Classroom lesson 路 The Three Sisters馃嚤馃嚠 Liechtenstein

The Three Sisters

Three rocky mountain peaks standing in a row

What is it?

The Three Sisters (in German, 'Drei Schwestern') are three rocky mountain peaks that stand side by side, high above the tiny country of Liechtenstein. From far away they look like three pointed friends lined up against the sky.

Tell me more

Liechtenstein is one of the smallest countries in the whole world, you could drive across it in about twenty minutes. It sits tucked between Switzerland and Austria, and it is full of steep green mountains. The Three Sisters are among its most famous peaks.

The tallest of the three reaches over 2,000 metres into the sky. Brave hikers climb special mountain paths, sometimes holding onto metal cables fixed to the rock, to reach the top, and from up there they can see across several countries at once.

Like many mountains, the Three Sisters have a legend. An old story says three sisters once went out to pick berries and lost track of time, and so they became the three stone peaks. Stories like this help people remember and love their mountains.

In the classroom

Walk your class through this in 15 minutes.

Talk together

Discussion prompts

  1. 01Liechtenstein is tiny but full of mountains. What might be fun, or tricky, about living in a very small country?
  2. 02People made up a legend to explain the three peaks. Why do you think people create stories about nature?
  3. 03Climbers hold cables to go up safely. Why is preparing and staying safe important in the mountains?
Try this

Classroom activity

Invent a mountain legend. Draw three peaks in a row, then write a short 'why' story explaining how they got there. Share it aloud, just like the old storytellers of Liechtenstein.