Eurofootballcities

Freiburg city and football guide

Freiburg city

In my journeys around Bundesliga cities I have to say Freiburg ranks right up there as a great place to visit.

Right in the very south western corner of Germany, two hours from Stuttgart and closer to Switzerland than any other major German clubs, its big claim to fame is being the gateway to the legendary Black Forest, the German folk image of cuckoo clocks and Ladehosen.

Picture postcard stuff: The Rathaus in Freiburg.

It's right on the edge of the forest, with the woods easily seen stretching up the hills that surround Freiburg and with a train taking you up to the heart of them in half an hour, the forest is well worth a visit if you have the time.

It's worth making time to stay in Freiburg. It's more than just a forest gateway, its middle is picture postcard stuff, busy with tourists yes but the locals stamp their mark on it and the university population makes it a lively place to be.

The one stand out sight is the main church, the Munster - and it is not easy to miss as it's by far the biggest building in town.

The red standstone building is a stunning piece of work, with bits dating back to the 12th Century.

What sets it apart from other grand places of worship is that this was no cathedral, just a parish church, funded by the locals.

Market day: The Munster and Munsterplatz

Ironically now the church is having to go cap in hand to the public again. It is in need of urgent renovation and you can buy your own stone there if you're willing to cough up 300 euros. In 2009 that sadly meant part of the building was hidden behind the scaffolding, You can still take a wander in, unless services are taking place, and there are daily tours.

The Munsterplatz surrounding it is as busy as it has been for centuries, with a daily food and flower market pulling in the locals and cafes surrounding the outside.

One other place worth checking out is the more peaceful square hosting the grand Alt Rathaus, town hall to you and me, which also now doubles up as a sizeable Tourist Information Centre. There are once weekly tours in english on Saturdays at 11am - or if you so desire you can pick up an audio guide and make your own way round. Check out here for more info.

However, Freiburg's charm is best sussed out by wandering the winding streets in the area around Munsterplatz and the Rathaus square, home to shops, bars and restaurants but never seeming too packed.

To get a view from above it's worth taking a hike into the Schlossgarten, on a hillside to the east of the old town.

I made the walk up there which didn't go down as the greatest move of my life - instead I'd recommend taking the Schlossberg Bahn cable car, which is basically a funicular (not sure what the difference between a cable car and a funicular is really) that takes you straight up there in three minutes. Be warned, you still need to do some walking at the top to get some decent views. But at least you hadn't climbed up that far..

Looking down: The view from the top.

It runs from 9am daily until evening, with a single costing 2.80 euros, return a fiver. There's a small cafe at the bottom, bar restaurant at the top.

I went down in it - clearly the wrong direction.

Do take a trip out of town. The tourist information has a host of day trips but you can do it yourself cheaply and easily. Grab a train from Hauptbahnhot to Titisee (running every 30 minutes, 4.80 singles). The 40 minute ride offers stunning views as it cuts through the mountains and a gorge close to Hollental.

Titisee is a tourist town based by a lake in the heart of the forest - popular with the retired, with more hotels, restaurants, souvenir stores and cuckoo clocks than you can shake a stick at. There's not tonnes to see but it's very relaxed. From the station turn right and head down towards the lake.

Black Forest but no gateaux: Titisee

You can also stay on the train a little further and go to Barental, which has German's highest mainland station.

Its position, its laid back lifestyle and its charm make Freiburg a great place to head to for a few nights. And you don't need to be a forest hiker to like it.

Getting there and around

The closest airport to Freiburg is Euro Airport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg on, ironically on the French/ Swiss border. The airport doesn't have a rail link so the best option is the bus shuttle which runs from outside the arrivals hall on the French side to Freiburg train station, with one stop along the way.

There are around a dozen buses each way daily, taking 55 minutes. It costs 20 euros one way, 35 euros return, payable on the bus. Check here for timetable information.

Taxis will do the route for considerably more.

Option two is flying to Karlsruhe Baden airport, with a half hour connection to Karlsruhe and then an hour on the fast line to Freiburg. However, the only UK flight in 2009 is Ryanair from Stansted.

A more distant possibility is Stuttgart Airport. An S-Bahn links the airport with the main station and trains make the run direct to Freiburg in around an hour and 40 minutes.

The train from London is an option - I can testify, I've done it. Depending on your connections you can do it in around eight hours from St Pancras, via Paris Est then either via Basel, Strasbourg or Karlsruhe. Check out the doyen of rail travel, Seat61 for details and see Deutsch Bahn for timetable info.

The Hauptbahnhof fits in neatly with the public network of buses and trams. Tram 1 is the main route that runs from above the Hauptbanhof through the old town. Frankly it's only about a ten minute walk even though you can't see the old centre from the station.

Leaving the main station entrance go straight across the main road, head straight on and you'll soon reach the edge of the old town. The whole of the old town is easily navigable on foot.

Day tickets cost five euros, or 8.50 euros for a group of five, while singles are two euros - you'll just need zone one for anywhere in town including the stadium.

Click here to download a tram map for the city.

Where to stay

There's no shortage of hotels in town. The most expensive ones have a base in or right on the edge of the old town.

I stayed in the Inter City Hotel, which is part of the station itself. The ten storey building won't win any prizes for design, and unsurprisingly it has a distinctly international feel.

However, it's got everything you need, staff speak good English and are helpful.

It's dead handy for the station - the breakfast room is right next to Platform 1 - and as an added bonus the hotel gives you a card giving you free public travel throughout Freiburg city for the duration of your stay - saving the cost and hassle of buying tickets.

There's also a large Novotel right opposite the station.