The city of Freiburg
Is situated in the very south of Germany near France and Switzerland and is known as the warmest city in Germany even though it lies near the Black Forest (see Harry Potter 1 for further information). The name Freiburg translates to „free borough“ as the German word "Frei" means "free", and "Burg", like the modern English word "borough", was used in those days for a fortified town with some degree of autonomy. Freiburg is a typical university town with most of the inhabitants having something to do with the university, be it as one of the over 21.000 students from more than 100 nations or as an employee. With its broad pedestrian area, its large network of bicycle paths and lots of open areas and meeting places it is known for its high standard of living and advanced environmental practices. People can spend their free time at the border of the Dreisam river, meeting friends at one of the lakes or parks or visiting bars, clubs and leisure facilities. In addition to historical buildings like the famous medieval cathedral, the “Freiburger Bächle”, an unusual system of gutters running through the center and cooling down the air in summer is well worth seeing. It is said that if you fall or accidentally step into a Bächle, you will marry a Freiburger.
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Picture by courtesy of [http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterkaad/ Harthacnut 1], shared under the [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 generic license].