Capital of the Black Forest, Frieburg is an ancient and lively university town with a sense of humor. Considered the sunniest town in Germany, it makes good use of the this free source of energy and is almost entirely powered by a large solar farm just outside of town.
Since the 13th century "streamlets" have lined every street with water that was used to put out fires. Today, children delight in water play.
Market day by the cathedral (on the left.) Note the buildings on the right look clean and well maintained; that's because they are actually new. Freiburg was heavily bombed during WWII and the city was almost entirely rebuilt.
Miraculously, the cathedral dating from 1200 was spared from bombing. Above, on the wall next to the entrance, note the date 1270 and the oval and round marks. These were the official bread sizes used to check the size of a just purchased loaf of bread and prevent cheating.
Another unique feature distinguishing Freiburg are mosaic coats of arms in the cobblestoned streets. Each merchant has its own. Above, the book merchant, the wine dealer, the furniture maker and the tailor.
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