Freyburg

Freyburg is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Unstrut, 9 km northwest of Hanseatic Naumburg, 63 km from Leipzig and 231 km from Berlin. It is part of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft ("collective municipality") Unstruttal.The town is a tourist destination, best known for its vineyards, historic town centre, superb 11th-century castle and associations with Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (founder of modern gymnastics). One of the most prosperous towns in the region, Freyburg is nicknamed 'Tuscany of the North' It is the headquarters of one of the world's largest wine companies. The town and the castle of Freyburg are part of the World Heritage nomination “Naumburg Cathedral and the High Medieval Cultural Landscape of the Rivers Saale and Unstrut”.HistoryThis part of the cultural landscape is closely associated with the powerful noble family of the Ludowings, who left their mark here from 1080 onwards. As counts palatine of Saxony and landgraves of Thuringia they belonged to the highest ranks of nobility in the High Middle Ages.NeuenburgMost prominent monument to their rank and ambition is the large Neuenburg Castle dating to the period between 1090 and 1220, which is among the biggest and most remarkable castles of its time in all of Europe. It features a double chapel, a residence tower for the ducal family, a very impressive castle keep „Dicker Wilhelm“ and vast authentic wall and fortification structures, all dating back to this period.