Freital

Freital is a town in the Elbe Valley region of Saxony. One of the major centers of coal-mining, Freital preserves late 19th-century buildings and some technical landmarks, including the historical narrow-gauge railway Weißeritztalbahn.

Location and orientation
Freital lies a few kilometers south-west from Dresden in the valley of the Weißeritz river, the left tributary of the Elbe. The elevation is about 160 m near the river and up to 350 m on top of the neighboring hills. The Weißeritz valley is rather narrow. Upon arriving from Dresden, you will certainly feel the approach to the Erzgebirge mountains that lie south and south-west from Freital. Outside Freital, the northern part of the valley narrows to a ravine that leads to the Plauen district of Dresden. South of the town, the Weißeritz splits into (or, actually, merges from) two smaller rivers that flow in separate narrow valleys.

Freital is separated into several districts with easily-recognized borders. Until the beginning of the 20th century, each district constituted a separate town or village, and these individual settlements are still not fully merged into the unified town. The railroad and the main street (Dresdner Str.) run through the whole valley. As you come from Dresden, you first enter the Postchappel district. Then follow Döhlen and Burgk (west and east from the railroad, respectively). Further south, one finds Deuben, Hainsberg, and Coßmannsdorf.

History
The first settlements in the Weißeritz valley date back to the 13th century. Since the Middle Ages, the valley was known as a coal reserve. The coal mining began in the 16th century and rapidly increased at the end of the 18th century. In the first half of the 19th century, the Weißeritz valley was a leader of coal-mining in Germany. The latest technical inventions were introduced here: for example, the first German steam engine was installed in the Burgk village and is now on display in the local museum. The Freital valley was also pioneering in coke production and street gas lighting. Finally, the first mine railway with electrical locomotives also appeared in the Freital valley in 1882.

In 1921, small towns and villages of the Weißeritz valley merged into the town of Freital (Frei Tal means 'free valley'). In the middle of the 20th century, coal mining was gradually ceased. However, after World War II some of the mines were used again, this time for the mining of uranium. In the next forty years (until the re-unification of Germany in 1989), the region produced more than 3000 tons of uranium. Mining has now been abandoned. The population of Freital is about 39,000 (2017).

By train
There are railway stations in Potschappel, Deuben, and Hainsberg (two stations – Hainsberg and Hainsberg West) districts. All the stations are served by S3 S-bahn line Dresden – Tharandt and by RB trains running to Chemnitz or Zwickau. These trains operate every half an hour between 04:30 and 00:00. RE trains make a stop at Freital Deuben, IRE trains do not stop at Freital. The trip from Dresden Hbf takes 7–15 minutes.

All the stations within Freital are regular German railway platforms with ticket machines and without any human service. There are no lounges as well.

The historical narrow-gauge railway Weißeritztalbahn starts from Freital Hainsberg station and has one more stop at Coßmannsdorf. This railway continues to Dippoldiswalde.

By bus
Bus station is near the Freital Deuben train station. Buses from Wilsdruff and Dippoldiswalde (#348) and the long-distance regional bus T-400 that runs from Freiberg and other towns of the Erzebirge region arrive here.

The bus station also serves as a hub for local buses A–F. Bus A starts from Dresden (Löbtau district, connection to trams at Tharandter Str.) and passes through all of the Freital districts. This bus runs every 20–30 minutes between 04:30 and 01:00.

By car
From Dresden, follow the S194 road (Tharandter Str.) It is also possible to come to Freital from Tharandt and Freiberg (the same S194 road), Dippoldiswalde (B170, then S193), and Wilsdruff (S36). While arriving from other directions, drive via Dresden. The A17 motorway is just few kilometers north from Freital, but there is no direct exit to the town. The best option is to use exit #2 and follow the S36 road.

Get around
Districts of Freital are distant from each other. If you are going to visit several districts, the public transport may be necessary. Trains will bring you from one district to another (see above). Yet buses provide more convenient transfers. There are 6 local buses, labeled A to F. Bus A has regular weekend service and a convenient route spanning the whole town (Potschappel – Deuben – Hainsberg – Coßmannsdorf).

See
Each of the Freital districts has its own landmarks.