Freudenstadt
"Reanaissance Urban Planning"
Freudenstadt was founded in 1599 by Duke Friedrich I. of Württemberg who planned to build his new residence here on top of the Black Forest heights. His architect Heinrich Schickhardt designed a geometrical ground plan which is still visible in today's town map.
The square central marketplace is surrounded by parallel streets with rows of uniform houses. In the middle of the square the duke's palace was intended to be built - which was not carried out due to political changes a and the failure of Friedrich's attempt to extend his territory further West.
Freudenstadt was heavily affected by World War II air raids. The reconstruction after the war followed the original plan but changed some details in the appearance of the houses.
The most particular of the town is the L-shaped parish church along one corner of the square.


S 41 to Freudenstadt in Karlsruhe's Kaiserstraße