Freiburg: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
English|
EUR 59 - 240 Hotel Schiller
 This 3-star hotel is located in Freiburg, just 500 metres from the Freiburger Münster cathedral. It offers modern rooms, a large breakfast, and good … MoreEUR 70 - 144 Hotel Schwär´s Löwen
 This 4-star hotel offers guests a typically Baden atmosphere in the Littenweiler district of Freiburg im Breisgau. Look forward to freshly prepared l… MoreEUR 65 - 95 Hotel Schwarzwälder Hof
 This 3-star hotel is a historic building which offers charming accommodation in the heart of Freiburg, close to all main sights including Freiburg Cat… MoreEUR 116 - 184 Hotel Stadt Freiburg
 This modern, 4-star hotel is close to the congress centre and university clinic in Freiburg. It has an à la carte restaurant, on-site parking and goo… MoreEUR 93 - 199 Hotel Rheingold
 Situated in a quiet side street in the heart of Freiburg, close to the Old Town, this 4-star hotel offers stylish rooms, delicious regional cuisine an… MoreEUR 42 - 70 Hotel Restaurant Hochdorfer Hirschen
 Surrounded by attractive countryside, near the Marchwald woods, this family-run hotel is located just west of Freiburg, in the town of Hochdorf, only … MoreEUR 89 - 155 Hotel Markgräfler Hof
 Situated right in the heart of Freiburg´s Old Town, within easy walking distance of the theatre, cathedral and other tourist attractions, this 3… MoreEUR 75 - 134 Hotel Minerva
 Hotel Minerva offers free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free use of local public transport. It is a few minutes´ walk from Freiburg´s main rai… MoreEUR 89 - 219 Hotel Oberkirch
 This historic, privately run hotel in Freiburg’s old quarter is located in the heart of the pedestrian area, directly opposite the famous cathedral.… MoreEUR 99 - 240 Hotel Rappen
 Featuring a traditional Black Forest design, this privately run 3-star hotel in Freiburg´s old quarter is situated directly opposite the landmar… MoreEUR 55 - 95 Hotel zum Kreuz
 Benefitting from a peaceful location at the foot of Freiburg’s Schauinsland mountain, this comfortable hotel is ideal for sports and culture enthusi… MoreEUR 95 - 118 Hotel Zum Schiff
 Situated in the St. Georgen district in the south-western outskirts of Freiburg, this 4-star hotel with its own vineyard, distillery and large garden … MoreEUR 66 - 224 Novotel Freiburg am Konzerthaus
 This 4-star hotel offers modern accommodation, a spa area with indoor pool and on-site parking. It lies beside Freiburg’s concert hall. Freiburg Tra… MoreEUR 89 - 169 Park Hotel Post
 Park Hotel Post in central Freiburg provides classically furnished rooms, a daily breakfast buffet and free Wi-Fi internet. The Theater Freiburg and F… MoreEUR 83 - 216 Ringhotel zum Roten Bären
 This hotel is Germany’s oldest guesthouse and is located right in the Old Town of Freiburg in the beautiful area between the Schwabentor (Swabian ga… MoreEUR 65 - 133 Stadthotel Freiburg Kolping Hotels & Resorts
 This 3 star superior hotel enjoys a peaceful yet central location, only 3 minutes walk from the historical Old Town with its many sights.
Thanks to i… MoreEUR 75 - 190 Mercure Hotel Panorama Freiburg
 This 4-star hotel enjoys a quiet location in the hills overlooking Freiburg. It offers an indoor swimming pool, modern rooms, free parking and 2 resta… MoreEUR 52 - 159 Mercure Hotel Freiburg am Münster
 This Mercure Hotel is located in the Old Town district of Freiburg, just 150 metres from Freiburg Minster. It offers spacious rooms, a bistro and a re… MoreEUR 63 - 89 Hotel-Restaurant Bierhäusle
 Located in Freiburg im Breisgau on the western edge of the Black Forest, this hotel offers rooms with a balcony, free Wi-Fi internet and excellent lin… MoreEUR 38 - 165 InterCityHotel Freiburg
 This hotel lies close to the main railway station and makes the ideal base for sightseeing tours, business meetings and pleasant strolls through the c… MoreEUR 63 - 145 Kreuzblume Hotel & Restaurant
 This hotel offers modern accommodation in a charming, historical building, just off a cobbled side street in the heart of lovely Freiburg im Breisgau,… MoreEUR 60 - 130 Hotel Kühler Krug
 This traditional, family-run hotel is located in Freiburg’s Günterstal district, just 3 kilometres south of the city centre, which you can reach vi… MoreEUR 59 - 89 Hotel Gasthaus Schützen
 Situated in the quiet Wiehre district of Freiburg am Breisgau, this delightful hotel offers cosy accommodation, a traditional restaurant and excellent… MoreEUR 72 - 124 City Hotel Freiburg
 Situated on the edge of the pedestrian area, this family-run hotel provides the ideal base for exploring the historical and culinary highlights of the… MoreEUR 69 - 293 Clarion Hotel Hirschen Freiburg
 This hotel offers a spa area, an outdoor swimming pool, free Wi-Fi internet, 2 restaurants and free parking. It is to the north-west of Freiburg, a 2-… More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Freiburg: Guide
Freiburg is known as the "Jewel of the Black Forest". It is a major city in the southwest of Germany, situated not in but on the edge of the Black Forest.
Understand
Lying in the secluded south western corner of Germany, Freiburg is a very laid back, beautiful university town. Known throughout Germany for its university, good weather and soccer club, Freiburg is a desired town among Germans to live in. Due to its secluded location in the "Dreiländereck" (Three countries corner) and fairly removed from any other larger German cities, the mentality in Freiburg has often more in common with Alsace in France and Switzerland. Locals often go shopping to France and Switzerland for their respective native products and go to museums and theaters in Basel or Zurich. Everything above Frankfurt is "North Germany" and very far away. Hence, there is a strong local patriotism, which shows in the anthem of Baden (the former independent state) being sung more often than the national anthem and there being a semi-serious despising of the neighbours to the east, the Swabians.
Get in
By plane
The closest airport with international destinations is Basel. Buses run frequently from the airport to Freiburg. However, very good choices are either Frankfurt Airport or Zurich Airport, both about a 2 hour train ride away with direct connections. Recently, the airport Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden has started to be a destination for cheap Intra-European Airlines like RyanAir. It is a 40 minute train ride to the north of the city. Another possible airport is Stuttgart, with less convenient train connections.
By train
The Freiburg Hauptbahnhof (main train station) is situated close to the inner city. Frequent connections run north-south, with fast trains leaving in each direction each hour. Main direct destinations include:
Frankfurt Airport (Flughafen), 2 hours
Zurich, 2 hours, (Switzerland)
Basel, 40 minutes (express) 1 hr (local), (Switzerland)
Mannheim (close to Heidelberg), 1.5 hours
Berlin
Cologne
Hamburg
Milan, (Italy)
By car
Freiburg is connected to the German highway system via the A5, running along the Rhine Valley from south to north, starting at the Swiss border. It also is accessible through the Black Forest via the B31 (Ost). To France it takes about 30 minutes by car. To Switzerland it is about 40 minutes. Heidelberg is a 1.5 hour car ride to the north, using the A5. Lake Constance is reachable in two hours via the B31.
By bus
Get around
The best way to get around Freiburg is by bike. You will see scores of people using their bikes and this way you can really get a feel for the city. However, Freiburg also has an excellent yet pricey bus/tram system. For a weekend, the best bet is to buy a weekend ticket (either a 24 hour RegioKarte or a card that has 20 points on it). These cards will allow you to use all of the public transport within Freiburg, and also take the trains that service the greater region free of extra charge. By far the easiest solution if you plan to do a lot of hiking or exploring the region. That said, all important sights are situated close to each other in the inner city. You can cross the inner city by walking in about 10-15 minutes or by riding the Strassenbahns. They are rarely controlled. Nevertheless you are expected to pay your fare. The same applies for regional trains, which are controlled about 25% of the time. If you don't carry a valid ticket you will get fined and your personal details get recorded. Those repeatedly caught without a valid ticket can face court orders as it is considered a criminal offense and that's not really recommendable if you are in the country as a guest.
Additionally, in the inner city cars are not allowed and neither are bikes.
See
Münster (Main cathedral) is, next to the Black Forest, the main draw for Freiburg, one of the oldest and most beautiful in all of Europe. The gargoyles are not to be missed - be sure to study every corner of the Munster. Make the effort to climb the to the top of the tower for the fabulous views. Every day in the morning (until 1 pm Mon-Fri, 1:30 pm Saturday), except on sundays, there is a market on the square surrounding the church. Go on Saturday mornings as it then will be the biggest and nicest. Lovely assortment of vendors.
Bächle. The city is crisscrossed by small canals in the streets of the inner city. These canals used to be the irrigation system of medival Freiburg.
Schwabentor. One of two remaining old city gates.
Martinstor. The other old city gate. Interesting here is the location of the only McDonalds in the inner city of Freiburg. There are also a Burger King and a Subway in 15 meters range.
Altes Kaufhaus. It is located on the square surrounding the Muenster.
City halls(old and new). They are about a five minute walk from the Muenster.
Do
Hike up the Schlossberg to get to the tower on top of it. Takes about 15 minutes from the old city and offers you an amazing view of the Black Forest, Freiburg, the Kaiserstuhl and the Voges mountain range in France.
Learn
The University of Freiburg is a big and famous German university. With its 20000 students it gives Freiburg the flair of a student town. This is a prime destination to go study in Germany as an exchange student or for language classes.
Freiburg International Business School e.V. This is a Business School which cooperates with Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England. The website is: fibs.de
Work
Buy
As in most other German cities, the inner city is the place to go shopping. There you will find everything from H&M to shops selling Armani.
Eat
Budget
Three Italian restaurants situated just outside the inner city have acceptable Pizza for 2 euros up. They are called Firenze, Milano and Laubfrosch, with Laubfrosch being the most popular and situated close to the river Dreisam. Bella Italia just across the street has similar prices.
For fast food, check out the area around the Martinstor (sometimes known as McDonald's-Tor because of the McDonald's sign defacing the historic landmark). In that area, you will also find many other fast food places, ranging from Chinese to Turkish, as well as some cafés.
A very interesting and cheap place to eat is the Markthalle also close to the Martinstor. During the day, various small stores from all around the world offer cheap but good dishes. Check out the Indian place. It has good curries. Kabul is also great featuring Afghani food.
The Brenessel, Atlantik and Walfisch are places where you can eat a lot for a very cheap price. http://www.brennessel-freiburg.de/, http://www.walfisch-freiburg.de/, http://www.cafe-atlantik.de/
Tacheles (Grünwaldstrasse, Tel 0761 3196669) claims to have 300 varieties of schnitzels, which each come with a small salad and choice of side dishes.
Religious services
Holy mass in catholic churches in the city center:
Münster Unserer Lieben Frau, Münsterplatz (800 m from central station). Sun: 07:00, 08:30, 10:00, 11:45, 20:00; Mon-Sat: 07:00, 08:00, 18:30; Wed, Sat: also 09:00
St. Martin, Rathausplatz (600 m from central station). Sat: 18:00; Sun: 07:30, 09:30, 11:15; Tue-Sat: 07:00; Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat: 09:00
Herz Jesu, Stühlinger Kirchplatz (back-side of the Omnibusbahnhof). Sat: 19:00; Sun: 09:30 (croat.), 11:00; Tue: 09:45; Fri: 18:30
Overview of all catholic sunday services in Freiburg
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikitravel article "Freiburg". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 license.Mid-range
Splurge
The Greifenegg Schlössle is one of the top culinary destinations in Freiburg. Situated next to the Kastaniengarten, it offers an excellent view over the city to accompany dinner. Other very good restaurants are: Wolfshöhle, Villa Thai (Thai food) and the restaurant in the Colombi HotelDrink
The Kastaniengarten (beer garden) lies perched on the slope of the Schlossberg, overlooking both the city and the valley leading into the Black Forest. On nice summer days, this is the best location to relax over a cool beer, and enjoying the views of the Munster, the old city gates and the inner city. Additionally, in good weather conditions you can see as far as the Vogesen, the mountain range in France. To get there, head to the Schwabentor, one of the old city gates, then cross the bridge on its left and head up the mountain a bit.
The Grace and the Wiener are stylish bars in the city center.
The Feierling brewery in the heart of the Altstadt close to the Augustiner Kloster has excellent selfmade beer and is famous for it among the locals. In summer it also has an enjoyable beer garden outside. However, for the experience of the beer garden, go to the Kastaniengarten. For good beer, Feierling is the best option.
Drifters is a nice location for House music. It is situated in the same building as the club Cräsh, a hang out for alternative people, which turned from a more punk into a metall place. http://www.crash-freiburg.de/
Waldsee is a nice location a bit out of the way. It features "Rootdown" once a month and "Montage", both nice clubs for electronic music. It is excellent during the summer months, as the location offers open space next to a lake.
The Strandbar is a more alternative bar opened every thursday night and in every afternoon and on special occasions. It's located in the "Grether"-Area, an alternative living-and working project close to the inner city.
The StuSie is the Bar of the student village located at tram stop "am Bischofskreuz". Cheap and good Beer, Cocktails... Shot-night every wednesday and decent breakfast on sundays. Many International Students
The KTS is an instituted left-wing project in the south of the city. Many concerts, partys, meetings, political organisations... http://www.kts-freiburg.org
In the summer check out the Sternwaldwiese, an area in the Wiehre, where many people make campfires and party all night. Bring your own beer. Another good place to meet local folk is the Augustinerplatz located next to the Feierling-brewery. Bring your own beer or buy it from the pubs around.
The Atlantik is a bar, everybody should have at least seen when visiting Freiburg. Food, Beer, rock-music and people that hang out in this place since 20 years. Located behind the Schwabentor, http://www.cafe-atlantik.de/
Another Rock-Bar with less students and more carpenters is the Walfisch in the Wiehre. http://www.walfisch-freiburg.de/
The Mu-dom Bar is a student-run bar in the neighborhood of Stühlinger. Located in the basement of a former hospital, the space once served as a morgue. Cheap prices and international folk. They have started checking ID's at the door, you must be a student with a valid student ID card (ISIC or Albert-Ludwigs Universitaet) to enter.
The Isle of Innisfree is an Irish pub (one of three in Freiburg) in the heart of the Altstadt that claims to have been entertaining Freiburg since 1992, due partly to the fact that live music can be found there twice weekly, Scottish dancing takes place once a week as does regular bingo championships and quiz nights. Student night is Tuesday and live football shown on the large screen during major events in the football calendar. The bar is ran by a mixture of Irish, British and American staff so English language is not a problem. Not an easy bar to find as it is situated in the basement of a shopping center... http://www.isle-of-innisfree.deSleep
Budget
If you're looking for camp grounds, try "Hirzberg" . The owners are extremely friendly and helpful. They have an good knowledge of things to see in the city and local walks in the Black Forest.
If you don't want to stay in the expensive Jugendherberge, there is a cheap and very good alternative, the Black Forest Youth Hostel http://www.blackforest-hostel.de/Mid-range
Hotel Schemmer, conveniently located just blocks from the train station, is a clean and very affordable stay. Breakfast included with every room. About a 8 minute walk from the city center.Ecological
Hotel Best Western Premier Victoria (http://www.victoria.bestwestern.de/) has been classified as the most ecological hotel in the world. Their electricity is generated by solar panels and from wind turbines, while their heat is from sustainable woodchips furnace. It is a pleasant family-run hotel a stone throw away from the train station. You will pay about 115 Euros a night - not cheap but worth it.Splurge
The "Colombi Hotel" is the most luxurious hotel in Freiburg, rated five star. It overlooks Columbi Park. There is a very nice restaurant inside it.Contact
Cope
Stay safe
There is not much to worry about in Freiburg. It probably is one of the safest cities in all of Europe. However, always take the same precautions as you do travelling anywhere else. No need to provoke a pickpocket. However, one should avoid the banks of the Dreisam, especially alone at night.Get out
Nice daytrips include:
Staufen: With its castle ruin and nice old city, Staufen is a pretty, small German town. Note that the devil took the real life Faust (known from Goethe's Faust) in one of the local hotels. So watch out for any weird guys with horns. Staufen lies about 30 minutes by car south of Freiburg.
Vogtsbauernhof: By car (B33 trunk road from Offenburg in the direction of Villingen-Schwenningen or vice versa) or by rail (the Black Forest route from Offenburg in the direction of Konstanz or vice versa to Hausach station, then 30 minutes on foot) a beautiful outdoor farm life museum, demonstrating 400 years of Black Forest domestic life.
Colmar: Situated across the border in France, Colmar is a beautiful small city. Many locals from Freiburg like to take visitors there for a quick taste of France, as it is only about 1 hour by car. In the summer, take the back roads for glorious views of sunflower fields.
Alsatian villages: gorgeous, unspoilt villages in the Alsatian wine region: Riquewihr, Ribeauville, Haut Königsberg.
The Black Forest: Go hiking or skiing or biking. Just go.
There are night trains to Italy. Main destinations include Florence, Rome, Milano. In Italy you can also get connections to the south of France fairly easily. Within 15 hours you can get from Freiburg to Nice, Monaco or Cannes.
Cross the Black Forest and head to Lake Constance. Ride a bike around it.
Head to Basel, Bern or Lucern in Switzerland. From Bern, head on to Interlaken and Brienz. Instead of the train, take the boat across Lake Thun. Same ticket, twice the scenery.
Go to Heidelberg.