Freiberg, Saxony, Germany

We made it to Freiberg after a long but successful travel day. We probably broke a record for number of transport vehicles in a day. In Basel, Switzerland, start on a city tram to get a bus to the Basel Airport in France to fly to Dresden, Germany (via Munich). From the Dresden airport, take bus to another train station, to get to the main Dresden train station. Then train to Freiberg then a bus to near our hotel. Total 8.

We flew on two of these Canadair regional jets; each flight was only an hour but very noisy.
Airport (in France) near Basel, (in Switzerland)
Sculpture in same airport

We found late dinner near our hotel in Freiburg, and the next morning, Brian was greeted by colleagues also here for the meeting! Fun to be recognized so far from home.

Symbol of Saxony, showing the importance of mining and industry

Freiberg, founded in 1168, is in former East Germany. The old section is small, nearly circular, as one might expect from a Medieval Town that had been surrounded by a wall and a moat. The narrow, curving, cobblestone streets seem to be designed to mess up one’s sense of direction, and the buildings are tall. Getting lost or at least disoriented is a real possibility.

Freiberg, circa 1200 AD

Our hotel windows look out onto part of the old wall, built around 1200 AD. Only parts of the wall are still standing, as well as parts of the smaller wall on the other side of the moat that formerly protected the town. Now the moat area is a greenway that almost completely surrounds the town. Lovely walk or morning run for everyone.

Part of the outer wall
Church and museum adjacent to our hotel are inside the castle walls. On Thursday evening we attended an organ recital at the church.
Circular tower at the gate through the wall, on the other side of town from our hotel

Interestingly, the town got rich because of silver mines in the nearby mountains. Unfortunately, it also got polluted for the same reason, in part because of loose environmental restrictions in the former East Germany.

Castle in the center of Freiburg, originally built to house all riches from silver mining around 1200. Destroyed a couple times, most recently rebuilt in 2008. The shape of the curved arches in the roof are original.

After Germany reunited in 1990, years of cleanup began. Today, the town is green and beautiful, with lots of kids play areas in the surrounding green belt.

Flowery fountain near the old moat and a playground
Sculpture in a playground
Gate near church
Steeple of one of the churches
Monument, just outside the city wall
Monument to the founder of the town

On the last official day of the conference, Clare decided to take a camera on her daily moat walk, to show how the new buildings incorporate the old castle walls.

New white building on top of old castle wall
Different new white building using old castle wall as a siding and base
Tor and tower, showing new buildings inside the wall
Most interestingly, not on the tourist map, is the city hospital that uses the old castle walls. A huge parking garage is under the hospital, adjacent to the old walls.
The church where we attended an organ recital does not have stained glass windows, but the organ is magnificent and there is a depiction of the last supper above the altar.
Brian pointed his camera at the ceiling to record part of a piece by J.S. Bach.

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