Little Switzerland

The Little Switzerland (German: Fränkische Schweiz) is an upland in Upper Franconia, northern Bavaria and a popular tourist retreat. Located between the Pegnitz River in the east and the south, the Regnitz River in the west and the Main River in the north, its relief reaches 600 meters in height.

The Franconian Switzerland is one of the oldest and most popular holiday areas in Germany. It was given its name by Romantic artists and poets in the 19th century who compared its landscape to Switzerland.

The Franconian Switzerland is the region with the highest density of private breweries in the world.

The region was once called „Muggendorfer Gebürg,“ which translates into English as Muggendorf mountains. The first tourists arrived during the age of Romanticism. Two law students from Erlangen University, Ludwig Tieck and Wilhelm Heinrich Wackenroder have been credited as "discoverers" of the region. Their travel report from 1793 enthralled many contemporaries.

Among climbers all over the world the region is also known as Frankenjura.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Switzerland_Germany - 04.08.2010