Freiburger Münster (cathedral)

There are several good reasons for this:

The construction - which, by the way, took over 300 years! The planning required incredible foresight - over generations. Most of the clients never got to see the final result and simply had to trust that the cathedral would be completed according to their wishes.

The 116-metre-high west tower: the famous art historian Jacob Burckhardt named it "the most beautiful tower on earth" as early as 1869. The heavy walls and magnificent pillars in the lower section symbolize the connection to the earth. As a counterpart to this, the spire opens up to the sky. It was the first in the history of Gothic architecture to be built in a completely openwork manner. Architecturally and artistically, it was therefore regarded as a model for countless European churches.

The 750-year-old Hosanna, which makes the cathedral sound special. The three-ton bell is one of the oldest Angelus bells in Germany. Its sound is unmistakable: melancholy, loud and clear.

The many small details, such as the gargoyles. The 91 individually designed figures have the task of protecting the masonry from too much rainwater. At the same time, they are supposed to keep evil demons away from the church and were therefore often depicted with open, screaming mouths.

Freiburg Minster was miraculously spared from war bombs - and now tells over 800 years of the city's history.