Freiburg, with its many students and even more cyclists, masters the balancing act between dignified tradition and urban ease in every respect. On the one hand, rural idyll even in the city center, on the other hand, hip metropolis - you can live here!

By train to Freiburg: Plan arrival

Simply because of its location in the sunny south of Germany, in the wine-growing region of Breisgau and as a gateway to the Black ForestFreiburg is one of the most popular destinations in Germany. And then there's the atmosphere! No other major German city has managed it so well: on the one hand, idyllic old town alleys with winegrowers' houses and wine taverns around the cathedral that take you back to centuries long past.

On the other hand, it probably has the youngest population in the country. Of Freiburg's 230,000 inhabitants, around 35,000 are students, and they shape urban life ecologically, politically and culturally. They ride bicycles and prefer to spend their evenings in the so-called Bermuda Triangle between Martinstor, Werderring and Bertoldsbrunnen, where the nightlife is buzzing. But shopping desires are not neglected either. From the outside, medieval shacks attract fine retailers with a claim to manufacture from the inside. Our special tip for a break between two stores: Galerie Bollhorst, a mixture of tasteful coffee bar and smart art store. In the middle of the Black Forest Freiburg offers the perfect combination of city experience and nature for the whole family but also culinary enjoyment in the old town of Freiburg.

You can find more about wine growing in the region here: Wine, architecture and design in Baden-Württemberg 

By the way, you can find tips on how to travel comfortably and inexpensively on long-distance and local trains with Deutsche Bahn here.

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Cover image: ©shutterstock/Sergey Dzyuba