Freital (German pronunciation: [ˈfʁaɪˌtaːl] ^ⓘ) is a town in the district of Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge in Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on a small river, the Weißeritz, and is eight kilometres (5 mi) southwest of Dresden.

Freital is located southwest of Dresden in the Döhlen Basin, through which the Weißeritz flows from south-west to north-east. The Windberg hill, is the town's local mountain and well-known landmark, rising about 100 metres (330 ft) above the valley floor. The lowest part of the town is the point where the Weißeritz enters the territory of the city of Dresden (about 195 metres (640 ft) above sea level).

The two rivers, the Red Weißeritz and Wild Weißeritz, merge in Hainsberg, a district of Freital. Other tributaries of the combined Weißeritz in the Freital area are the Wiederitz, Poisenbach and smaller, mainly canalized streams like the Vorholzbach, Burgker Bach, the Birkigter Bach, the Somsdorfer Bach and the Weißiger Bach. There are no natural lakes; the tailing pond near the slag heap and the Zauckerode retention basin were both constructed in the 20th century.

Geologically, the Döhlen Basin is a Rotliegendes depression that was formed at the end of the Carboniferous period. It is located between the Elbe Valley zone and the Ore Mountain gneiss massif.

In the northeast Freital borders on the state capital of Dresden. Neighbouring municipalities in Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge are from the east and clockwise: Bannewitz, Rabenau, Höckendorf, Tharandt and Wilsdruff.

Freital consists of the following Stadtteile (divisions):

The town's recorded history begins with the well-known Dresden Document (Dresdner Urkunde) of 1206 in which noblemen appear to be named after Potschappel, Döhlen and Wurgwitz. The fact that these are mentioned for the first time in the document is pure coincidence, because Potschappel and Wurgwitz had probably existed for several centuries, perhaps since the 9th century. There is no further mention of the lords of Potschappel until the year 1309, but the lords of Döhlen are referred to in 1228 with the appearance of Arnold "de Zukerade" (the first mention of Zauckerode). The Potschappel line may have become the lords of Sürßen, some of whom appear to have moved to Upper Lusatia. There is some likelihood that this was a line of vassals of the burgraves of Dohna, who were heavily involved in the colonisation and expansion of their estates in the areas of Rabenau and Dippoldiswalde. The lords of Wurgwitz, whose history is readily traceable, were simultaneously colonising land at the behest of the Bishop of Meissen and were - at least under Bruno of Porstendorf - close allies. According to the Dresden Document, other noblemen named after Wurgwitz are encountered until the 15th century. Most of the districts of Freital were mentioned for the first time in the 14th or even in the 15th century.

The early modern history of the present-day Freital is closely linked with the history of coal mining in the Döhlen Basin, which is part of the territory of Freital today. Mining was mentioned for the first time in 1549.