Schlossberg (Freiburg)

The Schlossberg (Fortified Castle) is a tree-covered hill of 456 metres (1,496 ft) located in the area of the city of Freiburg im Breisgau. It is directly to the east of Freiburg’s Old Town and belongs to the Black Forest. The main geological fault is at the western edge of the Schlossberg towards the Upper Rhine Graben.

Fortified structures had been built on the Schlossberg since the 11th century. Remains of some of them are still visible today. For a few years now the board of trustees has tried to make the historical past of the Schlossberg in Freiburg more visible. To achieve this, the remains of the old, overgrown fortifications are being carefully uncovered to make them available to interested visitors. The tower located on the hill (Schloßbergturm) offers a unique panoramic view over the whole town and its vicinity, and was built in 2002 as a project of the board of trustees.

The Burghaldering (literally the Motte ring) also offers a good view over the city, especially from the Kanonenplatz right above the historical centre. The Burghaldering, which circles the hill at half height is partly a hiking trail and partly a forest road closed to motor traffic. It can be reached by foot or car and, since July 2008, also via the new Schlossbergbahn, a funicular railway built to replace the old Schlossberg cable railway.

Inside the mountain, there is a water tower built between 1874 and 1876 to supply Freiburg. Alongside the water tank a large bomb shelter can be found, which was built in the 20th century. Its main entrance is located on the west side of the mountain. The Bismarcktower, made of red sandstone, is located on a rock above the Burghaldering. It was designed by Fritz Geiges and inaugurated in 1900.

As far back as 1091, Berthold II, Duke of Zähringen, built the Romanesque-style Castum de Friburch, mentioned in numerous documents and praised in the songs of the medieval poet Hartmann von Aue. It was not until thirty years later in 1120 that his son Konrad, with the permission of Emperor Heinrich IV, bestowed the right to hold a market upon the settlement of artisans and servants which had grown up at the foot of the hill. This marked the end of the founding period of the city of Freiburg.

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Wikipedia