If you’re a regular reader of my travel blog, you know that I like to wrap up our trips with a ten things I learned post. It kind of helps me sum things up succinctly, as is hand for those who don’t want to read the blow by blow journal. So, I now humbly present to you ten things I learned while we visited the Freiburg region of Germany!
10. Freiburg has a thriving wine culture. We noticed a number of wineries as we headed down to Horben. If we’d had another day or two, maybe we would have visited a few wineries and tried more of the local wines and brought some home. One of the sommeliers in training reminded us that the region is very close to France’s Burgundy region, so there are some good wines to be had from Freiburg. There are also, naturally, some excellent beers, and some places are embracing the alcohol free cocktail trend, too.
9. The Schauinsland cable car takes about twenty minutes, but you get a gorgeous view of the countryside. The Schauinsland rises 1284 meters as it takes riders up the mountainside, where they can enjoy hiking, biking, dog walking, and the miner’s museum. It’s also a great place for lunch or even breakfast at Die Bergstation. Be sure to make a reservation if you want to try breakfast, though.
8. If you get bored with Freiburg, you can easily visit France and/or Switzerland. Both borders are very close to Freiburg. I was thinking we might venture into Switzerland at some point during our visit, but Freiburg had so much to offer that we never had the opportunity.
7. If you want to visit Freiburg, you might want to walk, take the bus, or ride a bike… Freiburg is a “green” city. It’s not very car friendly at all, as we found out when we tried to find a parking garage and ended up in a Walkplatz, where people were quick to give us dirty looks and gestures. I would like to visit Freiburg proper, but not when we have to worry about driving.
6. Freiburg is heaven for bikers. We saw so many people riding bikes in and around Freiburg, and lots of them were riding them up very steep mountains. My days of doing that kind of bike riding are long over, but I was impressed by the stamina and bravery of the many bikers in Freiburg. For a moment, I thought we were actually in The Netherlands!
5. Breisach is well worth a visit. We decided to visit Breisach kind of on a whim, because I noticed it was a stop on many Rhein River cruises. I wanted to give myself a reason not to ever book one, because I live about twenty minutes from the Rhein and have been to most of the stops on the majority of the available Rhein River cruises. Breisach was one place I hadn’t been. I’m glad we went there, as it is a very cute little town right on the French border. I’d like to see more.
4. Ditto to Staufen… Staufen is a quaint, colorful, historic town I’d never heard of before we visited Freiburg. I want to thank my German connection, Susanne, for recommending it. I hope we can visit again and spend more time there.
3. The Freiburg region has a lot to offer. Not only do you get the Black Forest and stunning mountain views, but you’re also very close to the Rhein River. It’s kind of like a marriage between our two German lifestyles since we moved back here in 2014– Black Forest in the Stuttgart region, and Rhein River in the Wiesbaden region. Freiburg has them both! There are also waterfalls, a hanging bridge, and even a downhill scooter track.
2. Peacocks can make a visit to a small “zoo” worth the price of entry… We visited the small Schwarzwaldzoo in Waldkirch and were charmed by the animals. However, in my opinion, the preening peacock who was primed for peahen poontang was the star of the show. It was worth the 7,50 euros each to watch him strut, fanning out his beautiful tail, and showing off to everyone. What a personality!
And finally, 1.– I am so glad we finally made it to Freiburg. Susanne has been after us to go there for ten years. She was right, Freiburg is well worth the trip. I’m glad we took the plunge. I hope we can take the plunge again and see even more!
So far, this year, we’ve done two short Germany trips, plus an overnight in Stuttgart. Where will be going next? It’s anyone’s guess. It depends on when our new canine family member arrives. For now, I will keep my fond memories of beautiful Horben and Freiburg close to my heart and on my mind.