The country's climate is relatively mild despite its mountainous location. It is strongly influenced by the action of foehn (warm and dry fall wind), so the vegetation period is prolonged in spring and autumn and temperatures around 15 °C due to the strong foehn are not uncommon even in winter. The mountain ranges of Switzerland and Vorarlberg upstream protect from the cold polar and Atlantic air, creating a typical alpine inland protective layer. The principality has orchards with leafy meadows and a long tradition of viticulture. Liechtenstein's small land area hardly plays a role in climatic differences, but the vertical division into different altitudes is of great importance, so that significant climatic differences arise.