The Curious Craze for ‘Little Switzerlands’ in 19th-Century England
From The Observatory
In 19th-century England, a unique trend transformed the countryside: the creation of “Little Switzerlands.” These were ornamental gardens and small Alpine-style cottages built to imitate the mountains and scenery of Switzerland. Wealthy landowners and public attractions installed these miniature landscapes, complete with thatched cottages, small ponds, and artificial hillocks, creating charming but often unrealistic versions of Alpine environments.
The fascination with Swiss scenery began in the late 18th century, when writers, artists, and travelers romanticized the Alps as wild, beautiful, and free. Figures like William Wordsworth visited Switzerland and compared its mountains to English landscapes, inspiring an aesthetic that turned the sublime — awe-inspiring and sometimes frightening natural beauty — into something manageable and picturesque at home. Swiss landscapes became a symbol of freedom, beauty, and idealized countryside living, which could then be adapted to local settings.
By the 1800s, Swiss cottages and gardens were built across England, and even in places as flat as Norfolk, to bring the Alpine experience closer to home. This trend also spread to other countries, including the United States, where New Yorkers complained about the rise of “Swiss cottages” along the Hudson River. The appeal was not only aesthetic; these landscapes were carefully designed for tourists’ enjoyment and became part of leisure culture, blending Romantic ideals with a playful, kitschy charm.
Although originally admired for their artistry and creativity, the Swiss-style cottages were often criticized as artificial and overly neat. Modern observers see them as whimsical and peculiar, a curious mix of fantasy, art, and landscaping. Today, “Little Switzerlands” remain as historical reminders of how imagination, literature, and tourism shaped the English countryside, offering a miniature vision of the Alps far from their rugged, mountainous origins.
Read the full article “The Curious Craze for ‘Little Switzerlands’ in 19th-Century England” by Seán Williams
🔭 This summary was human-edited with AI-assist.
