Freiburg Sightseeing and Tours
From:
Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
ABOVE: Statues on the Historisches Kaufhaus,
where merchants and officials governed trade in the medieval era. TOP INSET
PHOTO: Manhole cover with Freiburg's coat of arms.
Sightseeing resources
 Ever
since the 1980s (or possibly even earlier), the city of Freiburg im Breisgau has
published the best tourist-office guidebook that we've seen anywhere. The
paperbound book is called Freiburg Official Guide, and the "Getting to
Know Freiburg" chapter contains a detailed walking guide to the Altstadt (Old
Town) with a three-dimensional map that lists 52 places of interest.
 A
free brochure titled Experience Freiburg is also available from the
tourist office; it includes a larger version of the three-dimensional map in the
Freiburg Official Guide.
If
you're in Freiburg for more than a day, we'd suggest buying an even more detailed
map at the tourist office or a bookstore. The city's Amtlicher Stadtplan:
Freiburg im Breisgau (1:15000) is useful if you're driving or venturing
beyond the Altstadt, and it includes a 1:7500 detail map of the city center. An
inexpensive pocket-sized map, Freiburg im Breisgau Citymap (1:2250) offers a detailed, almost
pictorial view of the Altstadt..
 Another
useful resource is City Guide Freiburg im Breisgau, a low-cost
guidebook that's available in English (look for the version with a Union Jack on
the cover). The 80-page book is organized as a walking tour, with plenty of
color photos and just enough information to make your sightseeing more
rewarding. It also makes a nice souvenir.
What to see in the Altstadt
Freiburg's main tourist sights are in or near the
Altstadt, the
medieval center of the town, which is about a five-minute walk from the
Hauptbahnhof or main railroad station. Most of the area is a pedestrian zone
(except for trams, taxis, and delivery vehicles at certain hours).
Any good map will identify the major attractions, but here are a
few things you'll want to see:
 The
Münster is in the center of the Altstadt, past the department stores of
the Kaiser-Joseph-Strasse, in the Münsterplatz or cathedral square. The
Gothic cathedral of red sandstone is topped by a stone lacework spire above the
bell cage; you can see the bells and stand inside the spire by climbing up a
spiral staircase from an entrance on the church's side side. (The views--see
photo at left--are well worth the climb and the small admission fee.)
 Also
on the cathedral square are the red stone Historisches Kaufhaus (once a merchants'
hall and customs house), the Alte Wache (formerly the city's guardhouse,
now a tasting center and salesroom for Baden wines),
Wentzingerhaus (the
city's history museum), and other houses--such as the
Stadtbücherei, or
Public Library--that were reconstructed or built to fit the Altstadt's medieval
scale after Allied bombing destroyed existing houses in World War II.
 If
you head south from the Münsterplatz, you'll pass Augustinerplatz on your
way to Gerberau, Fischerau, and Insel, where small houses, shops,
restaurants, and beer gardens are huddled together by a fast-moving canal. The
Haus zum Steinin Brücklin (shown at left) has straddled the rushing water
since 1460. As you walk along the canal, look for the sculpted head of a
crocodile peeking out from the rapids.
 Allow
time for a walk to the Schlossberg, where you'll be in the Black Forest
as soon as you cross the footbridge to the hillside park. If you don't mind a
hike, follow the signs to the Schlossbergturm, an observation tower on
top of the hill. (Admission is free, and the views are spectacular.)
Local sightseeing tours
 The
Freiburg im Breisgau Tourist Office and its local partners offer local tours in
various languages, including English. You can also hire private guides through
the tourist office. (We can personally recommend Helike Jurina, shown in the
photo at left.)
For more information, see the official Freiburg
Guided
City Tours page.
Next page:
Day trips from Freiburg
Cycling photo copyright © FWTM.
| |
|
"Best of the Web"
- Forbes
and The Washington Post
Germany - Index
Need a car in Europe?
Auto Europe
guarantees the lowest rental
rates for standard cars, sports cars, SUVs, luxury cars,
chauffered sedans, and RVs. Its Web site also has driving information
for 38 countries.
If
you live outside the EU, a
tax-free
Renault or
Peugeot tourist lease can be cheaper than renting.
Minimum driver age is 18, there' s no upper age limit, and rates include
insurance. See:
Short-term car leasing.
Traveling by train?
Rail Europe
has schedules, maps, and guides for 50+ European railroads. (Residents
of North and South America can buy tickets and rail passes online.)
|
|
