Fränkisches Schweiz in Bavaria. Pottenstein, Bieberbach and the worlds largest Osterbrunnen
The Fränkisches Schweiz is a hilly, wooded area in northern Bavaria. Fränkisches Schweiz is the name for the region east of Bamberg, west of the Pegnitz; south of the Main and north of Nuremberg.
 Grüße aus Fränkisches Schweiz |
 The area is called the Franconian Switzerland. It reminded me a lot of the Ozarks. |
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 We talked about 8 Kilometers from a cave, where we began, through a couple of villages to a town, Pottenstein. |
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 Gößweinstein, one of the small towns we walked through. |
 The Basilika of Gößweinstein |
 Behind the Basilica, a gilded gate, behind it is an altar and two icons of saints. |
 One of the main roads, it leads from the Basilika to the Burg on top of a hill |
 The hill nearest Pottenstein has a path leading to the top lined with 12 shrines for the stations of the cross |
 This is the final shrine at the top of the hill, it stands about 30-35 feet tall and is in a clearing overlooking the town |
 Pottenstein |
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 Pottenstein is located at a fork in a valley, at the middle of this fork is a fortress, on the hill in the background. |
 After Pottenstein we went to Bieberbach, where they have this, the largest Osterbrunnen (Easter Fountain) in the world... Easter fountains are a local tradition to celebrate not only Easter but the end of cold weather, after the Easter weekend the weather won't get cold enough to freeze the public water system. Most of the towns we went through had a public Easter Fountain but they were nowhere near as big or ornately decorated. |
 The Osterbrunnen is covered with painted eggs of various colors, most of the family homes around the towns we walked through had a tree or bush decorated with Ostereier (Easter Eggs) in their yard, sort of like an outdoor Christmas tree... |
 The center of Bieberbach was dominated by the Osterbrunner, which was about 15 feet tall. Behind it was a display titled 'Die Familie Osterhasen' or the Easter Bunny Family |