Little Switzerland (, , ) is a

nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...

for a region in the east of

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

, bestowed upon the region on account of its reputed geographical similarities to

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. It is roughly contiguous with the

canton Canton may refer to: Administrative divisions * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and entertainment * Canton (band), an It ...

Echternach Echternach (, ; or locally ) is a commune with town status in the canton of Echternach, in eastern Luxembourg. Echternach lies near the border with Germany, and is the oldest town in Luxembourg. History The town grew around the Abbey of Echt ...

. It is also known as the Mullerthal (Luxembourgish: ', German: ') after the town of

Mullerthal Little Switzerland (, , ) is a nickname for a region in the east of Luxembourg, bestowed upon the region on account of its reputed geographical Little Switzerland (landscape), similarities to Switzerland. It is roughly contiguous with the Cantons ...

. Little Switzerland is thought to have similar terrain to its namesake country, hence the name; it is dominated by craggy terrain, thick forests, some caves and myriad small streams. Unlike Switzerland, Little Switzerland is low-lying, even by Luxembourg standards (its highest peak is only 414 m above sea level). Little Switzerland is the smallest of Luxembourg's sub-regions. Within its territory, covering only 7% of Luxembourg, there is only one medium-sized settlement,

(which is Luxembourg's oldest surviving

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

). Smaller towns include Beaufort,

Berdorf Berdorf () is a commune and small town in eastern Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and Fra ...

and

Consdorf Consdorf () is a commune and town in eastern Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Echternach, which is part of the district of Grevenmacher. , the town of Consdorf, which lies in the centre of the commune, has a population of 1,420. Other to ...

References

External links

The Mullerthal Region
Regions of Luxembourg Echternach (canton) {{Echternach-geo-stub