Young Freiburg

Many students, young professionals and creative types are drawn by the buzzing, open atmosphere in Freiburg. The main attractions are the excellent university and varied cultural scene. There are lots of student clubs, cafés and bars ensuring lively intercultural exchange near the university campus.

University of Freiburg

There are around 25,000 students enrolled at the University of Freiburg, with a choice of 250 courses, of which more than 20 are taught in English. Fifteen per cent of the students are international. Together with 300 leading university partners around the world, they make a significant contribution to the intensive international and intercultural exchange in research and teaching.

The university, which was founded in 1457, is among the best in Germany and has won many awards for its excellent research and teaching. The different faculties have produced 23 Nobel Prize winners. The university is among the top 100 in the world in a global ranking.

Co-working spaces

The local business environment is dotted with co-working spaces, which are especially popular with the younger generation. As well as the economic benefits, freelancers, start-ups and small businesses can enjoy the social interaction and find inspiration in the working atmosphere. The community also provides support in establishing and expanding networks.

Eight co-working spaces provide flexible workspaces which can be booked based on a range of time and price models. The co-working spaces vary in terms of size and facilities, with some in historic buildings and others in more modern settings. But what they all have in common is that sustainability, community and innovation play an important role.

Cultural scene

It is difficult to express the variety and scale of the cultural offerings in Freiburg. There are regular art and culture festivals, but the ‘Zelt-Musik-Festival’ is among the summer highlights for the young folk. This year’s tent and music festival will be held between 12 and 30 July 2023. Musicians from all over the world will be performing a varied combination of classical, jazz, rock and pop across a number of marquee settings. The festival site is seven kilometres from the city centre.

E-WERK is a forum for and sponsor of interculturality and fine art, providing a space for the young, innovative cultural scene. Originally built in 1900, this industrial building is the venue for more than 400 dance, theatre, music and fine art events every year.

E-WERK is also a workspace for 30 artists, the Freiburg acting college, the ‘bewegungs-art’ school of contemporary dance and the ‘Die Schönen’ musical theatre.

Open-air art

Freiburg is rich in works of art in public spaces. Henry Moore’s ‘Reclining Figure’, ‘Garden Hose’ by husband and wife artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, and the crocodile in the Gewerbekanal are just a few of the many sculptures in the city. Among them are some light-hearted and some thought-provoking pieces. The city’s official website visit.freiburg.de details a larger selection of works of art, with information on their history and background.

Beer culture

The variety of beers and the culture surrounding them are as typically Freiburg as its renown as a wine region with more than 200 wines. A vibrant craft beer scene has recently become established alongside the more traditional Ganter brewery, the Feierling city brewery and the Martinsbräu taproom. Since 2014, the brewery collective has been brewing its ‘top-fermented hops bombs’ in an independent family brewery in the Black Forest. Their stouts, brown ales and IPAs with short, snappy names like ‘Bob’, ‘Bruce’ and ‘Dolly’ can be enjoyed in many Freiburg hostelries and purchased from a range of outlets.

Visitors can also enjoy a selection of beers at ‘Craftival’, the Freiburg beer festival, on 22 and 23 July 2023. Microbreweries and beer companies showcase their handmade craft and regional beers in the grounds of the ‘Decker Bier Garage’. There are also food trucks and DJs to get the festival vibe going.

Bar culture

Freiburg’s bar scene is worth seeing. The city boasts everything from relaxed and studenty to elegant and chic. One of the most stylish bars is in a historic vaulted cellar. The ‘Hemingway Bar’ serves a wide selection of drinks and spirits. ‘Juri’s Cocktail and Wine Bar’ by the Swabian Gate describes itself as the living room of the Freiburg old town, offering relaxing glasses of fine wine, creative cocktails and tasting events. The ‘One Trick Pony’ basement bar is all about refined bar and cocktail culture. As well as its own cocktail creations, it also offers cocktail courses and tastings.

With some 230,000 inhabitants, Freiburg offers really relaxed city life and a natural balance for ambitious people. The city has all the variety you could ever want: outdoor activities, a rich cultural heritage and lots of popular pubs and restaurants. Freiburg is all about freedom and individuality, whether on the Schlossberg, at the weekly market or on a stroll around the city.

For more information on Freiburg, please visit https://visit.freiburg.de/en or contact Christina Zimmer.

How to get to Freiburg
Freiburg is the capital of the Black Forest in the south of Germany. Freiburg is 7.5 hours from London via Paris on the Eurostar, TGV and ICE.