Freiburg has a population of around 200,000, of which 25,000 are university and college students, and a history that goes back some 900 years. The old city centre still bears witness to this. The location at the foot of the Black Forest with France and Switzerland nearby makes Freiburg an ideal starting point for numerous memorable excursions.
A further point in its favour is the mild climate: Freiburg is the warmest and sunniest city in Germany.
Freiburg has always had the reputation of being the ecological capital of Germany. That means that it is a town with an unusually high awareness of ecological and environmental issues.
The standard of public transport is high and serves as an international model. Nowadays, Freiburg is called the "Solar City". The use of the sun as a resource is much more popular in Freiburg than in any other region of Germany. At the Expo 2000 in Hannover it was the town of Freiburg which presented the use of regenerative energy.
In this field, a surprising amount of offers can be found in Freiburg:
Regional solar energy plant (A network of photovoltaic plants at different sites all over Freiburg).
Solar community of "Plus Energy Houses" at Schlierberg from the well-known solar architect Rolf Disch.
Solar power research institute "Fraunhofer-Institut für solare Energiesysteme".
Solar energy advancement programs of the "FEW", the local power-supply institution.
Centre for information about the solar region at the central station.
Guided solar tours offered by "Freiburg Futur", located in the bicycle centre ("Mobilé") at the railway station.
Related links City of Freiburg
Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik & Messe
