Europa – Messenger Post

This year's Europa stamps, which are issued every year by the member states of the association of European public postal operators (PostEurop), focus on the theme of ancient postal routes. Philately combines its two commemorative stamps "Stagecoach" and "Mounted Messenger" (both with a face value of CHF 1.50) as a combination print on a miniature sheet of two stamps twice. Designer René Wolfinger made the issue appear nostalgic through steel engraving.

If you look for ancient postal routes in Liechtenstein, you will inevitably come across the Lindau Messenger. This was a transport service that operated between the trading centres at the time in Lindau at Lake Constance and the Italian city of Milan up to 1826 and carried goods, money and letters. It is assumed that the Lindau Messenger was already travelling along the arduous route, which reached its peak on the Splügen Pass at 2113 metres above sea level, on a fairly regular basis towards the end of the 15th century. One of the five legs of the journey led the Messenger on his way from Feldkirch southwards through present-day Liechtenstein, which he left again at the Luziensteig in Balzers towards Chur.