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Freiburg

Sitting plump at the foot of the Black Forest’s wooded slopes and vineyards, Freiburg is a sunny, cheerful university town, its medieval Altstadt a story-book tableau of gabled townhouses, cobblestone lanes and cafe-rimmed plazas. Party-loving students spice up the local nightlife.

Blessed with 2000 hours of annual sunshine, this is Germany’s warmest city. Indeed, while neighbouring hilltop villages are still shovelling snow, the trees in Freiburg are clouds of white blossom, and locals are already imbibing in canal-side beer gardens. This eco-trailblazer has shrewdly tapped into that natural energy to generate nearly as much solar power as the whole of Britain, making it one of the country’s greenest cities.

Explore Freiburg

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Freiburg.

  • Cathedral

    Freiburger Münster

    With its lacy spires, cheeky gargoyles and intricate entrance portal, Freiburg’s 11th-century minster cuts an impressive figure above the central market…

  • Museum

    Augustinermuseum

    Dip into the past as represented by artists working from the Middle Ages to the 19th century at this superb museum in a sensitively modernised monastery…

  • Viewpoint

    Schlossberg

    The forested Schlossberg dominates Freiburg. Take the footpath opposite the Schwabentor, leading up through sun-dappled woods, or hitch a ride on the…

  • Square

    Rathausplatz

    Join locals relaxing in a cafe by the fountain in chestnut-shaded Rathausplatz, Freiburg's prettiest square. Pull out your camera to snap pictures of the…

  • Museum

    Museum für Stadtgeschichte

    The sculptor Christian Wentzinger’s baroque townhouse, east of the Historisches Kaufhaus, now shelters this museum, spelling out in artefacts Freiburg’s…

  • Museum

    Archäologisches Museum

    This archaeology-focused museum is inside the neo-Gothic Colombischlössle. From the skylit marble entrance, a cast-iron staircase ascends to a stash of…

  • Notable Building

    Colombischlössle

    In a sculpture-dotted park sits the neo-Gothic Colombischlössle. Built for the Countess of Colombi in 1859, the whimsical red-sandstone villa now houses…

  • Gate

    Schwabentor

    The 13th-century Schwabentor, on the Schwabenring, is a massive city gate with a mural of St George slaying the dragon, and tram tracks running under its…

  • Gallery

    Museum für Neue Kunst

    Across the Gewerbekanal from the Altstadt, this gallery highlights 20th-century Expressionist and abstract art, including emotive works by Oskar Kokoschka…

  • Historic Building

    Historisches Kaufhaus

    Facing the Münster’s south side and embellished with polychrome tiled turrets is the arcaded brick-red Historisches Kaufhaus, an early 16th-century…

  • Landmark

    Haus zum Walfisch

    The marvellously extravagant Haus zum Walfisch sports a late-Gothic oriel garnished with two impish gargoyles.

  • Gate

    Martinstor

    One of Freiburg's two surviving medieval town gates.

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Freiburg.

  • Activities