Freudenberg

About

Founded around the 14th century, Freudenberg’s historic center, known as the “Alter Flecken” suffered from two massive fires in the 16th and 17th centuries. After the 1666 fire Prince Johann Moritz von Nassau-Siegen had the town built anew, following the same town plan used in 1540. The result is a neighborhood made up entirely of traditional half-timbered houses – all roughly the same size, shape, and color. A grid of cobbled streets makes it easy for visitors to appreciate the picture-perfect neighborhood, labelled a "Building monument of international importance”. One of these historic buildings houses the Museum of Technology, which houses everything from model trains to a vintage machine shop. The belltower of the town’s 16th century, fortified church is actually one of the former castle's towers.