The heart of Freiburg, dominated by the red sandstone tower of the Freiburg Minster, one of the great Gothic cathedrals of Germany. The square itself is as lively as the church is grand.
Every day except Sunday a farmers market fills the square with local produce, flowers, and regional specialities — Black Forest honey, Kaiserstühler wine, fresh herbs, and seasonal vegetables from nearby Baden farms. Come on Saturday morning when it's at its fullest.
Around the edges of the square stand the ochre-yellow Historisches Kaufhaus (the 16th-century merchants' hall) and the late-Gothic Wentzingerhaus, now home to the city museum. The ornate Habsburg insignia on the Kaufhaus facade is a reminder that Freiburg spent three centuries under Austrian rule.