Children and School

How long do children go to school in Liechtenstein?

Children in Liechtenstein go to kindergarten, but only from the age of four. Attending kindergarten usually takes two years and does not cost anything. This is followed by the primary school, which corresponds to our primary school. There are five classes here. Children from the age of six can visit them. Math, German, art, music, crafts and religion are taught here. The first foreign language in Liechtenstein is English. At the end of the fifth grade, the children can switch to a secondary school. You can choose from high school, secondary school and high school.

Children go to high school from sixth to ninth grade. Here they are prepared for their future profession at an early stage. As an alternative to secondary school, there is a secondary school, where children are also prepared for the job. 50 out of 100 children attend this secondary school, which, like the high school, lasts up to the ninth grade.

In Liechtenstein there is also a grammar school – there is actually only one – that children can attend after primary school. The children then have to go to school for another seven years before they graduate from high school. Children can also switch from secondary school to grammar school.

If you want to go to school for more than nine years, you can visit an independent school again, which offers an additional 10th year. The focus here is once again on career preparation and especially language learning.

Festivals

Carnival and a special birthday party

Many festivals and customs in Liechtenstein come from the Alemannic. The traditional carnival is celebrated here too. This then lasts from Dirty Thursday to Shrove Tuesday. Children especially love this so-called “fifth season” because you can dress up here all the time. On the Sunday after Ash Wednesday there is another special feature: On Spark Sunday, winter is driven away by burning a pile of wood.

August 15th is also a public holiday. On the one hand, this is a church holiday, namely the Assumption of Mary. The birthday of the former Prince Franz Josef II, who was born on August 16, is also celebrated. It’s pretty loud this year and kids are especially looking forward to the fireworks that are thrown off every year.

Typical Liechtenstein

Why are there so many postage stamps in Liechtenstein?

Liechtenstein used to have close ties to Austria and only later did the country move closer to Switzerland and move away from Austria. Due to its close ties to Austria, Liechtenstein was one of the first countries to use postage stamps at all.

In 1850 Austria introduced postage stamps in the Empire and the first joint postage stamp for Austria and Liechtenstein showed the emperor’s coat of arms. From 1912, Liechtenstein received its own postage stamps. However, they still worked closely with the Austrian Post.

Rebel, Käsknöpfle and Röschti

According to naturegnosis, the food in Liechtenstein is not that different from the food that you get in other German-speaking countries. However, there are some special features. In Liechtenstein there is a national dish called Ribel. For this you have to stir ground corn in a pan with milk, water and salt. There is also elderberry puree.

Käsknöpfle are very popular and especially popular with children. Knöpfle are a type of pasta made from flour, eggs, water and a little salt and pepper. They then look like small lumps and are called Knöpfle. In Liechtenstein, there is also grated Appenzeller cheese and sour cheese. This is served with onion rings, which have previously been roasted in butter for a while. Either the dish stays salty and there is a salad or a sweet version of apple sauce.

As in Switzerland, the Röschti are very popular. The Röschti are roasted potatoes that are grated. These are further processed into Röschtis.

Does breakfast also mean breakfast in Liechtenstein?

Breakfast by the way the Liechtenstein call ‘s Breakfast, Lunch Zmittag and dinner supper.

Incidentally, the people of Liechtenstein and the Swiss greet each other with a loud “Grüezi!” Sometimes you also hear “Grüß Gott”, a greeting that is particularly common in Austria.