A sun-kissed town with a touch of the mediterranean: Freiburg

Are the people of Freiburg so happy because their town gets more sun than anywhere else in Germany, or have they been rewarded with so much sunshine precisely because they are so good-natured? It's difficult to say. But what is certain is that life is good in Germany's southernmost major town, where every visit is a memorable one. Even on those rare occasions when the sun has decided to take a day off.

Vibrant Münsterplatz square and a merchants' hall from 1532
But Freiburg's friendly locals are not the only drawcard. Other highlights include one of Germany's prettiest old quarters, a wealth of culture and history, lots of cafés and inviting taverns, great food and drink, warm hospitality and scenic surroundings. What's more, the town's overall atmosphere is easygoing, laid back and more carefree than most. It's almost – in a word – mediterranean. The best way to experience this is on a stroll through the old town, which always buzzes with life and has the minster's 116-metre high Gothic tower as its dominant feature. Münsterplatz square is the biggest in the town centre and hosts a market every day except Sunday, with a farmers market in the northern half of the square and other stalls in the southern half. The main sights here are the Historical Merchants' Hall from 1532 with its deep-red facade and colourful corner towers, the Museum of Municipal History in the Haus Zum Schönen Eck from 1761, and the Alte Wache, now the House of Badensian Wines – certainly not the worst use for this beautiful old guardhouse!

Where each square is more beautiful than the last, and the locals' favourite spot.
Augustinerplatz is the other central square in the old town. Overlooked by an Augustinian abbey and the ruins of the town wall, this is a popular rendezvous for locals, which probably has something to do with the huge steps that flank one side. The lively atmosphere here is strongly reminiscent of the Spanish Steps in Rome.

Then onto Rathausplatz, location of the Old and New Town Hall, Gothic St. Martin's Church and a fountain with a statue of the Franciscan monk Berthold Schwarz – supposedly the inventor of gunpowder, who lived at the monastery that once stood on the square. Oberlinden and Unterlinden are two rather more peaceful squares, and both have a beautiful old lime tree as their centrepiece. True connoisseurs of Freiburg describe pretty little Adelhauser-Platz, which lies away from the beaten track, as the most beautiful square in the town.

Festivals, fairs and fine natural scenery.
These marvellous squares provide an ideal backdrop for the dozens of celebrations, both large and small, which take place every year in Freiburg's old town. The programme kicks off in January with the international 'trade fair' of culture and the grenzenlos festival, and continues uninterrupted through to December, when the Christmas market and the Circus Festival round off the season. Among the highlights in between are the colourful antics of the Freiburg Carnival, film seasons, open-air cinemas, a summer film festival, various fun fairs, the Summer of Culture, the Zelt-Musik Festival, the Courtyard Festival, Le Gipfel du Jazz, plays performed in the town hall courtyard, the 'Lake Night' Festival and a wine festival. It's hard to believe there could be so much going on, but just ask anyone who's been! After all that celebrating, the many parks and green spaces are an attractive proposition and include Schlossberg hill, Mundenhof wildlife park, 1,284m Mount Schauinsland on the doorstep of Freiburg and lots of lakes in and around the town. Each one is a haven of tranquillity and natural beauty that will leave you rested and relaxed, ready for an evening out in Freiburg.