Freiburg im Breisgau: Germany

Freiburg im Breisgau: Germany
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, in the Breisgau region, on the western edge of the southern Black Forest (in German language: Schwarzwald) with about 200,000 inhabitants. It is situated at 47°59’43� north, 7°51’11� east. Popular opinion has it that Freiburg is the warmest, sunniest city in Germany. It straddles the Dreisam river, on the foothills of the Schlossberg. The city is surrounded by the Black Forest mountains Rosskopf and Bromberg in the east, and in the south and west by the Schönberg, Tuniberg and the Kaiserstuhl.
Culture in Freiburg
Because of its scenic beauty, relatively warm and sunny climate and easy access to the Black Forest, Freiburg is a hub for regional tourism. The longest cable car in Germany (3.6 km, or about 2.25 miles) runs from just outside the city to a nearby mountain called Schauinsland. The city has an unusual system of gutters (called Bächle) that run throughout its centre. These Bächle, once used to provide water to fight fires and refresh livestock, are constantly flowing with water diverted from the Dreisam. Local tradition has it that if you step in a Bächle, you will marry a Freiburger.
The Augustinerplatz is one of the central squares in the old city. Formerly the location of an Augustine monastery, it is now a beloved gathering place for Freiburg’s residents. It has quite a few restaurants and bars, including “Feierling� a local brewery, which has a Biergarten that overlooks the square.
At the center of the old city is the its largest square, the Münsterplatz, home of a farmers’ market every day except Sundays. This is the site of Freiburg’s Münster, a gothic Minster Cathedral constructed of red sandstone, built between 1200 and 1530. The Freiburg Münster is noted for its flamboyant spire.
The Historisches Kaufhaus, or historical marketplace, is a Renaissance building constructed between 1520 and 1530 which was once the center of the financial life of the region. Its façade is decorated with the coat of arms of the Habsburgs.
The Platz der alten Synagoge “Place of the Old Synagogue� is one of the more important squares on the outskirts of the historic old city. The square was the location of a Synagogue until it was destroyed on the Night of Broken Glass in 1938.
St George is the Patron Saint of Freiburg.