"Freiburg in Breisgau is a city - lying in a noble and fertile location - where there is an entrance to the Black Forest/ has grown exquisitely in a few years/ in buildings/ churches/ monasteries/ high schools/ wealth etc. ..."

Thus was the city described by Sebastian Münster in his 'Cosmographica Universalis' of 1550. Freiburg could already look back on 500 years of history at this time. Founded at the end of the 11th century, the settlement was granted the right to hold markets in 1120. The founders of the city, the Dukes of Zähringen - a present-day suburb still bears the family name - were responsible for further historical development: from loose associations of people to a modern regional and administrative municipal area.

Its impossible to overlook. The people of Freiburg are cyclists. There are apparently more bicycles than residents in the city.  Housewives and househusbands with vegetables in their cycle baskets, mud splattered mountain bikers returning from the Schauinsland, or groups of students cycling to their next lecture.

For many visitors to the city the masses of bicycles parked around the University and the historic town centre are a typical memory of Freiburg which they take away with them.

The Bollenhut traditional hat with its pompoms suits the Black Forest particularly well. People all over the world are always glad to see it. As a symbol, as a trademark.

The Bollenhut hat, however, is traditionally only worn in three parishes: Gutach, Wolfach-Kirnbach and Hornberg-Reichenbach.

SonjaThe hat is a very valuable item and is made by an ever decreasing number of skilled seamstresses and milliners. Its elaborate magnificence is only on display on special occasions.

The colour of the hat's pompoms is significant: red indicates that the lady wearing the hat is unmarried, black means she is married.

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.