Climbing and Bouldering Paradise in the Franconian Jura  

The Franconian Jura is one of Europe's largest and most traditional rock climbing areas. Over 7.000 routes from grade 3 to grade 11 can be found on the 1,000 rocks in the area between Nuremberg, Bamberg and Bayreuth. A typical Franconian speciality: "Lochkletterei" (hole climbing) along the reef limestone rocks with their very many, often sharp holes.

The Franconian Jura is the birth place of "red pointing". In the early 1970s, Kurt Albert introduced free climbing without technical aids here. Many classic climbs date back to the 70s and 80s: "Sautanz" (9-) and "Magnet" (9+) by Kurt Albert or the "Neue Dimension" by Wolfgang "Flipper" Fietz, in 1974 the first grade 9 ascent. It was also Wolfgang Fietz, together with Nobert Bätz, who in the 70s brought bouldering back to the Franconian Jura. Originally climbing without a rope on low boulders was intended as training for alpine climbers, but it has long since developed to a trend sport.

The first ascents in Franconia by climber Wolfgang Güllich became world-famous. This exceptional climber set new climbing standards world-wide with his first ascents on "Wallstreet" (1987) and on "Action Directe" (1991). Both routes were the most difficult ones in the world at the time of their first ascent. The "Action" remains one of the ten most difficult routes world-wide and is a severe test for any ambitious professional climber.

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