Is Freiburg Worth Visiting? One Day Freiburg Itinerary

Last Updated on 20th May 2025

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Located in the Baden-Württemberg state of Southwest Germany, just a 30-minute drive from the French border and 50 minutes from the Swiss border, Freiburg im Breisgau is well worth a day trip when visiting the Black Forest area of Germany.

Is one day in Freiburg enough?

You can easily spend just one day in Freiburg and see pretty much everything that it has to offer. Of course, you could always base yourself in Freiburg for a few days and take a day trip to the Black Forest as well.

We actually spent three nights in Freiburg as we thought we would need longer to explore its charming cobblestone streets, but I’m happy to report that you only need to spend one day in Freiburg; giving you more opportunities to discover even more incredible cities in Germany and beyond!

FREIBURG TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
Flights: Kiwi.com
Accommodation: Booking.com / Hostelworld
Transport: Flixbus / Trainline
Activities/tours: Get Your Guide / Viator
Travel insurance: SafetyWing
My backpacking essentials: Amazon

Top tours and attractions for one day in Freiburg

1. Freiburg Old Town Tour – Freiburg Munster, Bächle & More
2. Experience Freiburg With A Local Tour
3. Guided City Tour With Actors
4. Historic City Centre Walking Tour
5. Scavenger Hunt & City Highlights Walking Tour

Is Freiburg worth visiting for tourists?

Situated in Germany’s iconic Black Forest, Freiburg im Breisgau is definitely worth visiting while you’re in the southwest region of Germany! Its small but picturesque old town might not be quite as riveting as the one in Munich, Berlin or Hamburg , for example, but its towering minster, historic town halls and fantastic beer gardens and beer halls make Freiburg a truly charming city.

If you’re looking to avoid the bigger cities of Germany or you plan to spend a few days exploring the Black Forest, I’d highly recommend adding a one-day Freiburg itinerary to your travel plans. One day is the perfect amount of time to experience the loveliness of this historic university city; check out the best things to do in Freiburg below!

We visited Freiburg as part of our two-month interrailing trip in Europe and it was such a fantastic city to add to our itinerary.

Read more: Interrailing Planning Tips For Beginners – How To Plan An Interrail Trip

Best things to do in Freiburg in one day – map

This Freiburg itinerary includes the very best things to see and do in one day. From the beautiful Cathedral (Münster) to a short hike to Kanonenplatz to view the city from above to plenty of excellent food, beer and wine in MarktHalle, this one-day Freiburg itinerary showcases the best of this quaint German city.

One day in Freiburg itinerary summary

1. Freiburg Münster
2. Münsterplatz
3. Alte Wache
4. Historisches Kaufhaus
5. MarktHalle
6. Neues Rathaus
7. Altes Rathaus
8. Augustinerplatz
9. Martinstor
10. Schwabentor

1. Freiburg Münster

The Freiburg Münster (Cathedral) is arguably the best thing to see in Freiburg due to its imposing presence and fascinating history.

Construction of the cathedral took over 300 years to complete and it now stands as a true testament of time at over 800 years old. It was somehow miraculously spared during the WW2 bombings and its 116-metre-tall tower still remains almost completely preserved and intact today.

You can also spot dozens of gargoyles on the facade of Freiburg Cathedral and you can also climb the 209 steps to the top of the tower for spectacular views of the city.

Tower opening times:

• Tuesday to Saturday – 11 AM to 4 PM
• Sunday – 1 PM to 5 PM
• Cost: €5 for adults and €3 for children

Münster guided tour:

• Friday and Saturday at 2 PM
• Cost: €8 for one hour tour

2. Münsterplatz – is Freiburg worth visiting?

Freiburg Minster is located in a beautiful part of the city known as Münsterplatz. It’s a pedestrian-only zone in the Old Town, making it a truly lovely place for a gentle stroll.

You’ll find the city’s market located in Münsterplatz, where you can find all kinds of wonderful local produce, homemade artisanal crafts and even food stalls selling traditional German cuisines such as currywurst, Schnitzel, bratwurst and more.

Münsterplatz is also home to several other notable buildings and attractions in Freiburg, including the Alte Wache (wine house), the Historisches Kaufhaus, and Fischbrunnen.

3. Alte Wache Freiburg (wine house)

Situated in the beautiful square of Münsterplatz, the Alte Wache is an institution in Freiburg for wine lovers from all over the world.

They have a dedicated wine bar where you can enjoy a variety of different, delicious grape creations, as well as a speciality known as “Kalte Sofie” (cold Sofie) which is a refreshing iced Baden wine that is a very welcome refreshment in the summer months!

You can also purchase bottles of wine to take away with you from their “vinotheque”.

4. Historical Merchants’ Hall (Historisches Kaufhaus)

When exploring Münsterplatz during your one day in Freiburg, you absolutely cannot miss the beautiful and ornately decorated building known as Historisches Kaufhaus.

The Historical Merchants’ Hall was once used as a merchandise storage area, but today it’s used for various events in the city throughout the year.

5. MarktHalle – is Freiburg worth visiting?

Travellers looking to experience culinary delights from all over the world will relish a visit to MarktHalle while in Freiburg as it’s a sizeable food and drink hall that serves cuisines from everywhere from Germany to Brazil to Indonesia to Italy to Turkey to India, plus many more!

It’s a great place to grab a bite to eat in Freiburg if you don’t want a formal sit-down meal as there are so many wonderful food stalls to choose from; you can enjoy a bit of everything!

6. Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall)

Just a couple of minutes’ walk from MarktHalle takes you to Rathausplatz where you’ll find both the Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus) and the New Town Hall.

The two town halls are connected by a footbridge and they’re both still used today as administrative headquarters for the city. The tourist information office is also located on the ground floor of the Altes Rathaus.

7. Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall)

One fascinating fact to note about the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) is that the building itself is actually older than the Old Town Hall!

The New Town Hall belonged to the university until 1891, so its use as an administrative building is still somewhat new, whereas the Old Town Hall has been in operation since 1559.

Both the Neues Rathaus and the Altes Rathaus are super beautiful buildings and as they’re right next to each other, it’s impossible to miss them!

8. St. Martinskirche – is Freiburg worth visiting?

The next stop on your Freiburg itinerary is the picturesque St. Martinskirche. The original chapel on the site of St. Martinskirche dates all the way back to 1206.

Most of the church’s structure was destroyed during World War 2, but was later rebuilt between 1949 and 1951 and today it remains one of the most beautiful religious buildings in the city.

9. Colombischlössle Archeological Museum

The Colombischlössle Archeological Museum is a great place for history lovers to visit in the city as it takes you on a journey over thousands of years.

See exhibitions such as Celtic pompous tombs, Roman statues, valuables from the Middle Ages and so much more.

Opening times:

• Tuesday to Sunday – 10 AM to 5 PM
• Wednesday – 10 AM to 7 PM
• Cost: €5

Read more: How Much Does Backpacking Europe Cost?

10. Augustinerplatz

Along with Münsterplatz, Augustinerplatz is another one of the city’s main squares that’s surrounded by shops, cafes and museums (such as the Augustiner Museum which is located on the former site of an Augustinian monastery).

In the summer, it’s a super popular meeting place for students, tourists and locals (the steps and main square area are usually so teeming with people that it’s difficult to get around them!). It’s one of the best free things to do in Freiburg as it’s a gorgeous place to enjoy a leisurely mooch around without spending a penny!

11. Martinstor – is Freiburg worth visiting?

Along with Schwabentor (mentioned below), Martinstor is one of two remaining medieval city gates of Freiburg that somehow survived the war almost completely unscathed.

There have been many debates over the years that these medieval gates should be taken down as they’re considered by some as obstructions to public transport developments, but they’re such incredibly beautiful feats of architecture; I really hope they remain for many years to come!

12. Schwabentor

Schwabentor is located on the east side of the Altstadt (Old Town) and is the younger of the two remaining medieval gates in Freiburg.

You can see inside Schwabentor by visiting Zinnfigurenklause, a unique museum that features 10,000 miniature figures that depict the history of the city.

13. Konviktstrasse – is Freiburg worth visiting?

Just a couple of metres from Schwabentor resides the entrance to Konviktstrasse, one of the most notably beautiful streets in the city.

With charming houses, boutique stores, cute cafes and picturesque cobblestones, Konviktstrasse is a place that’s worth visiting in Freiburg with your camera in tow!

14. Kanonenplatz

For excellent views of the city, you can head to the viewing platform known as Kanonenplatz at the top of Castle Hill. From here, you can enjoy the wonderful vistas of the Cathedral and the Old Town below.

It’s just a short (albeit a little steep) 10-minute walk to the top of the hill at Kanonenplatz from the path near Schwabentor. You can also walk even further up the hill to Schlossbergturm, a 35m-high observation tower on top of Castle Hill that affords even better views of the city and Old Town.

How to get to Freiburg

Due to its excellent location on the southwest edge of the Black Forest and its sizeable Hauptbahnhof (central train station), Freiburg is super accessible from many major cities in Germany and beyond.

We took the train to Freiburg from Bern, Switzerland (with a change in Basel) which took just over two hours in total.

The train from Berlin takes around seven hours, the train from Stuttgart takes between two and three hours (depending on where you change) and the train from Frankfurt takes around two hours.

You can also drive to Freiburg from the border of France within half an hour or from the border of Switzerland within an hour, so it’s a super easily accessible city.

How to get around Freiburg

As you can see from my Freiburg itinerary map above, it’s such a small and walkable city that you don’t really need to rely on public transport. Most of the top things to do in Freiburg are located within the old town and while there is a tram transport system, it’s not necessary to use it for most of the top sights and attractions.

Where to stay in Freiburg im Breisgau

During our time in Freiburg, we stayed at Friedrich Boutique-Apartments which are located just a few hundred metres from the main highlights of the old town and just a 10-minute walk from Freiburg Hauptbahnhof.

They’re also situated near many of the best places to eat in Freiburg, so you’re guaranteed not to go hungry during your time in the city!

The apartments are super clean and very spacious with a fully-equipped kitchen that would be useful if you wanted to cook your own food while in the city. There are also washing and drying facilities in the basement of the building if you plan to stay in Freiburg for a few days and need to do laundry (we took full advantage of these free facilities during our trip!).

I’d highly recommend staying at Friedrich Boutique-Apartments in Freiburg, but you can check the listings on Booking.com for even more awesome places to stay!

Best time to visit – is Freiburg worth visiting?

Freiburg is often cited as one of the warmest and sunniest cities in Germany (although it was pretty bloody cold when we visited at the beginning of March!), so it’s a great place to visit all year round.

It does occasionally experience some snow during the winter months, but that just adds to its picturesque charm even more.

The months of May, June, July, August and September are the warmest months to visit Freiburg and you can expect plenty of sunshine and warm weather during this time. However, June is also considered to be one of the rainiest months in Freiburg.

If you’re looking for almost-guaranteed sunshine and good weather, July and August would be the best time to visit, but they’re also likely to be pretty busy and expensive months for tourists. December is a great time to visit Freiburg as you can enjoy its annual Christmas Market and festivities and you may even be lucky enough to experience some snow during your trip!

Read more: The Ultimate 1 Month Europe Interrail Itinerary & Route

Where to eat in Freiburg

• Mala Kuhinja – best breakfast
• Breisgauer Flammkuchen – best lunch
• Goldener Sternen or a food stall in the MarktHalle – best dinner

Read more: Where To Eat In Freiburg – Best Restaurants In Freiburg, Germany

The best day trips from Freiburg, Germany

If you plan to spend longer than one day in Freiburg, you might be interested to discover some of the best day trips from Freiburg. From exploring the depths of nature in the Black Forest to venturing to some of the region’s best cities, there are plenty of day trips to enjoy.

• Baden-Baden (1-hour 50-minute drive)
• Colmar, France (1-hour drive)
• Basel, Switzerland (1-hour drive)
• Schauinsland (40-minute drive)
• Titisee (40-minute drive)

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• 25hours Hotel Munich – Best Places To Stay In Munich
• The Best 2-Week Europe Interrailing Route – Ultimate Europe Interrail Itinerary
• 2 Days In Berlin – The Perfect Weekend Itinerary
• Interrail Budget For 6 Weeks – How Much Does Interrailing Cost?
• One Day In Ghent Itinerary – Is Ghent Worth Visiting?

Pin for later – is Freiburg worth visiting?

Would you like to spend one day in Freiburg, Germany? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram at @imjustagirl_16.