A few words about Freiburg

With its 211,000 inhabitants, Freiburg im Breisgau is one of the most favoured university towns in Germany. It is located in the country's south-western corner, by the border with Switzerland and France, at the foothill of the Schwarzwald, on the river Dreisam, and it is known for its mild climate - in fact, it has been dubbed the sunniest town in Germany.

Freiburg was founded in 1120 by Conrad of the Swabian House of Zähringen. It flourished largely thanks to its university, founded in 1457 by Archduke Albrecht VI of Austria. From the 14th c. the city placed itself under Austrian suzerainty, and the Habsburgs ruled it for some five centuries. Showing no enthusiasm for the Reformation, Freiburg remained an important center of Catholicism with ominous witch hunts and executions. In the 16th - 17th c., the city suffered five sieges, was captured four times, and its population was reduced to a third by the plague. In 1677 it was taken by the French and Vauban made it an impregnable fortress. The city was restored to Austria in 1697. In 1805 Freiburg reverted to the House of Zähringen. Since 1821, it was an Episcopal seat which further enhanced its prestige and development.

The Cathedral of Freiburg (Münster), one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in the world, was built between 1200 and 1510 in red sandstone. The Cathedral is famous for its magnificent spire, an emblem of the city. The tower is 116 metres high and contains one of the oldest bells in Germany, the Hosanna (1258). It offers a wonderful panorama of the town and its surroundings.

The Colombi Palace, a 19th-century villa in neo-Gothic style, now houses the Museum of Early and Pre-History. The new Town Hall in Rathausplatz was created by converting several older Renaissance buildings, previously used by the university administration. A carillon in the small tower plays daily at noon. The other notable building in the square is the Franciscan Monastery with its church built about the beginning of the 14th century. There is a fountain in the square, erected in the memory of Berthold Schwarz, the supposed inventor of gunpowder who was a member of the Franciskan convent in Freiburg. The House of the Whale, remarkable for its fine Gothic doorway, was the home of Erasmus of Rotterdam for two years. The Merchant's Hall was the seat of the municipal market and the customs administration. It was built in the early 16th c., and the coats of arms that decorate it show Freiburg's links with the Habsburgs. West of the Merchants Hall there is a large Baroque palace whixh used to be the Archbishop's Palace.

Freiburg has been referred to as "the city of forests, wine and the Gothic". Despite its sizable population, it has managed to preserve the tranquil atmosphere of a small town where there is no rush and people are friendly and open. The university continues to play an important role for the city's image. In fact, with about 3000 students, about one in every six inhabitants of Freiburg is a student.

The lively old town is a charming place for a stroll and for shopping. There are countless leather shops, jewelers, perfumeries, bookshops, antique shops, boutiques and toy shops. Of course there are large malls where you can go on a shopping spree but do consider visiting the street market on Cathedral Square. In the small alleys off the main shopping streets, you will see the town's emblematic system of "Bächle" - rivulets running in the middle of the streets. The saying goes that whoever steps in them, will marry a Freiburger.

The coutryside around Freiburg yields excellent grapes and is famous for its fine wines.