Freistadt

Today again, my sister and I were looking after our little niece. Of course, we wanted to take her on a train ride. So we decided to pay a visit to Freistadt.

As children, we had often spent the Christmas holidays there together with our parents, and during our teenage years, we went there at Easter. I myself had last been in Freistadt in 2009 with my then partner and my son, while my sister hadn’t been there since 1983. We were both curious to see how much the town had changed.

We took the train to Linz, where we transferred to a bus. Freistadt is a town in the Mühlviertel region. It impresses above all with its beautiful medieval architecture.

We first decided to take a walk around the Stadtgraben (city moat). The former fortification now serves as a recreational area, with a beautiful park laid out where a little stream winds romantically through it.

There was also something for children: a pretty playground that the little girl enjoyed using.

Noteworthy is also the Planet Trail. Here the planets and the distances between them are scaled accurately. The trail starts in Freistadt and ends in Sandl. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to do the entire trail, but I would like to catch up on that someday.

Finally, we made our way into the old town. It is surrounded by a perfectly preserved city wall. Several gates provide access. The most important ones are probably the Linzertor from the 13th century and the Böhmertor.

We strolled leisurely through the narrow streets of the beautiful old town. Along the way, we repeatedly came across old watchtowers and intricately decorated gates.

Soon we reached the main square, which was already laid out in the 13th century. At the upper end of the square stands the parish church, also dating from the 13th century.

In the center of the main square is a baroque fountain with a statue of Mary from the 17th century.

Along the way, we first stopped at the Schlosstaverne and later at the Ratsherrenkeller. We knew both places from our childhood. We had often eaten here with our parents.

The interiors of both establishments had been renovated since then, but the exteriors remained largely unchanged. We ordered some smaller snacks for lunch, drinks, and of course, coffee. Later, we bought the little one a much-anticipated ice cream.

After another walk through the autumnal town, it was finally time to head home.

We strolled once more along the city wall to the bus stop. A few hours later, we were back home, full of new impressions and reawakened childhood memories.