Guide with tips for Freiburg in Baden-Württemberg
Freiburg, a pearl in the ever-so-nice Baden-Württemberg, lies on the edge of the Black Forest and is so much more than just a student town. It’s sunny, the air smells of pine and fresh croissants, and the pace of life is a little slower here – in the very best sense. What completes the picture are the famous bächle: small water channels that ripple through the streets everywhere. Children play in them, locals cool their feet with a drink, and everywhere the city sounds like it’s on holiday.
The historical centre has been perfectly restored: cosy and colourful, without losing any of its authenticity. Everywhere you will find cosy squares, fresh markets (every morning at the Münster!), wine bars where you can drink local Riesling and countless coffee bars to choose from.
For architecture lovers: Freiburg cleverly combines old and new, with futuristic pavilions between medieval facades. For nature lovers: within a ten-minute walk you are in the middle of the Black Forest, where the scent of pine embraces you. And those who love good food should definitely try the Flammkuchen with mountain cheese or have an extensive lunch at one of the eateries where everything is made with love, craftsmanship and local ingredients.
Bonus points: the city is mega-cyclable.
The green region of Baden-Württemberg in the south of Germany is filled with sunny hills full of vineyards, historic cities with good terraces, trendy addresses, and the Black Forest a stone's throw away. Here they understand the good life. Wine, local food, spa, repeat. And all that so within driving distance or train distance from the Netherlands.
Freiburg is the sun-drenched gateway to the Black Forest and one of the most charming cities in Baden-Württemberg. This is where your road trip through the region begins or ends. But the best thing of all is to combine Freiburg with centuries-old thermal baths in Baden-Baden and to travel/drive through the creative heart of StuttgartOne thing is clear: Baden-Württemberg is a surprisingly versatile holiday destination for those who want to combine nature, culture and culinary indulgence.
A city hotel that is perfect from head to toe: comfortable and in a great location in the city. Hotel am Stadtgarten, Boutique hotel in Freiburg, is such an address. Opened in 2019 and since then a firm favourite for those who love modern design and a quiet location right on the edge of the city centre. Nothing mega fancy, but spacious rooms with a sleek interior, nice workspaces (if you need to open your laptop), air conditioning for hot summer days, and a hearty breakfast that will get you through the city.
Extra nice: the boutique hotel is part of a triptych. The neighbors? The stylish Hotel am Stadtgarten – Designhotel (for those who like a drink at the bar or sun on the terrace) and the classic Stadthotel Freiburg – Kolping Hotels & Resorts, where hospitality is the most important thing.
A little bit hidden, a little bit too nice: the neighborhood Wiehre is one of Freiburg's best-kept secrets. Think pastel-coloured Art Nouveau villas, shady chestnut-lined avenues, organic market stalls and an atmosphere you'll want to move into right away. Freiburg at its best: local, laid-back.
Wiehre is alive on Saturday mornings, when local residents fill their baskets on the New Farmers Market on Urachstraße. Then settle down for coffee and homemade cake at Cafe Marcel, with a terrace where you can hang out for hours. For a light lunch or aperitif, go to Potato House: cozy German in the best sense of the word, with everything you would imagine from a cozy potato shop (think: gratin, rösti, crispy salads). Something a bit hipper? Then Café Pow (more about that below) highly recommended: vintage chairs, good flat whites and occasional live music.
In the evening you head towards home brewery Festive just outside the neighborhood, craft beer, a terrace in the green and an atmosphere for ten.
What exactly happened to the old-fashioned coffee chat? No idea. But if there is one place where it is still held in high esteem, it is at To Forster Max. Think: a place where the smell of freshly baked cake and dark chocolate greets you on the sidewalk. Ice cream parlor, pastry shop, chocolate shop and café in one and everything, but really everything, is homemade.
Choose something from the display case: delicious pastries, chocolate truffles or a scoop of pistachio ice cream. Inside it is cozy, outside you sit under old trees in a street with charming houses. Zum Förster Max is named after an old forester who once wandered through the Black Forest here and was in love with everything that grew, bloomed and tasted.
A little dingy, but still delicious. No Pinterest-perfect food hall where every stall has a marble top and matching menus. The Markthalle of Freiburg is rather a bit messy, with fluorescent lighting and a hint of 90s sentiment. But oh what good food you eat here and cheap.
From Brazilian feijoada to Korean bibimbap, from Italian pasta to Afghan flatbread with spicy lentils: where locals and students come for a quick, filling and surprisingly tasty lunch. Grab a glass of wine or a German pilsner, sit down at a long table and watch the market hall slowly fill up.
Tip: the plates are huge, so come in with an empty stomach and an open mind.
If there was one place where we had a lot of fun, it was at Old Guard on the Münsterplatz. Right in the historic heart of Freiburg. The 18th century building miraculously survived the bombings of the Second World War almost unscathed and now you can drink the best wines from the region here with a view of the imposing cathedral and the tourists strolling by.
It is the home of the Baden wines, originating from one of the largest (and sunniest!) wine regions in Germany. Local pride in the glass: and that goes from a fresh Pinot Gris to an elegant Pinot Noir, or something surprising from a small biodynamic winery in the area. And if it's warm, you should definitely try the slushwine.
Want to find out more? Join one of the fun wine tastings which are organized at the top of the house. Unique.
We're not going home yet, not for much longer, not for much longer. Because we're not at home yet Restaurant Lichtblick been. With love and craftsmanship they process only the best, high-quality products. Respect for what nature offers, without changing or embellishing the flavors. Each dish follows the rhythm of the seasons.
Whether you come for lunch, an extensive dinner à la carte, or the chef's surprise menu with 3 or 4 courses: up to you. Nothing stiff, but everything easy and accessible.
Open Monday to Saturday, from 11.30am to 14.45pm and in the evenings from 18.00pm to 22.00pm.
We prefer to discover Freiburg at its slowest: picnic basket under the arm, sunglasses on the nose and towards the market. Because what you really want to do here on a sunny day, is fill a picnic basket with everything that is tasty and then look out over the city from the Schlossberg.
Start your route at the market hall or the market on Münsterplatz: choose a piece of that famous Freiburger Cheesecake (cheesecake as cheesecake is meant to be), a bottle of local wine, a hunk of good bread, a handful of olives, a few slices of ham and a nice piece of cheese from the farmers market. Basket full? Then: off to the Schlossbergbahn.
The cable car or lift takes you effortlessly up, and once at the top a lush piece of nature awaits with a panoramic view of the city. Unpack, put down a blanket, open a wine: Freiburg at its best. Bonus points for the sunset.
Our tip: go early or at the end of the day, when it is quietest and most beautiful.
Anyone who knows Freiburg a little knows that the best addresses are not necessarily located on the main street. The Cornerie, the brand new pop-up café in the city's cozy Hinterhof. Formerly known as Hinterhof Bar & Café, now back and how.
Think: sunny courtyard vibes, creative cocktails, fine natural wines, homemade cakes and snacks. Behind the bar are Raphael, Josie and Fred, an enthusiastic trio with a mission: to make this cosy corner a place where you immediately feel at home. There is plenty to do: coffee in the sun, a tasting evening, an alcohol-free evening or just a glass of spritz with friends.
La Cornerie is anything but standard and is open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 11.00am to 20.00pm, and Fridays and Saturdays until 22.00pm.
Already mentioned above, but Feierling brewery deserves a separate shoutout. At the cozy Augustinerplatz you will find one of the finest beer addresses in the city. For more than 140 years, the Feierling family has been brewing their own beer here, and since 1999, this has also been done completely organically.
Inselhopf, what they serve here, is an unfiltered, golden yellow and super drinkable beer, brewed in two copper kettles that proudly tower above the tables. And the best part? You drink it in one of the nicest beer gardens in the city: under thick chestnut trees, among locals and students, with a view of the daily life passing by.
On the menu? Think hearty, regional classics: Inselschnitzel mit Brägele (fried potatoes) for the real hunger, a nice veggie weekly menu for those who like greener fare, and seasonal beers like the Frühlingshopf or herfstige Bruno for beer lovers. With space inside on three floors, a large garden outside and children's options on the menu, there's something for everyone here.
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