The "Franconian Switzerland", a region in Northern Bavaria, is one of the oldest and most popular holiday areas on Germany. The creative artists of the Romantic movement once discovered this region and gave it this name. There ist hardly any other stretch of countryside that holds as many contrasts within such a small area: soaring towers atop rocky cliffs, winding valleys, blossoming orchards, mysterious and enchanting caves. Unspoilt nature, sometime from its endearing side, sometimes rather harsher, and worth a journey of discovery at any time of the year.

Half-timbered houses welcome bikers who have enough stamina to ascend the various hills, the river Wiesent invites fishers, kayak drivers and canoeists. Hiking along magnificent paths with distant views down into the valley, cycling along lonely, curving roads past idyllic half-timbered cottages, free-climbing, flying... The Franconian Switzerland offers a rich variety of athletic activities (pictures).

The history of many centuries has left its traces: towers, castles, ruins and other ancient buildings are spread all over the region. Medieval times are still present with more than 150 castles and palaces (images), about 30 of them are still inhabited, and you can visit six of them.

Another exciting event, not only for children and train freaks, is a ride with the steam train (every Sunday during the summer, to join this train look at Forchheim - Ebermannstadt and Nuremberg - Gräfenberg).

 But not only on the surface, even under the earth you can experience the beauty of the Franconian Switzerland: more of 1000 caves of every size, up to the huge "Devil's Cave" (Teufelshöhle), "Bing Cave" (Binghöhle) and "Sophie's Cave" (Sophienhöhle) which are full of fantastic and bizarre columns of limestone, shaped over millions of years, skeletons of bears and cavehyenas and stalagmites and stalactites of various shape and size (look at the pictures)

The Franconian Switzerland is the region with the highest brewery density in the world. 72 breweries with hundrets of difference beers. So beer plays an important role on every festivity like the traditional "Kärwas", originally a service to reconsecrate the village church, but today occasion for merriment and festivities, beer included.

You will find not only rural countryside, where life is very cheap, but also some bigger cities around: Forchheim, Bamberg, Bayreuth, Erlangen and Nuremberg.