lesia

Wes: I received your name from Diane on the site. I will be in Switzerland in Sept.and will take a day trip to Freiburg Germany. We want to see the Black Forest and I'm aware this is the Southern tip of it. Any suggestions?<BR>Diane said there isn't much to see there.

Betsy

I'm not Wes and I'm certainly no expert, but I love Freiburg. We've visited the city twice and hope to do a home exchange there in 2002. The center is small and walkable and the cathedral is beautiful. Try to climb to the top for an outstanding view. There is a huge market around the cathedral every day. There is a system of open trenches (called bachle, I think) that enables fresh river water to flow through many of the streets. The water is a visual and auditory treat.

Lesia

Thanks Betsy: It sounds wonderful. We'll<BR>take the train from Bern to Basel and then into Freiburg in the morning and return later that afternoon.

Betsy

Lesia, if you decide to spend the night, I recommend the following hotel. Cost was less than $100/night for a double, and it was about a five minute walk from the center. <BR><BR>Hotel Alleehaus<BR>Marienstr 7<BR>Freiburg<BR>79098 Germany<BR>From US: 011 49 7613 8760 <BR><BR>An allee is a tree-lined street in German.

eva

If you ant to see at least a bit of the Schwarzwald take the cable car up to the mountain of Schauinsland, it´s very close to Freiburg. On clear days you have a great view.

Russ

Freiburg is an attractive, smallish city that is good for a walk around the main square, a visit to the Münster (cathedral) and a meal. But if you hope to see a place with trees (as "Black Forest" implies) you'll need to explore a bit further. On a quick day trip, I think your best bet is Titisee, which can be reached in just 30-40 minutes from Freiburg by train. The ride takes you through the pretty "Höllental" (Hell's Valley") gorge and ascends into mountain scenery that will give you pause. Titisee sits on a small lake with the same funny name and although it's not undiscovered, its beauty isn't overwhelmed by waves of tour buses, either, as are some Black Forest towns (buses have to park outside the town.) Enjoy the shops there, but be sure to have a walk around at least one end of the lake and fill your lungs with some real Black Forest air.

wes fowler

Lesia,Freiburg is a fascinating city. Although heavily damaged in World War II, its 13th century buildings have been beautifully restored. A thoroughly German city, it has a strong resemblance to some of the Austrian towns due to the influence of the Habsburg empire that occupied the city for a number of years. The city’s main feature, the Munster and adjacent Munsterplatz, are stunning, with the Munster’s gargoyles and stained glass particularly impressive. The buildings surrounding the Munster are fascinating with their varied architectural styles. Some once formed part of the campus of Freiburg university. On your walk along the pedestrian promenade with its many shops, note the “Bachle”, Freiburg’s natural air conditioning device. Originally a medieval sewage system, these streams running from fresh water springs spew down the pedestrian promenade and cool the surroundings. Careful, don’t, like most Freiburgers at one time or another step in one and twist an ankle! <BR><BR>The view from the top of the Munster’s west tower is impressive, as is the view from Schauinsland and its cable car. At 1284 meters, you’ll get a panoramic view, not of the Black Forest, but of the city and the Vosges mountains of France. You can get to the cable car via tram No. 4 from the city center to Gunterstal. <BR><BR>For an interesting introduction to the charms of Freiburg, go to the following website and turn on your PC’s speakers and enjoy the slide show.<BR>http://www.freiburg-online.com/freiburg/english/multimedia/html/frameset-diashow.html<BR><BR>Touring Freiburg and the sites it offers will occupy a full day and, since you’ll be spending travel time coming from Switzerland, offer little opportunity to explore the Black Forest. If you’d rather visit one of the Black Forest villages rather than Freiburg itself, consider taking the train from Freiburg to Gengenbach (it’s a journey of under an hour). Gengenbach is an absolutely charming village, on a par with Rothenburg o. b. Tauber, but without the hordes of tourists. Go to the following website, click on the British flag and then on “Stadtrundgang” in the left hand frame, for a detailed walking tour with charming photos and apt descriptions.<BR><BR>http://www.badenpage.de/gengenbach/<BR><BR>

Regularguy

Freiburg is a fairly big place outside the Black Forest. Here is a webpage with clickable photos of different towns within the Black Forest that you might want to visit if you're looking for somewhere smaller:<BR>http://www.schwarzwald-sued.de/cgi-b...lder/index.htm

Lesia

Thanks Betsy, Eva, Russ and Wes.<BR>You've all offered good advice.<BR>Wes, are you related to Sherry?

Wes Fowler

No, Lesia, not related to Sherry (though I think you mean Sally from the mid-West) not related to her either.