Architecturally, Freiburg doesn’t follow any cookie-cutter image of an old German city. Unlike many towns its size, Freiburg has no castle standing watch from above; the French turned it to rubble nearly 200 years ago.

 

 

And, with few barely visible exceptions, the defensive wall disappeared long ago, much of it replaced in the 18th century by the ring roads that encircle the Old City. Today, those same boulevards circulate automobile traffic away from the Altstadt, allowing for one of Germany’s largest pedestrian zones.

 

 

Visitors will not sigh at the sight of clustered half-timber houses; in the late 19th century they were considered old-fashioned, and most were torn down and replaced with Jugendstil (art nouveau buildings).

 

 

Still, there are enough medieval, renaissance and baroque structures to delight architecture buffs, with the added bonus of more recent styles. Although Freiburg was damaged greatly during World War II, the city was rebuilt following its medieval layout. Builders used similar construction materials and styles, and even the modern structures within the Altstadt blend in beautifully.

 

 

With more than 30,000 students in a population of 200,000, there’s a youthful spirit in the old city. There’s an active pub and club scene, and cafés spread their tables across plazas and sidewalks until early morning (the Universitätstrasse has the liveliest concentration).

 

 

When plays and concerts let out in the evening, the city gets a second wind. Live music is popular in the Platz, a popular student gathering ground. For music with a beer chaser, there’s the Hausbräuerei Feierling. The brewery and restaurant are on one side of the Augustiner Platz and pipes beer under the road to the beer garden across the street.