Sights in Black Forest
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Münster
Freiburg's 11th-century Münster is the monster of all minsters, a red-sandstone giant that looms above the half-timbered façades framing the square. Its riot of punctured spires and gargoyles flush scarlet in the dusk light.
The main portal is adorned with sculptures depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments - spy allegorical figures such as Voluptuousness (the one with snakes on her back) and Satan himself. Nearby are medieval wall markings used to ensure that merchandise (eg loaves of bread) were of the requisite size.
Square at the base, the sturdy tower becomes an octagon higher up and is crowned by a filigreed 116m-high spire. Ascend the tower for an excellen…
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Vitra Design Museum
Sharp angles contrast with graceful swoops and swirls on Frank Gehry's strikingly post-modern Vitra Design Museum. The blindingly white edifice hosts thought-provoking contemporary design exhibitions. Buildings on the nearby Vitra campus, designed by prominent architects like Nicholas Grimshaw, Zaha Hadid and Alvaro Siza, can be visited on a two-hour architectural tour.
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Bächle
Walking around Freiburg, keep an eye out for the Bächle, the permanently flowing rivulets that run along many footpaths. Originally part of an elaborate system to deliver nonpotable water, these literal 'tourist traps' now provide welcome relief for hot feet on sweltering summer days. It's said that if you fall into one you'll marry a Freiburger or a Freiburgerin.
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Steinwasen Park
You'll probably spy the eye-popping, 218m-long hanging bridge before you even reach this family park. Here woodland trails wriggle past roomy enclosures alive with Black Forest and Alpine animals, such as marmots and nimble-footed chamois. Bouncing on the bridge aside, there's fun to be had on whizzy rides like Gletscherblitz and River Splash.
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Museum für Stadtgeschichte
The sculptor Christian Wentzinger's baroque town house, east of the Kaufhaus, now shelters the Museum für Stadtgeschichte, spelling out in artefacts Freiburg's eventful past. Inside a wrought-iron staircase guides the eye to an elaborate ceiling fresco.
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Kollegiengebäude I
The university quarter, in the area west of Martinstor, consists of an eclectic mix of old and new buildings. The Kollegiengebäude I has Art Nouveau elements, while the Alte Universitätsbibliothek (Old University Library) is resolutely neo-Gothic.
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Archäologisches Museum
In a sculpture-dotted park sits the neo-Gothic Colombischlössle villa, housing the Archäologisches Museum. A cast-iron staircase leads to a stash of archaeological finds from Celtic grave offerings to Roman artefacts.
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Mosaics
As you stroll around Freiburg's mostly pedestrianised Altstadt, be sure to look down at the pavement for the cheerful mosaics found in front of many shops. A diamond marks a jewellery shop, a cow is for a butcher, a pretzel for a baker and so on.
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Historisches Kaufhaus
Facing the Münster's south side is the arcaded brick-red Historisches Kaufhaus, a 16th-century merchants' hall. The coats of arms on the oriels and the four figures above the balcony symbolise Freiburg's allegiance to the House of Habsburg.
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Alte Universitätsbibliothek
The university quarter, in the area west of Martinstor, consists of an eclectic mix of old and new buildings. The Kollegiengebäude I has Art Nouveau elements, while the Alte Universitätsbibliothek is resolutely neo-Gothic.
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Rathausplatz
Freiburg locals hang out by the fountain in chestnut-shaded Rathausplatz. On its western side, note the red-sandstone Neues Rathaus (New City Hall). On its northern side, the medieval Martinskirche demands attention.
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Martinskirche
The medieval Martinskirche, once part of a Franciscan monastery, demands attention on the northern side of Rathausplatz. Severely damaged in WWII, it was rebuilt in the ascetic style typical of this mendicant order.
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Schwabentor
A block east of the Museum of Modern Art is the muralled, 13th-century Schwabentor, a massive city gate with tram tracks running under its arches. Trails nearby wind up to the forested Schlossberg.
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Augustinermuseum
Housed in a former monastery, the Augustinermuseum showcases paintings by Baldung, Matthias Grünewald and Cranach. Its rich collection of medieval stained glass ranks among Germany's finest.
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Aussichtsturm
The forested Schlossberg dominates the town (that's why the French built a fort there in the late 1600s). It's topped by the ice-cream-cone-shaped Aussichtsturm; the views are fantastic!
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Haus zum Walfisch
Across the street from Martinskirche is its architectural antithesis, the marvellously extravagant Haus zum Walfisch, whose late-Gothic oriel is garnished with two impish gargoyles.
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Museum für Neue Kunst
Across the Gewerbekanal, the Museum für Neue Kunst highlights 20th-century expressionist and abstract art, including emotive works by Oskar Kokoschka and Otto Dix.
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Neues Rathaus
The Neues Rathaus comprises two Renaissance town houses that flank an arcaded section leading to a cobblestone courtyard. The tower contains a carillon, played at noon daily.
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Bertoldsbrunnen
Edging north along Kaiser-Joseph-Strasse brings you to the trickling Bertoldsbrunnen, which marks where the city's thoroughfares have crossed since it was founded in 1091.
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Schlossberg
The forested Schlossberg dominates the town and is topped by the ice cream-cone-shaped Aussichtsturm (lookout tower); scale it for far-reaching views.
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Altes Rathaus
Linked to the Neues Rathaus by an over-the-street pedestrian bridge is the step-gabled Altes Rathaus (1559), which houses the tourist office.
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Gerichtslaube
Freiburg's oldest town hall, the 13th-century Gerichtslaube, is slightly west along Turmstrasse.
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