Town in Saxony, Germany
Photo: Detlev Müller, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Freiberg is a town in Saxony, Germany. It has one of the best preserved historic town centres in the state, and is known for its cathedral and centuries-old mining tradition. It is seat of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, the second oldest technical university still in existence.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Dom St. Marien
Most of the cathedral is late-Gothic dating from the late 15th century, after its predecessor mostly burned down during a big town fire. Fortunately the original, elaborately decorated and sculptured Romanesque portal survived. It is one of the most outstanding pieces of 13th-century art in Germany. Another notable artwork within the cathedral is the unconventionally formed late-Gothic "tulip pulpit". The cathedral's choir contains the burial place of the Saxon prince-electors and their families from the 16th to late 17th century and has lavish Baroque decorations.
Petrikirche
Late-Romanesque basilica from c. 1200. The higher of its two towers is 72 m high and stands on the highest point of the city (405 m above sea level). It is Freiberg's best-known landmark and can be seen from many places in the wider region.
Nikolaikirche
The first church here was built in the late 12th century in the Romanesque style. It was rebuilt several times, now showing a mostly Baroque style. It was secularised in 1975 and is used as a concert hall and event location.
Schloss Freudenstein
The castle is as old as the city and was built to protect mining and trade. Some of Saxony's electors resided here most of the time and some of their princes were born here. In the second half of the 16th century, it was transformed into a more comfortable Renaissance-style palace. In 1784, the military took over the building and converted it to an arms depot. Nowadays, it houses the world's largest collection of minerals, gems and meteorites that was donated by a private collector to the University of Freiberg.
Stadt- und Bergbaumuseum Freiberg
In a Gothic gabled cathedral canon residence.
Himmelfahrt Fundgrube, Besucherbergwerk Freiberg
300-year-old silver mine, used to demonstrate the history of mining during different eras. There are different tours, from 45 minutes to 5 hours, illustrating geology, history and technology of eight centuries.
Betten- und Schlafmuseum
By train
By car
Freiberg is about 16 km off the autobahn A 4 (exit Siebenlehn or Berbersdorf). It is crossed by the B 173 road that links Dresden with Chemnitz, and by the B 101 between Meißen and the Ore Mountains.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Dresden · International · DRS
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Freiberg and Germany.
Understand travel insurance for a Schengen visa in 2026. Learn mandatory €30,000 medical coverage, zero deductible rules, and embassy-approved policies.
7 min read
Estimate your Europe trip cost for 2 weeks in 2026. Compare realistic budgets for lodging, Eurail trains, dining, and sightseeing across three styles.
8 min read
Plan your trip with our Oktoberfest 2027 guide. Learn how to reserve beer tent tables, understand Munich hotel booking windows, and budget daily costs.
8 min read
Explore the best castle and gothic hotel stays in Europe. Discover historic fortresses, medieval estates, luxury châteaux, and Spanish parador hotels.
6 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.