Colombischlössle

Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, Germany

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The Colombischlössle is a charming neo-Gothic manor house located in the city center of Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, which now houses the Archaeological Museum Freiburg.

Countess Maria Antonia Gertrudis von Zea Bermudez y Colombi commissioned the building in 1859 after her husband's death as a widow's residence, and Freiburg architect Georg Jakob Schneider constructed it between 1859 and 1861 in the playful Tudor Gothic style of medieval England using whimsical red sandstone. The castle was built on the site of the former French bastion Saint Louis from Freiburg's old city fortifications, which was filled in 15 meters and converted into a garden.

From 1909 to 1923, it served as a municipal art museum, then became an administrative building, and since its renovation in 1983 has housed the Archaeological Museum, formerly called the Museum of Pre- and Early History, which displays original artifacts from the Stone Age through late Antiquity to the Middle Ages including Roman discoveries, Alemannic treasure chamber finds, and items from the Augustiner monastery.

The Colombischlössle and its beautiful park, featuring flower beds, fountains, sculptures, and exotic plants and trees, have been designated as a national heritage site since 2003.