I am excited to begin my new Europe content with this 2 days in Freiburg itinerary!
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After 18 months outside of Europe and a 24-hour plane journey (36 hours door to door), I arrived in Freiburg with a lousy cold, immense fatigue and an overwhelming urge to do nothing but go to bed. Thankfully, due to the generosity of my German travel buddy Celine who I met in Malaysia last year, a warm bed awaited me in her spare room, complete with fresh towels and chocolates on the pillow. And, around 36 hours after taking full advantage of the said warm bed, I finally rolled out of it to explore Freiburg.
About Freiburg, Germany
This charming university city, complete with medieval buildings and cobblestone streets, is on the Western edge of the Black Forest. My German friends quickly told me Freiburg is one of the world’s greenest cities, with many green jobs and housing, low-emission transport and ease of recycling. Plus, its easy access to thousands of hectares of woodland makes it easy to find fresh air.
The blog post below also contains various historical and current facts about Freiburg that I learned from my German friends while exploring the city.
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2 day Freiburg itinerary
Walk around the Old Town
Key points of interest in the Old Town:
MARTINSTOR and SHWABENTOR
These are two remaining medieval gates in Freiburg. Shwabentor (left) and Martinstor (on the right and the oldest of the two) were once part of city gates from the old defensive wall around Freiburg. They were built in the 13th century. In 1901, Martinstor was heightened from 22 to 66 metres, and a new 15th-century style roof was added.
The tablet on the tower commemorates the ‘witches’ who were burned in Freiburg during the 16th century. Many women were unduly executed in early modern Europe under the accusation of witchcraft, particularly in Central and Southern Germany. Today, Martinstor also sports a Mcdonald’s sign. Cool.
University of Freiburg & Platz der Alten Synagoge
You will see many young people amongst Freiburg’s 220000 citizens due to the University of Freiburg, established in 1457. Aside from its modern library building, many buildings are in the traditional style.
During the Third Reich, all Jewish faculty members were forced to leave the university due to the political alignments that took place across all German universities in World War 2. On Kristallnacht (the ‘night of broken glass’) in 1938, Jewish buildings were smashed across Germany – synagogues, schools, hospitals homes. In the courtyard outside the key university buildings is a large flat monument in the shape of the floor plan of the old synagogue – ‘der Platz der Alten Synagoge’.
FREIBURGER MUNSTER and MUNSTERPLATZ
Built-in the 13th century, this Romanesque church has a gothic structure and is one of the most unique towers in Europe. Whilst much of the surrounding square was damaged during WWII in 1944, the minster survived with minimal damage.
The surrounding square has many inviting cafes, souvenir stores and a local market every day except Sundays. The market is a great place to pick up a bratwurst (traditional German hot dog) – they even have vegan ones. While beautiful all year round, it really comes to life in Winter when it becomes one of the prettiest European Christmas markets.
The canals – Bächle
Fed by the Dreisam river, it won’t take long to spot one of these thin ‘canals’ running down the streets of Freiburg. Back in 1200, they had several uses, such as assisting firemen and feeding livestock. But today, they remain a quaint fixture and a place for locals to cool their feet during the hot summer months – Freiburg is statistically the sunniest city in Germany! My friend’s father warned me not to step in one or, according to legend, I’d have to marry a man from Freiburg and would have to stop travelling. I made sure not to trip. 😉
Augustiner Museum
This gallery contains artworks which span from the Middle Ages to the Baroque period, alongside some 19th-century paintings. The building was once a monastery and modern renovations aim to transform it into a must-see for visitors to Freiburg.
See the views from Schlossberg
Just a 1.2km upwards walk from the old town, you find these fantastic views of the city from Schlossberg (or ‘Castle Hill’). This is what I call little effort and big rewards!
Although, if that’s STILL too much effort, you can go up on the Schlossbergbahn. This ‘railway’ takes just 3-minutes from Municipal Park to the 365-metre peak. Adult tickets cost just 3.30 euro one-way or 5.50 euro return.
There are further walks at the top of the hill, wherefrom you may pass the old bomb shelter and remains of fortified structures from the 11th century.
Take a walk in the vineyards (or try the wine)
I didn’t associate Germany with wine until I came to Freiburg! Due to the mild weather in Freiburg – it’s in the warmest region of Germany – and good soil, you will see many vineyards lining the roads just not far from the city. If you cannot venture out, it is worth asking one of the restaurants if you can try their local wine. I also tried the local schnapps made from plums. This was very strong. 🙂
For those who prefer beer…There are also breweries which you can visit in Freiburg city where you can sample in-house beers or take a tour.
Celine takes me on a walk through her local vineyards and a traditional Freiburg beer. Not on your usual 2 days in Freiburg itinerary but a great activity.
TRY TRADITIONAL FOOD IN FREIBURG
Freiburg is across the border from France and Switzerland, which is represented in the traditional food here.
Traditional bratwurst, a German favourite, can be found in many restaurants across Freiburg. Head to the munsterplatz outside the beautiful church for a freshly cooked one from of the stalls there. There is a tofu stall where I picked up this vegetarian version.
Flammkuchen is the speciality dish of Alsace, France – just across the border from Freiburg. It is like a French pizza, with a very thin crust covered in cheese, onions and often lardons (small pieces of meat).
Raclette is an option great for families and old friends who travel together or need a catch-up. It’s a Swiss dish where each person has their own small pan to fill with meats and veggies and cover with cheese. Once cooked under the raclette grill, you eat over potatoes—a perfect slow meal and very filling.
Fried potatoes are my favourite. I am easily pleased. You may see it on a menu as ‘Brägele and Bibeliskäs’ (with sour cream). Brägele is the regional word for potatoes, though the German word for potatoes is Kartofel, and you may see it written either way.
Flammkuchen, potato and leek soup and fried potatoes. Celine is eating a soup made up of a cut-up omelette in chicken broth.
Although I don’t eat meat, I was kind of fascinated by the wurst salad. It looked like frankfurter noodles to me. 🙂 My German friend Celine found it funny that I asked her about it because she is so used to it, haha.
Are you a vegetarian or vegan traveller? You will find many vegan or vegetarian restaurants in Freiburg, with some serving variants of traditional food (such as my tofu bratwurst above). Freiburg prides itself on being one of the world’s most sustainable cities, which is evident when you see the word ‘vegan’ displayed on many menus and cafe windows.
Eating in Freiburg definitely gives you plenty of options!
Day trip to Schausinland
Schausinland is a mountain just outside of Freiburg city with panoramic views of not only Freiburg and the Black Forest but also France and Switzerland in good weather. If you have 2 days in Freiburg and don’t mind sparing one to visit Schausinland, I’d recommend it. If you have more time, there are many more activities in the Black Forest a little further afield.
This is the perfect day trip for hiking, viewing the scenery from its 1284-metre peak and taking the Schausinland cable car. https://www.schauinslandbahn.de/en/
This is the longest loop cable car in Germany at 3.6km. You can take the bus here from Freiburg or drive to the car park at the top. It’s definitely worth climbing the 85-steps of the observation tower, which has a 360 view of the surrounding mountains – a definite highlight for me.
You can also go on a mine tour if you have more time. There is over 100km of tunnels hidden in the mountains from where silver, zinc and lead were mined over hundreds of years. Tours last 45-150 minutes, depending on your preferences.
Schausinland is also a popular place for biking or scooting. You can rent a scooter and safety equipment from the age of 12 upwards at the top of Schausinland. There is a specially made track to zoom back down. My friends did this before and said it was a lot of fun.
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What else would you add to a 2 days in Freiburg, Germany itinerary?
Oh definitely worth a visit! Thank you
Wonderful post! I love old architecture and Germany has it in spades. Thanks for bringing the city of Freiburg to my attention so hopefully I can visit it soon!
I really hope to spend more time in Germany in the future so far I have only seen Munich. I love raclette so that would be on my list for sure. I am also keen to explore the Black Forest.
Ohh it was great! And the small portion of the Black Forest I saw was wonderful.
it was so lovely there!
I have never heard of Breigsgau but from your photos it looks absolutely stunning! The food looks very tasty as well!
Looks like a lovely place for a weekend trip with good food & wine, while I´m still living in Germany! Thanks for sharing this lovely photos and info x
There are so many great cities in Germany! And there are so many of them I still need to visit! Freiburg is one of them and it looks beautiful!