Schlossbergturm

The Schlossbergturm stands thirty-five metres tall on the Schlossberg, a hill that rises gently from the edge of Freiburg's historic old town. The hill is a continuation of the Black Forest, so woodland greenery runs straight into the city below.

Built in 2002, the tower occupies the former site of the Fort de l'Aigle, which locals call Salzbüchsle. Freiburg architect Hubert Horbach drew the design, and part of the funding came from donations. Plaques on the steps carry every donor's name, so your climb doubles as a roll call of its backers.

Six Douglas-fir trunks from Freiburg's municipal forest wrap around a central steel staircase, so the structure blends into the trees around it. The 153 steps pass three platforms, each one looking out over the city and the countryside around it. From the top you take in the whole of Freiburg, the nearby Kaiserstuhl and, on clear days, the distant Vosges in France.