Social/Cultural Program

Tour Descriptions

Motto: “Freiburg in heart of Europe”

City Tour Freiburg: Treasures of the OldTown (Fully Booked)

Monday, July 27, 2009: 10:00 – 12.00 a.m.
€ 8.00 per person / reduced rate for children ex 6 years: € 4.00

During a tour through the old town you will become acquainted with the worth seeing streets, squares and buildings of Freiburg. Besides you will find out more about the streams and lanes, the colourful farmer-market and the history of the city itself.

The centre of your day will be a visit of the gothic minster with its valuables of medieval art. The Freiburg Minster (German: Freiburger Münster) is a magnificent cathedral. It was built in three stages, the first beginning in the year 1120. Of the original building, only the foundations still exist. The church became seat of the Catholic archbishop of Freiburg, when it officially became recognised as a cathedral, in 1827. There are two important altars inside the cathedral: the high altar of Hans Baldung, and another altar of Hans Holbein the Younger in a side chapel.

The famous windows were donated by the guilds, and the symbols of the guilds are feature on them. The deep red colour in some of the windows is not the result of a dye, but instead the result of a suspension of solid gold nanoparticles.

Easy Hiking Tour around Freiburg (Fully Booked)

Monday, July 27, 2009: 02:00 – 04:00 p.m.
€ 8.00 per person / reduced rate for children ex 6 years: € 4.00 

This tour leads you on foot to the gardens around Freiburg. The City garden offers nice flowers and some beautiful places. Then you will hike to a freestanding out-look-tower on the “Schlossberg” with a great view on the Rhine valley, the Black Forest, the Vosges (France) and the Swiss Alps.

Further you will walk along the Dreisam-River and through the chestnut gardens. The tour is led by an experienced guide, sturdy shoes are recommended.        

Excursion to Lake Constance

The Excursion to the lake Constance is totally themed with beauties of nature in Central Europe. The lake Constance is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the base of the Alps. The freshwater lake sits at 395 m above sea level and is Central Europe's third largest. It is 63 km long, and at its widest point, nearly 14 km. It covers approximately 571 km² (208 mi²) of total area.

The journey to the lake Constance passes the Black Forest and the Höllental (Valley of Hell). The island of flowers (Mainau) is one of the main tourist attractions of Lake Constance. It is maintained as a garden island and a model of excellent environmental practices. Beside flowers there is a park landscape with views on the lake. There is also a greenhouse with tropical climate and thousands of butterflies.

After lunch you will visit Stein am Rhein, a Swiss village with medieval culture. It is worth seeing the well-preserved city wall and the ancient paintings from the 16th century.

Black Forest & Titisee

This excursion is free for all congress participants and registered accompanying persons and leads you to the Black Forest. You will spend the afternoon around the beautiful “Titisee” and will have enough time to enjoy the nature. The Titisee lake is situated south of Freiburg. It is said it got its name from Roman Emperor Titus. It owes its creation to the Feldberg glacier. The lake's outflow is the river Gutach at 840 m above sea level.

European Metropolis Strasbourg

Please take your passport with you!

At this journey you have the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the Alsatian metropolises. Already during the drive to Strasbourg you will be introduced into the history. Moreover you will take part in a city sightseeing tour from the old Strasbourg to the modern buildings of the European institutions. This exciting journey will give you an overall view of the today important Europe City (University, European Parliament, “Wilhelminisches” quarter). Detailed city guidance will follow in the centre. You will walk through Petite France, the old Gerber quarter as far as to Gutenberg place.

Colmar and Breisach

This tour will lead you to the Alsace – the picturesque region of France just in the neighbourhood of Freiburg. In Colmar you will join a walking tour through the historical centre. Colmar is situated along the Alsatian Wine Route and considers itself to be the "Capital of Alsatian Wine". Colmar is the home town of the painter and engraver Martin Schongauer and the sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi. The city is renowned for its well preserved old town, its numerous architectural landmarks and its museums, among which the Unterlinden Museum, home to the world famous Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald.

After a lunch break the journey will go back to the German side of the Alsace: you will explore Breisach on foot. Breisach is a city situated along the Rhine. Its name is Celtic and means breakwater. The root "Breis" can also be found in the French word "briser" meaning to break. The hill, on which Breisach came into existence, was—at least when there was a flood—in the middle of the Rhine until the Rhine was straightened by the engineer Johann Gottfried Tulla in the 19th century, thus breaking its surge. The Romanesque cathedral in Breisach, St. Stephansmünster has a late Gothic altar and paintings by Martin Schongauer.
 

One of Europe's largest wine cellars called “Badischer Weinkeller” is located in Breisach. The day will end with a sightseeing of this famous wine cellars and a wine tasting before going back to Freiburg. (Wine tasting only for adults)