Nickname(s):
-
Demonym(s):
Freiburger
Founded:
1120
Democracy:
Developed:
European Union:
Schengen:
Euro:
National Capital:
RegionalState Capital:
Population (City):
231 000
Population (Urban):
-
Population (Metro):
657 000
Population Density (km2):
1 500
Population Density (mi2):
3 900
4th Largest City in Baden-Württemberg
Language:
German
Currency:
Euro
Avg. Summertime High:
28 °C
82 °F
Avg. Summertime Low:
15 °C
59 °F
Warmest Month:
July
Coldest Month:
January
Avg. Wintertime High:
6 °C
42 °F
Avg. Wintertime Low:
0 °C
32 °F
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The most unique feature of Freiburg is the Freiburg Bächle. It's a set of small water-filled runnels which runs along most streets in the city. Freiburg is often used as a base for trips into the Black Forest. If you decide to stay in the city, the Old Town offers sights such as Freiburg Cathedral, Martinstor, and The Historical Merchants' Hall.
Federal Republic of Germany | Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Germany
English
Deutschland
Germany
Region:
Central Europe
Area:
357 022 km2
Ranked 63 out of 195
Population:
Population:
83 190 000
Ranked 18 out of 235
Urbanization:
78 %
Ranked 53 out of 194
Capital:
Berlin
Population: 4 473 000
Largest City:
Berlin
Population: 4 473 000
Economy & Development:
Human Development Index:
Very High
Ranked 6 out of 189
Inequality-Adjusted HDI:
Very High
Ranked 10 out of 189
GDP (PPP) Per Capita:
$53 919
Ranked 26 out of 225
Democracy & Freedom:
Democracy Index:
Full Democracy
Ranked 14 out of 167
Freedom House:
Free
94 points out of 100 possible
Press Freedom:
Satisfactory
Ranked 16 out of 180
Economic Freedom:
Most Free
Ranked 20 out of 162
National Identity:
Independence Since:
1871
Independence From:
German City-States
National Day:
3rd of October
What Is Celebrated On The National Day:
The unification between East and West Germany, which was formally in effect on the 3rd of October 1990. In Germany, the day is known as "Tag der Deutschen Einheit" (German Unity Day). The date was chosen as National Day ahead of the 9th of November, the day when the Berlin Wall was torn down, and which is a more symbolic day in the Unification process, because the 9th of November was also the date of the Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) in 1938.
Facts & Codes:
Driving Side:
Right
-
Time Zone:
UTC +1 (CET)
Summer Time: UTC +2 (CEST)
Country Calling Code:
+ 49
-
Country Code:
DE
ISO 3166
German State | Deutsche Bundesland
Baden-Württemberg
English / German
Region:
South-Western Germany
Area:
35 673 km2
Ranked 3 out of 16
Population:
Population:
11 103 000
Ranked 3 out of 16
Population Share:
13 %
Of National Population
Capital:
Stuttgart
Population: 2 787 000
Largest City:
Stuttgart
Population: 2 787 000
Major Cities:
Stuttgart
Karlsruhe
Mannheim
Freiburg im Breisgau
Heidelberg
Information:
GDP Per Capita::
$55 800
Higher than national average
Climate:
Oceanic Climate
Köppen: Cfb
Time Zone:
UTC +1 (CET)
Summer: UTC +2 (CEST)
Martinstor
City Gate
Bächle
Small Canals
Schwabentor
City Gate
EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg
IATA Code:
BSL/EAP
ICAO Code:
LFSB
Passenger Volumes:
Distance:
46 km / 29 mi (S)
Located In:
Saint-Louis, France
Named After:
-
Information:
A unique airport in sense that it is jointly operated by two countries and on arrival you can chose if you want to enter customs and immigration through France or Switzerland. You cannot however enter directly into Germany. The airport has a clear low-cost profile and many of the routes serving the airport is with a low-cost carrier. There are some routes with legacy/national carrier, such as Lufthansa, Austrian, British Airways, and Turkish Airlines.
Transfer To/From:
The closest train station lies almost a kilometer outside of the airport area, and it's just a minor local station. If you do not want to rent a car your best option is to take a bus. There are long-distance buses that serves Freiburg, with five departures per day. Those are only available from the French side of the airport, so make sure you enter/exit through France. Another option is to take a local bus to Basel Central Station and catch a regional train to Freiburg from there. The travel time is almost identical with the two options, they both take a little bit over one hour.
Currency:
Euro
Code:
EUR
Subunit:
Cent
Symbol:
€
Cash Or Credit:
Cash is King in Germany! It always amazes me that a country that is so technologically advanced in just about everything else is still using mostly cash and doesn't even offer cards as an option in many stores. It was however much better when I visited in 2021 than during my previous trips in 2017 and 2019. In just those two years it changed a lot, and it was now at least possible to pay by card in most medium-sized stores. There were however still places where I was not able to use my card, so you still need to bring paper cash.
Even in 2022, I faced some issues, but by now card payment is available at most places. Bring cash, but you don't have to bring as much as before. And in most cases, you could just go somewhere else instead of using cash. Most tourist attractions are now accepting card payments, something that was not the norm just five years ago.
Good To Know:
-
Local Language:
German
Language Family:
Germanic (Indo-European)
Writing System:
Latin Alphabet
What About English?
Germans previously had a reputation for not being so good at English. Today, this is completely false and nothing could be further from the truth. Germany has by far the highest proficiency in English of the major non-native-speaking countries in Europe. Only the much smaller Scandinavian and Benelux countries are better. If English is your only language, you won't have to worry about language in Germany. There is a slight generational difference though. The older generation might not always be able to help you out, but young people almost always speak more or less perfect English.
- Germany Is Closed On Sundays
It is good to know that almost all of Germany closes down on Sundays. Stores are not allowed to be open on Sundays! They are allowed to be open on four Sundays during the year, and most of them will choose to keep open during the Christmas season. Restaurants are allowed to be open, and so do tourist attractions and certain stores that cater specifically to tourists (such as souvenir shops). Those are more or less the only exceptions. Not even Supermarkets are open, so plan your purchases well and make sure to buy everything you need on Saturday already if you plan on staying over a Sunday.
Nordsee
Origin:
Founded:
Type of Food:
1896
Did I Try:
Yes
My Score:
4 / 5
About:
A German chain that serves seafood. The company was founded in 1896 in Bremerhaven to supply seafood from the North Sea to the residents of Bremen. The literal translation of the name is "North Sea". In the 1960s the current chain was developed when they, in addition to the original fresh seafood menu, also added a more fast-food-like menu with fried products.
Comment:
They have two menus. One menu consists of more a restaurant type of seafood that is served on plates, and which is arguable of higher quality. The other menu, which is the one I like better, consists of typical fast-food items such as fried shrimp or fish served with fries in paper boxes. I can highly recommend visiting this chain if you're looking for a quick meal.
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It's hard to miss the Martinstor in central Freiburg. Wherever you want to go in the central parts you are likely to go past it at least once.
Johanneskirche in the district of Wiehre.
Kirche Herz Jesu near the Central Station (Bahnhof).
The main street in Freiburg is called Kaiser-Joseph-Straße.
On Kaiser-Joseph-Straße you'll find the Martinstor.
A residential area near Bahnhof.
Freiburger Türmchen
A street in Freiburg im Breisgau.
There are two surviving city gates in Freiburg: Martinstor and Schwabentor. This is Schwabentor.
Kaiser-Joseph-Straße. Notice the small streetside canals. The Bächle is one of the most unique features of this German city.
Graffiti covers the wall of a building in central Freiburg.
Gewerbekanal is almost like some back streets hidden away from the major roads. An easy-to-spot entrance is near the Martinstor.