5 Best Hotels in Freiburg, The Black Forest

Freiburg's most luxurious hotel has tastefully furnished rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the romantic Old Town as well as a great restaurant. Despite its central location, the hotel basks in near-countryside quiet. The Hans Thoma Stube (reservations essential) has been outfitted with venerable tables, chairs, tile stoves, and wood paneling; the black-tied waiters will also serve you small regional dishes at merciful prices.

This hotel's pleasantly modern rooms are on the sunny side of the cobblestone cathedral square and marketplace, and some rooms have beautiful views of the cathedral's flying buttresses. An older building has been renovated in a sustainable manner, with airy rooms in neutral colors with bursts of metallic wallpaper. The kitchen serves typical Badische cuisine, including fresh game and fish and a few vegetarian options; tables are set out in the square in summer.

Located in a former mint in the Old Town's pedestrian zone, this family-run hotel has contemporary-style rooms with dark-wood floors and cool white walls and bed linens, and there's a two-room family suite in the attic with a balcony overlooking the Münster and Old Town. Despite its thin walls, it's a charming choice close to both a parking garage and public transportation. The Badische Winzerstube provides all you could want in local atmosphere, wine, and food.

This century-old building near the train station has seen a lot of writers come through its historic doors, and editions signed by visiting authors—including Teju Cole, children's illustrator Janusch, and Alice Schwarzer—line the halls. During redecorations, management dedicated a room to each of the authors, with copies of their books inside and a poem hung on the wall. A copper dome and stone balconies overlooking a park contribute to the comfortable feel.

The "Red Bear" claims to be the oldest inn in Germany, with its history traced back 50 generations and documented in a book. Dating from 1311, the inn retains its individual character, along with a cellar displaying its 700-year-old foundation open to the public interested in seeing part of the original inn. Like most of Freiburg, the original building was destroyed in World War II; the new building maintains a historical facade that betrays the comfortable lodgings and excellent dining option inside.