Bertoldsbrunnen (Bertold’s Fountain)

The Bertoldsbrunnen is actually more of a geographical place name than a monument. It is situated at the intersection of Freiburg’s shopping street, Kaiser-Joseph-Strasse, and Salzstrasse, a central convergence point for all of the city’s five trolley car lines. This perhaps explains why "Berti" is the most popular meeting place in Freiburg, and also the busiest.

Those who manage to cross the street, dodging trolley cars, tourists and locals, will find a four-meter-high limestone pedestal crowned with an abstract bronze equestrian statue. The monument in honor of the dukes of Zähringen and named after Freiburg’s founder, Duke Bertold, stands in a small, shallow pool of water. Bertoldsbrunnen was inaugurated in 1965 and replaces the Fischbrunnen, or Fish Fountain, which was destroyed during the Second World War.

“See you at 6 at Berti!” But don't forget to say which side, for example, “The LA corner,” short for the “Löwenapotheke” pharmacy: to make sure you don't waste time looking for each other in the midst of the chaos at “Berti.”