W ith medieval alleys suffused with dusky light and wisteria vines, car-free streets intersected by foot-wide canals and the surrounding Black Forest leaning into so much of its history, Freiburg is fertile ground for a stirring city break.
Oh, and the clincher? Read more on Germany travel :. It took years to build! Look, stone gargoyles everywhere! Many German cities have a signature sausage and Freiburg is no different. Get a lange rote , a precision-cut 35cm finger of pork on a bun. The warmest place in the country, the vines absorb both plenty of sunshine as well as influences from Alsace across the border with France. Seen from any angle, vineyards and wine bars spill onto the city streets.
Ever since, eco-consciousness and ground-breaking environmentalism have gone hand in hand. Cars are banned in the Old Town. Packaging-free markets, energy-positive buildings, vegan cafes and bike lanes km, in fact are all over. The city has had a mayor from the Green political party for the past 16 years. To see the highlights, hop on a bike to Paula-Modersohn-Platz. This colossal theme park campus located in Rust 30 minutes to the north is second in size to Disneyland Paris, but is far better value for money, with themed areas that harness around heart-in-mouth rides, shows and coasters that hop from the temples of Greece to the bullrings of Spain to the fjords of Norway.
In other countries, a ride-a-minute place like Europa-Park would be full of mediocre burger bars and overpriced soda stands. Not here. The food is great, the German beer better, the hotels classy not chintzy, and, in times of crisis, there are few better places to cut off your connection with the rest of the world. The hotel itself is one part mazy guesthouse, one part library, with stuffed bookshelves, literary-themed corridors and wallpaper and cosy rooms.
Perfect for curling up late at night with a page-turner. A visit to Brauerei Feierling seems unavoidable. For the textbook Freiburg photo, seek out Kastaniengarten , a sublime panoramic beer garden with spire and sunset views across the rooftops.
