Freiburg is a real surprise on this trip to the Black Forest, and a real favorite. Discover the city’s must-sees and our best addresses.
If you’re planning a trip to the Black Forest, we invite you to read our articles on the subject, such as:
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VISIT THE MUNSTERMARKT AND ITS CATHEDRAL
A visit to Freiburg begins with the Minster Market (the cathedral market open Monday to Saturday, 7.30am to 1.30pm and closed on Sundays), all cobbled, renowned for its atmosphere, its many stalls selling fresh produce, its beautiful façades and its terraces. People also come here for its street food, with Food Truck trucks set up in the square, selling the famous 35 cm long grilled sausage wrapped in bread. (la Long Reds). Today, locals and travelers alike line up in front of the 7 market stalls! Expect to pay around €2.50 for a sausage. On the square, your eye is sure to be drawn to the pretty terraces just waiting for you to enjoy a coffee, as well as the historic 16th-century store, Historic department store with its dark red and gold facade.
In the background, it is impossible to miss the Münster, the immense and beautiful Gothic cathedral, also the emblem of Fribourg. The cathedral’s beautiful interior, with its medieval stained-glass windows and inviting nave, is a delight to behold. We also climbed to the top of the tower, and the view is well worth the effort. The entrance is through a door on the side of the cathedral. You’ll have to climb more than 333 steps to reach the top. (admission €4 for adults and €1 for children under 12 /open Monday to Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.).
THE FREIBURG BÄCHLES
The city of Freiburg is criss-crossed by a system of small rivers and canals called Brooks which are the pride of the locals and through which the river flows. These canals were built in the Middle Ages to supply water in case of fire. Today, artists have created beautiful works of art in these numerous Brooks, which delighted parents and children alike, who came to play with their rubber boots and little wooden boats. There’s a rather nice legend about these canals which tells that ” if you inadvertently fall into a Bächle, you’re supposed to marry one from Fribourg “
TAKE A LUNCH BREAK AT THE MARKTHALLE
Don’t forget to take a lunch break in the Market Hall from Freiburg (Grünwälderstraße 4 ), an old hall with dozens of stalls inviting us to sample local and world cuisine, all in a convivial atmosphere and in the company of Fribourg locals. People come here at lunchtime to meet up with work colleagues or friends. The prices are relatively affordable, and I chose a pizza-flame cake accompanied by a local beer. I have to admit I was a little disappointed, as it’s not as good as the real thing. flame cake with its fine pastry and fresh cream!
Open from 8am to 8pm, and until midnight on Fridays. (closed on Sundays and public holidays) ! Entrance is free, so all you have to do is pay for your meal as you would in a foodcourt, and sit wherever you like on the standing mats. Expect to pay around €10 per dish.
FLYING INTO THE GÄSSLE FOR SHOPPING
Visit Gässle, Freiburg’s narrow streets, with their ornate, half-timbered facades. I’d like to list a few of the neighborhoods I particularly enjoyed. Namely, the entire city center is pedestrianized, and locals get around either by bike or streetcar.
- The Konviktstraße district
It’s a delight to wander through this bucolic district decorated with hanging plants, and stroll through the narrow streets filled with antique shops, booksellers, craftsmen and pretty boutiques. Coming back to it when the wisteria are in bloom must be maddeningly romantic.
- Gerberau and Fisherau, the tanners’ and fishermen’s quarter
It’s here that I’ve seen some street art facades, pretty architecture, old signs and, in particular, discovered a really cool concept store, the Lust Auf Gut, (Gerberau 9A). I bought a very pretty stuffed yellow oilskin.
- Klein Venedig, nicknamed Little Venice
With all the canals in town, you can understand the nickname little Venice. Between the Porte de Martin and the Porte des Souabes, you’ll find galleries and numerous cafés, including the Krokodil where you come to drink the best espresso in town accompanied by a delicious walnut cake. (Gerberau 17). Since 2001, a crocodile has been making an appearance at the “Gewerbebach”… we’ve seen it and we’ll let you be surprised!
- Place Bertoldsbrunnen
On the place Bertoldsbrunnen, crossing the shopping street Kaiser-Joseph-Strasse and Salt Road, you’ll find yourself at the hub of all five streetcar lines. The square is recognizable by its statue and beautiful half-timbered building, where the streetcar circulates.
What memories can you take home from Freiburg?
- If you’re looking for souvenirs Made in Black Forest tee-shirt type, the iconic red hat of the Black Forest or other trinkets, visit the Black Forest Concept Store (10 rue Convoluted strand)
- For children, you can bring a small wooden boat. Here, all the children enjoy sailing them through the Freiburg canals. You’ll find them in the store Reha Laden (5 Moltkestraße) ). You can also find them for sale on stalls at the market around the square.
- Local produce from the Minster Square to buy cheese, dried meat and other local produce.
TAKE HEIGHT AT SCHLOSSBERG FOR A 360-DEGREES PANORAMA
For those who want to get up high, see a beautiful panorama over Freiburg and as far as the Vosges mountains, and enjoy a beautiful sunset, I suggest you take the funicular, follow the path and climb the free Castle Mountain 180 meters above the old town. Schlossberg is a mountain overlooking the town of Freiburg. It’s very surprising to find ourselves here in the middle of nature, in deep silence. The walk along the trail is not complicated, but does require a little effort. The reward at the end is perfect: a 360-degree panorama of Freiburg, its surroundings and part of the Black Forest.
For the funicular, count €3.30/p one-way and €5.50/p return. For children aged 6 to 14, charge €2.50/p one-way by funicular and €4/p return)
Our advice : enjoy a mixed beer in the open-air brewery on Castle Hill, high above the city’s rooftops. Pretty cool!
FREIBURG’S BEST ADDRESSES
- Vegan cuisine Tofustand
- World cuisine lunch at Market Hall (covered market)
- Dinner at the traditional Large Meyerhof for good, rich local cuisine. (Spaetzle, sausages, doughnuts, everything you need to enjoy your dinner)
- We tasted some very good wines at House Of Baden Wines (Minster Square38)
- All around the Martinstor (Martin’s gate), you’ll find a number of restaurants and bars
- Some bars to try in Freiburg:
→ Slippers (At the Martinstor, Löwenstraße 2) a rather young and trendy tavern frequented by loacals. It serves beer and absinthe-based cocktails.
→ Elizabeth Bar, Gerberau 9A Freiburg (bar sympathique)
→ Feierling, Gerberau 46 Freiburg (beer)
→ Neko, Bismarckallee 9 (Club, Bar and pop up sushi)
→ The Great Räng Teng Teng (Grünwälderstraße 6)
- Drink a coffee in an original place on Holy Moly Café (Augustinergasse 2)
- Coffee break at Tom’s (Unterlinden 3)
- Stop off at a tiny café in the cathedral district, the Strass Café (Herrenstrasse44)
- Fili café (Gauchstraße 1-3) for chai lattes and pastries
- I didn’t have time to try it out, but my eye fell on this bohemian boutique café, the Holy Molly Café. The decor is superb and the place totally atypical. (Augustinergasse 2)
- Relax in the French café at Café Marcel (In the city garden 1) before taking the funicular to Schlossberg
DISCOVER FREIBURG ON A FOOD TOUR
If you’re epicureans like us, we suggest you try a Food tour a 2-hour itinerant tour to discover some of the city’s culinary specialties in a friendly atmosphere, with anecdotes and enthusiastic guides (ask for Sébastien for an atypical tour). Through culinary specialties, you’ll learn more about the history and culture of the region.history of Freiburg and your visit begins at Münsterplatz.
Book your guided tour online or visit the tourist office. Request Freiburg Culinary City Tour (mobile: 0049 157 80842397).
Price: 59€/p including 2 glasses of wine, main course, dessert and coffee.
WHERE TO SLEEP IN FREIBURG
Did you know that Freiburg is known as an eco-city, a green city that stands by its strong commitment to sustainable development? Pedestrian zones strongly encourage transport on foot. Bus and streetcar networks are also very well developed.
That’s why I suggest you stay in the eco-district to the south of the city, the quartier Vauban considered one of Europe’s leading Carfree districts. Accessible by streetcar, this neighborhood was created in the 90s and features positive-energy houses powered by solar energy. The other buildings in the district also respect a large number of environmental principles: green roofs, optimized exposure to solar heat, the use of solar panels and ecological construction materials.
We stayed in the eco-friendly hotel that respects the environment Green-City Hotel Vauban (Paula Modersohn Square 5). This modern hotel, with its beautiful, large green façade, is synonymous with sustainability and innovation, as it limits waste and electricity consumption (there are no mini-bars in the rooms to avoid having to plug in 24 hours a day, we only use the towels we need…). What’s more, half the hotel’s employees are physically or mentally handicapped. A wonderful initiative that won me over.
Prices start at €85 per night and €12 for breakfast.
Practical information Freiburg
How to get to Freiburg?
BY TRAIN
- By train from Paris: 2h30 direct TGV from Gare du Nord. There are direct trains and trains with one or two connections. Find your cheapest train ticket to Karlsruhe here!
- By train from Mulhouse: allow 1 hour for travel
- By train from Strasbourg: allow around 2 hours with the connection. Take a 30-minute TER train to Offenburg, then a train to Freiburg (1-hour journey).
BY CAR
You can also get to Freiburg by car, as the city is fairly close to Strasbourg and Mulhouse. Find your car rental at the best price here!
We invite you to read our articles on the Black Forest:
- What to do in Karlsruhe
- Our Black Forest itinerary
This article is still my impression. It’s the fruit of a collaboration between several tourist offices in the region and Sncf, whom I’d like to thank for their invitation and this discovery.
