Freiburg – Underrated beauty in the Black Forest

If you think about taking a trip to a German city, there are a few places that probably automatically come to mind: Berlin, Hamburg or Cologne; the big, cosmopolitan cities with the mundane flair. For most people, Freiburg doesn’t seem to belong on that list; it is often seen as a nice place where you stop overnight on your way to a destination that isn’t the hub of the stunning Breisgau region.

Now I must admit ranging it with the metropolises wouldn’t be massively suitable. Despite being the home of 220,000 people, the town has stayed tranquil, yet lively thanks to the many students. It combines the calmness of a village with the hustle and bustle of a large city. However, it is able to pride itself on one feature that is still unique in Germany and distinguishes it from the rest: it is an ‘eco-city’, due to the bicycle culture and strict ‘low-energy-buildings only’ policy. Nevertheless, you don’t have to miss out on an international ambience on your holiday here. The vibrant ‘Markthalle’ (market hall) provides dozens of food stalls with specialities from all over the globe. Whether you’re looking for French tarte flambée, Indian curry or traditional German cuisine, you’ll find everything the heart could wish for. The Schauinsland cable car is only a 30 minutes drive away and, after enjoying the 3.6 km long drive, you can marvel at the fantastic view from a height of 1,200m.

The Bergstation restaurant is perfect for that, especially in the summer months, as it has a lovely terrace. A characteristic is the ‘Bächle’ (canals), which were once used to provide water to fight fires, and now give Freiburg a vivid feeling and a welcome opportunity for cooling down on particularly hot summer days. Due to its sunny climate and status as the warmest place in Germany, it can get quite warm, but these small canals will help make sightseeing pleasant nonetheless. Their water supplier is the River Dreisam, which offers nice trails and cafés lining the paths. One that is close to the Old Town is Café Extrablatt, a German restaurant chain. You can not only sit inside as well as outside very comfortably, but you can also enjoy different delicious meals at every time of the day. In the morning, there is a tasty buffet; you also have a diverse menu, with salads, American dishes such as burgers, and cakes to choose from.

In the evening, you can even enjoy a cocktail or a German beer! The Old Town is an area where you can spend hours just exploring. Whether you take a look at historic buildings such as the Münster Cathedral, the Martinstor (city gate) and the Rathaus (city hall), or decide to discover the small shops and narrow alleys, there is certainly no chance for boredom. If you would rather take in the city’s atmosphere from above instead of being right in the middle of the hubbub, you can head to the Schlossberg (456m) and maybe climb up the stairs of the Lookout Tower (30m) for an even better view. Eventually, something for special interests: there is an Archaeology museum (Colombischlössle), where you can find exhibits on the subject of human development in the Rhine region until the Early Middle Ages. If you prefer a more relaxed and less cultural activity, you can head to the Dreisam stadium and watch a game of the local football club SC Freiburg in the 2. Bundesliga (Germany’s 2nd division). The atmosphere is exceptional and the football... well, let’s say at the moment it’s going reasonably well, but I assume no responsibility for future game results whatsoever. One last restaurant recommendation before I leave you to start planning your Freiburg holiday: A short 20-minute drive away is a cosy tavern called Lorenz Straussi that serves amazing German food such as game dishes. The decoration is quite quirky and exceptional since it consists of dozens of mirrors in all forms and sizes hung up on the walls. It takes a special city for me to share my recommendations since I’d love to selfishly keep places like this to myself. But, all jokes aside, I invite you all to take a closer look at this charming mixture of city and village. I’m pretty sure you will be as enchanted as I am quick. And for that, I do assume responsibility.