 40 | 17:45 |
Practical Information
Arrival / Departure
While there is a Lichtenstein bus portal, I found SBB site of the swiss rail and bus portal much more helpful.
Getting there by public transport. Main train station from Germany or Austria is Feldkirch. There is a bus connecting it with Schaan.
Getting around
The Route 66 as per the Lichtenstein tourist office is 30km and 17hr of walking with ascent of 1833m and 2652m of descent. This is without climbing Naafkopf, which adds 464m. Other variations you may find go beyond Planken to Ruggell.
I was with experienced and speedy hikers, we added more peaks and walked at a sporty pace.
Ascent: 3553m Descent: 2720m Distance: 40km
Time including snack breaks: 17hr 45min
Highlights
Naafkopf sunrise and the 360 panorama was memorable.
Dreischwestern section was hard but a great experience. Still medium hard and well secured.
The entire route is very varied in terms of landscape and offers plenty of spectacular views.
In Some detail
Day 1 — Planken to Steg · The Rocky Stage
18 km · 1,645m ascent · 8h30m · Planken 796m → Steg 1,275m
Departing Planken at 07:20, the first reward comes early: Gafadura Hütte (1,428m, 09:00) serves excellent coffee and cake. The host is warmly welcoming. Crucially, this is your best water refill point — the next reliable source is a long way off, so top up and plan ahead.
From Gafadura the route climbs sharply through the Saroja Sattel (1,628m, 09:35) before reaching the Drei Schwestern — the Great Sister topping out at 2,025m by 11:00. The ridge walk continues over Garsellikopf (2,105m, 11:49) and Kuhgrat (2,123m, 12:22), where a ledge makes a fine spot for a snack break with views.
The afternoon brings the day’s toughest test: the steep serpentines at Chemi (1,936m), exposed and punishing in full sun, squeezed between the Albspitz and Helwangspitz. A descent via Bargälla Sattel passes the geographic centre of Liechtenstein (14:27) before a drop to Sücka (15:37) — food available, no accommodation. Steg (1,275m) is reached by 16:00, where an 8-minute bus ride delivers you to the Jufa Hotel in Malbun.
Day 2 — Steg to Pfälzerhütte · The Meadow Stage
12 km · 1,245m ascent · 5h15m
Leaving Steg at 08:20, the route rises steadily through Chrüppel Hut (1,721m, 09:30) and Wanghöhe (1,884m, 10:35) to Kulmi (1,993m, 10:50). A stream crossing at Valünerbach (12:22) offers a welcome snack break, before the final push to Pfälzerhütte (2,108m, 13:40) — cake, coffee, and marmot-spotting on the terrace.
Day 3 — Pfälzerhütte to Malbun · The Downhill Stage
10 km · 716m ascent (including Naafkopf)
An early pre-dawn start at 04:35 makes the Naafkopf (2,570m) summit achievable for near-sunrise — it was midsummer’s night. The out-and-back adds 4.1 km and 445m ascent: 54 minutes up, 46 minutes down. Back at the hütte for breakfast, the main route departs at 07:45 along the Fürstin Gina Trail.
The ridge walk over Augstenberg (2,359m, 08:35) and past Spitz (2,186m, 09:05) leads to Sareiserjoch (2,000m, 09:25), then a straightforward descent to Malbun (1,602m), finishing at 10:05 at the tourist office and bus stop for Vaduz.
From here it is back to the car with a bus to Vaduz (25min), change bus at same stop to Schaan (10 min), change bus to Planken (10 min). The busses in Schaan wait as the timetable is organized so taht you can connect. But only at the train – bus station. If you change earlier, make sure you know where the bus stop is as there are one way streets, as we found out.
Accommodation
Schaan — Kloster by Bsmart
A self-check-in property with no air conditioning — a serious drawback during a heatwave. Three hours of sleep is not a good start to a multi-day hike. The bar atmosphere was unwelcoming but it did the job for an early start the next day.
Malbun — Jufa Hotel
The altitude earns its keep: cool nights even during the heatwave meant genuine rest without air conditioning. Staff were friendly and helpful, dinner was decent, and breakfast was included with a good spread — the bread selection was the only disappointment. A solid base for the hike, well connected by bus. Watch out for reduced weekend timetable.
Pfälzerhütte
Shared bathrooms were clean and well-maintained. The hut sleeps 72; the night before our stay it was full, but we had around 20 guests on a Sunday — a much more comfortable experience. At capacity, patience would be essential, and ear plugs. Staff were excellent and the food was good, though prices are high. It is Liechtenstein I guess. Water deserves a special mention: the taps carry a “not drinkable” sign, so you are paying mountain prices for bottled water. Factor that into your budget or bring a filter.
Tips and Tricks
Food
This was not a foodie trip. Dinner and breakfast at both the Jufa and Pfälzerhütte were good and kept us well fuelled, but lunch is entirely self-sufficient — carry what you need, as there’s nothing on the trail between stops.
