In Franconia, water meadows can be found in the foothills of the northern Franconian Alb and in the central Franconian basin. The Wiesent, Rednitz and Regnitz watercourses provide the water for the remarkably large, traditional irrigation areas. The water wheels on the Regnitz are the only remaining Noria deposits north of the Alps. The water meadows in the valleys of the Franconian basin and the foothills of the Alb are also very valuable overall. The climate here is mild and continental, with relatively little rainfall and regular dry periods in spring and midsummer.
Read more and discover:
Book volume (in German): Traditionelle Bewässerung – ein Kulturerbe Europas, Band 2, Regional Documentation
Website Water Meadows (Wässerwiesen) www.waesserwiesen.de
and in particular their link list www.waesserwiesen-franken.de/de/interessante-links.php
German UNESCO Commission www.unesco.de/kultur-und-natur/immaterielles-kulturerbe/immaterielles-kulturerbe-deutschland/waesserwiesen
Brochure (in German) WunderWelt WässerWiesen - Traditionelle Bewässerung der Wässerwiesen in Franken (.pdf)
Flyer (in German) WässerWiesen RednitzTal Nürnberg - Nachhaltige Kulturlandschaft inmitten der Großstadt (.pdf)
App: WunderWelt Wässerwiesen (mit Infopoint Wässerwiesen Pretzfeld)
Forchheim District Office, lra-fo.de
Environmental Office of the City of Nuremberg, www.nuernberg.de/internet/umweltamt
Landschaftspflegeverband Schwabach (Schwabach Landscape Conservation Association), www.lpv-schwabach.de
Wässerwiesen interest group
various water cooperatives and water associations
Water meadows: Irrigation of the Mühl- and Auerberg meadows near Kirchehrenbach in Franconia (Walberla in the background), © Landratsamt Forchheim