Local residents affectionately refer to Freiburg as the Metropolis of the Black Forest. Technically, geographers will tell you, Freiburg’s Old City lies just outside the Black Forest. However, just cross one street on the eastern fringe of town—the Schlossbergring—onto the wooded Schlossberg hill, and you’re in the Black Forest.

 

With a transit pass for the Freiburg region, guests can board streetcars or buses and quickly find themselves in the deepest Black Forest, on the rolling vineyards and farmland of the Breisgau or Markgräflerland regions, and even at the banks of the Upper Rhine. From Freiburg, it’s just a few miles to the Breisgau Region and the rolling hills of the Tuniberg and Kaiserstuhl, a region increasingly known as German Tuscany, for its sultry and sunny climate, extensive wine-growing and amiable populace.

 

A popular day trip within the city limits is the Schauinsland, Freiburg’s 1,284-meter (4,213-foot) “hometown” mountain, where a cable car travels 15 minutes to the summit. The view from the cable car reaches far out over the Rhine plain, past the vineyard hills of the Tuniberg and the Kaiserstuhl (named for its shape like an emperor’s throne) toward the gray-silhouette backdrop of the French Vosges mountain range. From the summit, the view extends deep into the Black Forest and south to the Alps.

 

Hilltops—the worn remnants of long-extinct volcanoes—bear lush vineyard landscapes that alternate with sprawling tobacco farmland and orchards. Red roofs and narrow steeples set off tiny villages at all compass points. Ivy drapes off the ruins of ancient castles.

 

For a novel ground-level view of the countryside, consider a two-hour journey aboard a small flat-boat in the Taubergiessen Nature Preserve, a remote region often referred to as “Germany’s Jungle.” During the ride, enjoy a bottle of local wine—parties of just two are welcome, so the romance can be as pleasing as the scenery.

 

Just across the Rhine, Neuf-Brisach (New Brisach) is an example of both Alsatian charm and historic military architecture. Protected by massive octagonal walls, imposing gates and star-shaped fortifications, Neuf-Brisach was built by King Louis XIV as a fortress town. Today, it’s still intact with its central square, church, officers’ quarters, barracks and private homes. Despite its proximity to Germany, Neuf-Brisach is fully French in character with delightful French bakeries, Alsatian restaurants and corner bistros.