Car hire Freiburg

Introduction

The German city of Freiburg usually receives the addition 'im Breisgau', to distinguish it from the city of the same name in Switzerland (Fribourg in French). It's a beautiful and relaxed university city on the verge of the Black Forest. Freiburg is a good operating base for trips in the surroundings, not only in Germany, but also in France and Switzerland.

Population

The city has over 220,000 inhabitants.

Location

Freiburg is located in the southwest of Germany in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, along the Dreisam River. The Black Forest lies east of town, with the visible peaks the Rosskopf (737 meters) and the Bromberg. The hilly Kaiserstuhl region lies in between Freiburg and the Rhine, west of the city.

Economy

The university is the city's largest employer. Because of the university, numerous small businesses specialized in solar energy, ICT and biotechnology have settled in Freiburg. Tourism also plays an important role: Freiburg is the gateway to the Black Forest. There's also winegrowing in the surroundings; the city borders with three German wine areas: Markgräfler Land, Tuniberg and Kaiserstuhl.

Airports

The nearest international airport is EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, which lies on French territory but is exploited jointly by France and Switzerland. From Freiburg the airport can be reached by rental car via freeway A5 (distance: almost 75 kilometers).

Public Transport

Freiburg has an excellent public transport system consisting of buses and streetcars. Service is maintained by several companies, but there's a uniform ticket system: public transport tickets are valid on buses, streetcars and local trains.

Traffic and Parking

A large part of Freiburg's center is a pedestrian area. You'll have little trouble finding your way around the city, but street parking is fairly expensive. You therefore better park your rental car in one of the parking garages around the center, where you pay less than in the street.

Hotels

Freiburg has a reasonable choice of accommodations, mainly guesthouses and hotels in the budget and midrange category. Because of the many sunshine hours in Freiburg, a lot of energy is generated by sun power. Hotel Best Western Premier Victoria prides itself on being 'the world's most ecological hotel'. Electricity is generated by solar panels and wind turbines.

External Sources

For more information about Freiburg, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Freiburg
• Official website Freiburg
• Tourist Information Freiburg