Germany - Franconian Switzerland, Tüchersfeld

Franconian Switzerland (Fränkische Schweiz) is a well known tourist area between the cities of Nürnberg, Bayreuth and Bamberg. The region is a natural wonderland featuring soft rolling forested hills, steep cliffs and green river valleys. It is a backdrop for medieval castles, monasteries, churches and quaint villages with half-timbered houses.

One of the most picturesque villages is (at least for me) Tüchersfeld, where it looks if the houses are dropped at random at the rocky pinnacles. Until the Thirty Years' War (1618 – 1648) there were even two castles in the village, the Upper and Lower Castle. From the Upper Tüchersfeld Castle only a view remains have survived.

The Lower Castle was destroyed and rebuilt several times, till it was completely destroyed in 1691. Around 1700 a Jewish settlement was established in the remaining ruins. The Jewish settlement was destroyed by fire in 1758, but the remains of the old buildings were included in the newly constructed buildings. Till around 1870 Jewish families lived in Tüchersfeld.

In 1959 the remaining buildings, known as the "Jew's Court" (Judenhof, were bought by a private person and after a complete restoration it now houses the Franconian Switzerland Museum (Fränkische Schweiz-Museum).