So says the Greensboro News-Record:
LITTLE SWITZERLAND — Here’s Little Switzerland in a nutshell: a market, a tavern, a cafe, a few inns and a bookstore.
Maybe it sounds as if the town could fit in a nutshell.
But there’s plenty to do to fill a day or two in this no-stoplight town in Mitchell County that sits 3,500 feet above sea level.
A typical lunch costs less than $10 at the Little Switzerland Cafe, where the trademark dish is a smoked trout BLT, the creation of chef and co-owner Lora Lanier.
“She tries to create meals for a sophisticated crowd,” says Ann Kernahan, Lanier’s business partner. “The menu puts lots of different flavors together, but they work.”
Upstairs, Zackery’s Pub pours microbrews and hosts local musicians on weekends.
“We basically get inexpensive travelers,” says Thomas Wright, owner of Little Switzerland Book Exchange, where book purchases come with a free cup of coffee or ice cream.
Find a good page-turner and sit a spell in the reading room, where worn leather chairs, Tiffany lamps and windows open to mountain breezes — a welcoming spot to hang out.
Hikers can find waterfalls near the town, and Mount Mitchell is a short drive away.
Little Switzerland is about three hours from Greensboro. Or make it a detour that’s 30 minutes off the road to Asheville.
And while you’re there, put a card in the mail to Mom postmarked from “Little Switzerland.” Now, that’s a cheap souvenir.