Germany – Wolters World

What NOT to Do In Freiburg Germany

Posted on December 16, 2022November 15, 2022 by Mark Wolters

Hey there, fellow travelers! Today, we’re talking about what NOT to do on a trip to Freiburg, Germany. While many travel blogs will tell you all the fun things to do in Freiburg, Germany, we want to be sure you know what you should NOT do when you plan a Freiburg trip.

Don’t Fall in the Bächle

The biggest danger when you visit Freiburg is the Bächle. These are like little gutter streams running along the streets of Freiburg. In some places, they are shallow and narrow, while in other places they are deeper and wide. Just as it’s easy to trip on a curb when walking, it’s pretty easy to fall in the Bächle when visiting Freiburg. Watch your step! Legend has it that you’ll marry a local if you fall in!

Don’t Leave the Kids at Home

Freiburg is a great destination to bring the whole family. Our boys have been to Freiburg many times because it’s perfect for little kids. Street vendors sell little wooden boats to float in the Bächle, and there are tons of kid-friendly activities around town and in the surrounding Black Forest.

kids in freiburg — Freiburg is one city in Germany that your kids will love visiting.

Don’t Think You Have to Climb Schlossberg

Schlossberg (translates as Castle Hill) is a hill overlooking Freiburg, and there’s a great beer garden and a viewing tower at the top. But don’t think you have to climb the hill. There’s a funicular and an elevator that will take you to or near the top of the hill.

Don’t Forget Good Walking Shoes

Freiburg is surrounded by the Black Forest, with endless hiking opportunities. If you want to enjoy some of the hikes, make sure you have some hiking boots or at least some good walking shoes so you can hit the trails. You can hire a guide if you’d like, but as long as you have good shoes, snacks, and water, you should be ok to just go hiking on your own.

Five Tips for Choosing Shoes to Wear in Europe

Don’t Expect a Lot of Non-German Tourists

Freiburg is a ways off the beaten path for most international tourists. It is a tourist town, but mostly for Germans away on a weekend holiday. Switzerland and France are nearby, so you may also see some travelers from those regions, but we have never seen an abundance of foreign tourists like you might expect in other cities.

Don’t Worry About Getting Around

While I recommend staying in downtown Freiburg, you don’t have to. There are buses and trams that will bring you to the city center, and it’s really easy to get around the entire area. Freiburg also makes a great base for exploring the surrounding region. Strasbourg, France is about an hour away by train. Basel, Switzerland is also an easy day trip from Freiburg.

What Not to Do in Strasbourg

Just note: if you take the train into Freiburg, you’ll see a church with two towers that looks like it might be the historic downtown. It’s not; go the other way!

Don’t Miss the Top Sights of Freiburg

Freiburg is a perfectly sized city for exploring, and you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the architecture and sights. After many trips to Freiburg, this is my list of can’t-miss things to see in Freiburg:

Münster is the main cathedral in Old Town. Not only is it beautiful inside and out, but it also makes a great escape from the heat, sun, rain, or snow as you tour Freiburg.
Admire the architecture around Cathedral Square or Munsterplatz; there are some amazing buildings to see and it’s a great place to grab a beer or a bite to eat
The Augustiner Museum has a great collection of medieval art
The City Towers of Schwabentor and Martinstor both give the city a historic look, even though Martinstor has a McDonald’s built into the ground level.
The Seepark is a great little aquarium that is perfect for families visiting Freiburg.
Take the Cable Car to the Black Forest
Come for the wine festivals! Freiburg is more known for wine than beer, and they have some really fun festivals to celebrate the grape harvest.

Start planning your trip with help from the Freiburg Tourism Center!

Grab Some Wolters World Travel Gear!

Don’t be surprised if you fall in love with Freiburg! It is truly a fairytale village of Germany that also happens to be Jocelyn’s favorite village in Germany! It’s easy to get to, and it’s easy to get around and it’s the sunniest place in Germany. With so many great day trips from Freiburg, it also makes a great home base for exploring the larger Alsace region of Germany.

Want more tips for traveling in Germany? Check out some of our other blog posts:

What to Know Before You Visit Germany

Posted on July 26, 2018May 9, 2019 by admin

What Tourists Should Know Before Visiting Germany

Live from Berlin, Germany at the Rotes Rahaus! I want to share with you some of the basic

cultural differences in Germany, from the U.S. Here are some of our German travel tips for your first visit to Germany.

Languages Spoken in Germany

Most likely, people will speak English. Be nice and learn a few words like “Please” and “Thank You,” which will make a big difference for your experience. It will be easy, however, to find someone who speaks English and can help you out.

Tip for Germans visiting the US: German is seldom spoken, so you’ll really need to learn some English before you visit.

Money in Germany

In Germany, they use the Euro. The Euro comes in several bills (500, 200, 100, 50, 10, 5) and the coins here are actually valuable. The 2 Euro coin is worth more than $2, so keep track of them. ATM’s are widely available and they are you can choose German language or English. In Germany, cash is king. That said, if you use a credit card, try to bring one with the chip in it, as those are more widely accepted in Germany, and throughout Europe. Look for a Commerzbank or Deutsche Bank ATM machine, as they will likely take U.S. cards.

Tip for Germans visiting the US: Credit cards are widely used, and it can be difficult to use $100 or $50 bills. Try to have $20 or lower amounts with you.

Electrical Outlets in Germany

The plugs and the voltage for electrical outlets are different between Germany and the U.S. In the U.S. we have two straight plugs, while Germany has two circle plugs. Your computer and mobile phone will have a converter built in, but you still need an adapter to charge anything.

Restaurant Service in Germany

Service is not as accommodating in Germany as it is in the U.S. They are professional, but will not come back to your table over and over like American waiters will do. This means you need to be ready with your order when they come to take it. They won’t keep coming back to wait for you to be ready. German etiquette does not call for tipping. Sometimes, they will add a 19% service charge for a large group. Keep an eye out for added gratuity, which is sometimes added as a “tourist tax.”

Service in the U.S. is very friendly and helpful. In Germany, they are helpful, but you have to ask sometimes, and it’s not always very friendly.

Tip for Germans visiting the US: tipping 15-20% in the U.S. is standard practice.

Getting Around Germany

Trains in Germany are the best and easiest way to get around. The trains go everywhere in Germany, with good timetables and it’s simple to use. In the cities, you can use buses, trams and subways. Even the smaller towns in Germany will have bus service, making it easy to get around the country without a rental car.

Tip for Germans visiting the US: cars are king in the U.S. Outside of the largest cities, there is not good public transportation.

Hotels in Germany

In Germany, a double room means two twin beds that can be pushed together to sleep two. It’s not like the US, with two queen or king size beds. If you’re traveling with children, especially teenagers, you need to request a triple room, or consider getting two rooms. Some hotels in Germany will have rules as to the number of occupants. Don’t be surprised by the thin hotel towels in Germany! They aren’t the lush, thick towels we are accustomed to in the States.

Tip for Germans visiting the US: A double room means two large beds that can sleep up to four people per room.

To learn more about Germany, check out our other videos: Five Things You’ll Love and Hate About Germany and Top Ten Sites Near Berlin.

10 MORE Things That SHOCK Tourists about Germany

What You Shouldn’t Do in Berlin – The Don’ts of Berlin, Germany

Posted on January 21, 2018February 18, 2020 by admin

The Don’ts of Visiting Berlin, Germany

With Numerous Museums, Sights & Nightlife Berlin has tons to offer travelers. Here we talk about what you shouldn’t do when you visit Berlin. From Not worrying about your travel budget, because Berlin is an affordable world capital to not skipping out on some of the local treats like Currywurst. Here are the Don’ts of Visiting Berlin, Germany.

Don’t Expect to See Old World Germany:

Berlin is an international city that has been torn apart by history and reunified over the past couple decades. The city has so much to offer, but it is not half-timbered houses, it is modern architecture and spirit, this is not Bavara, it is Berlin.

Don’t Think Berlin Has One Center:

There are actually three centers of Berlin. The west’s center is near Zoologisher Garten, while the east center is around Alexanderplatz and the new center is by the modern rebuild Potsdamer Platz.

Don’t forget to Eat Currywurst:

this Berlin institution is a bratwurst chopped up and drowned in curry ketchup. It may not look good, but it tastes delicious.

Don’t Expect to See a Lot of the Berlin Wall Where It Used to Be:

Most of the Berlin wall has been torn down, but there are a few places where you can still see it where it originally was located. The Eastside Gallery by the Ostbahnhof is one location and another is by the Topography of Terror installation between Check Point Charlie and Potsdamer Platz.

Don’t Use Taxis:

the public transporation system in Berlin is perfect for tourists. The S-Bahn (overland train), the U-Bahn (subway), Busses, and Trams can take you everywhere throughout town. So, using a taxi is not needed, unless you have a very early morning flight.

5 Things You Have to Eat in Berlin

Don’t Skip Out on Paying for your S-Bahn Ticket: there are no turn styles for getting on the S-Bahn so some people just hop on without paying. Don’t do that, there are undercover ticket checkers who do random checks on the trains throughout the day. So avoid a fine and pay for your Tageskarte or day ticket.

Don’t Forget to Go Up to the Dome of the Reichstag: The German Parliament (Reichstag) has a cool tour and you can go up to the top and walk up the dome and look into the parliament chambers.

Don’t Forget to Eat Non-German Food: Berlin has some tasty German treats, but with the large inflow of immigrants throughout the past 60 years Berlin is teaming with tons of Greek, Turkish, Spanish, Indian and other nationalities’ restaurants. So let your taste buds enjoy!

Don’t Jaywalk: if you are walking around Berlin you will see cute little Ampelmann (the people that tell you to walk or don’t walk on traffic lights) and jaywalking isn’t a good idea in Berlin, unless you want a grandma to give you a scolding.

5 Love & Hates of Visiting Berlin

Don’t Disrespect the Jewish Memorial: A number of tourists have taken to using the Jewish Memorial to be a Instagram stop on their visit to Berlin. Make sure you be respectful there as planking and parkouring really are not what a memorial is meant for.

Don’t Skip Out on the Museums & Sights: The nightlife in Berlin is awesome, but so are the numerous museums and sights. From the Pergamum Museum, to the Bodes Museum, to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum to the Brandenburg Gate and Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin has more sights than you can see in a weekend visit.

Don’t Forget to Note Where Your Train or Plane Arrives and Departs from, They May Be Different: Berlin has multiple train stations and airports, so make sure you pay attention to which station or airport is yours.

Filmed in Berlin, Germany

The Don’ts of Berlin

5 Love & Hates of Berlin

Top 10 Sights in Berlin

5 Things to Eat in Berlin