Balzers () is a municipality and village located in southern Liechtenstein. In 2024, the village had a population of 4,806. The main part of the village is situated along the east bank of the Rhine.

Geography

The municipality of Balzers consists of the villages of Balzers and Mäls, between which lies Gutenberg Castle. The municipality also contains two exclaves: one containing the alpine pasture of Gapfahl, located west and above the Valüna, and one along the western border of the country, containing the forest reserve of Zegerberg and the alpine pastures of Guschgfiel, Matta, and Güschgle. Guschgfiel and Matta are part of Balzers alpine cooperative (Alpgenossenschaft Balzers), while Gapfahl and Güschgle are part of Mäls alpine cooperative (Alpgenossenschaft Mäls). Zegerberg, a former alpine pasture now operated as the "Garsälli/Zegerberg" forest reserve, is owned by Bürgergemeinde (citizens' community) Balzers.

The municipality and its residents also own forest, pastureland, and the ruins of in the neighboring Swiss canton of Graubünden. Ellhorn mountain was part of Balzers until 1949, when it was ceded to Switzerland; in return Balzers received an equally sized area and a significant reduction in Principality's wartime debt owed to Switzerland. The national government also compensated the municipality 412,000 Fr. for the loss of the Ellhorn.

Balzers is the home of the Gutenberg Castle, which was built around 1200 on a rocky hill between Balzers and Mäls. The castle belonged to the House of Habsburg from the 14th to the 19th century.

thumb|Balzers seen from Gutenberg Castle, looking towards the Swiss city of Sargans.

Politics

Balzers is locally administered by the mayor and a 11-person municipal council, elected every four years since 1975. The incumbent mayor is Karl Malin, since 2023.

Last election

Transport

A ferry operated in Mäls until Balzers' first Rhine bridge was built out of wood in 1870–1871. A concrete bridge was built in 1967–1968. The wooden bridge burned down in 1972; in its place is now a concrete pedestrian bridge from 1975. The heliport has no border-control facilities; therefore, the only flights permitted to use it are those heading to and from elsewhere within the Schengen Area.

{| class="wikitable"

! style="text-align: left;"|Aircraft

! style="text-align: left;"|Year implemented

! style="text-align: left;"|Type

! style="text-align: left;"|In service

! style="text-align: left;"|Role

|-

| Ecureuil AS 350

| 2005, 2008, and 2012

| B3

| 3

| Used for transporting people

|-

| Guimbal Cabri G2

| 2011

|

| 1

| Purchased for a new pilot training program, started April 2011

|-

| Kaman K-Max

| 2006

| 1200

| 1

| Used for transporting cargo

|}

The nearest passenger airports are St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport, located north and Zurich Airport, located north west of Balzers.

Economy

Oerlikon Balzers

The headquarters of the major thin film coating, solar and vacuum technology company Oerlikon Balzers is located in Balzers.

Sports

FC Balzers plays in Swiss 1. Liga. They play at the Sportplatz Rheinau, a stadium with a capacity of 2,000.

Notable people

  • Xaver Frick (1913 in Balzers – 2009) Olympic track and field athlete and cross-country skier. He competed in track sprinting events in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and cross-country skiing at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz. Frick is the only Liechtenstein athlete to date to have competed in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. He was awarded a Golden Laurel in 2003 by the government of Liechtenstein for outstanding contributions to sport.
  • Andrea Willi (born 1955), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1993–2001).
  • Christine Wohlwend (born 1978), politician.

References

  • Official website