Photos: Woerl, Joseph Edmund (1803-1865) Herder, Bartholomew Weiss, J.H., Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Avi1111 dr. avishai teicher, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Dietmar Rabich, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Woerl, Joseph Edmund (1803-1865) Herder, Bartholomew Weiss, J.H., Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Avi1111 dr. avishai teicher, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Dietmar Rabich, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Vauban, a district built without cars
Your local guide
Daniel Berger
View profile
Highlights
- A barracks turned low-energy housing
- Rooftops generating more power than needed
- A district studied as a global model
- Ordinary streets built without much parking
- Freiburg's most modern quarter, explained
About this tour
This session walks through Vauban, a district built on a former French army barracks and studied worldwide as a model of sustainable design. You see the timber-framed housing that replaced the barracks and the solar rooftops that let some buildings generate more power than they use. It stays close to the district's streets rather than covering the wider city.
I walk at a steady pace and stop wherever a building detail is worth explaining. Questions about how the district actually functions come up often, and I send a short note afterwards with what we covered.
This suits anyone interested in urban design or sustainable building rather than only historic architecture. It also works well for visitors planning similar projects elsewhere.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Freiburg before heading out.
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Former Barracks Streets 21 min
You see the streets laid out where a French army barracks once stood, now lined with timber-framed, low-energy housing.
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Solar Rooftops 21 min
The camera looks up at the rooftops covered in solar panels, and I explain how the district generates more energy than it uses on sunny days.
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Your questions 9 min
Time to ask anything about Freiburg: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 4 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Lange Rote (Freiburg's long red sausage) and Wiehre, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Berlin time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Freiburg, showing you Former Barracks Streets and Solar Rooftops live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need any background in art?
No. The guide explains what matters as you go, whatever you already know or do not.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- The call happens on Google Meet, with the link sent with your booking. I walk at a steady pace between houses, so the details of each build stay easy to follow.
Times shown in Berlin time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Mon 2 Nov · 10 seats left From 20,00 €
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