By Inga Grömminger
Our reporter thought she knew her homeland well and learned from it. You can always go higher.
I know that when I visit my home country, there is always a flutter of happiness, that’s unique. This is home.
Nevertheless, I’m not crazy excited every time I visit my parents in the Black Forest, because things repeat themselves, and yes, the joy lies in the repetition, but of course it can also become something ordinary.
On the other hand, having a child helps. That’s not all that you know from your home country. Or thinks you know.
And since the temperatures were midsummer during our visit this year, I’m thinking about cool places, refreshing ones, which are usually a bit higher up. Pleasant breeze.
The most obvious, shortly after the ice cream and before the bridal sausage on the Münsterplatz in Freiburg: up the Münster. And I realize that I’ve never been there myself. Countless times in Freiburg, never on top of the cathedral.
From the Schlossberg you have a wonderful view of the Freiburg Minster Photo: Inga Grömminger
We look for the small side entrance to the tower, and the narrowest and steepest spiral staircase I have ever seen begins. Almost a bit oppressive. We pant up, only then pay admission (adults 5 euros, children from 7 years 3 euros).
Continuing up, one way leads to the bell tower and the other to the observation deck, which overlooks the entire tranquil city surrounded by forests and mountains. And straight down to the marketplace.
New for me, for my son anyway, and so that the descent is not so tedious, we count the steps for distraction. Arriving at the bottom, we double it and know: today we climbed a total of 612 steps up and down.
Then a Munster bratwurst. There are a total of seven sausage stands on the north side of Münsterplatz, some of which have been around for 60 or even 70 years. We used to meet at the stands after the disco, at 6 a.m. the first people were at the sausage stand. The “Long Red” is a classic. 35 centimeters long, fried, divided into buns, onions or just mustard (3 euros). A must for every visit to Freiburg.
The next day it was already so hot in the morning that I wanted to take a dip in the village outdoor pool (“Mach Blau”, Denzlingen). It’s surprisingly empty at 12 o’clock, only a queue has formed at the high diving tower.
It was a hit when I was young, watching the high jumpers, some of whom could do elegant heads, somersaults or twists, while others tried to create the best ass bomb with the largest injection volume. Or how I was able to somehow come down and say afterwards: “I jumped from the ten today”.
The cathedral tower offers the best view of the city and the market square Photo: Inga Grömminger
Today I watch and don’t jump off the ten.
But if you want to go high in the village, you jump, of course.
Where else could we go, high up, that I don’t know yet? My father advises: Baumkronenweg in Waldkirch.
That sounds good, also because it’s only eight minutes away by car.
The ascent to the actual experience is harder than expected. 1200 meters, quite steep, so really nothing for old or very young people. After three quarters of an hour at the top, you have the choice between an adventure path and a treetop path. We do both, experience the heights of the Black Forest on suspension bridges, narrow wooden paths up to the high observation tower, from which we are almost on a level with the Kastelburg opposite. The wind whistles. Below 35 degrees, above I would really like a jacket.
Easy as pie and fun, the suspension bridges of the adventure trail Photo: Inga Grömminger
The descent is, as always, easier and the fastest of all for my son (9 years old), he dares to go down the long tube slide (2 euros) with which you can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h at the beginning of the slide. That’s too bad for me. I walk and get down much later than my son.
Experienced something new again. Another high. He dares something I don’t dare. There’s still a lot to come.
The cathedral tower in Freiburg from the Schwabentor Photo: dpa
More high-altitude tips near Freiburg
Feldberg: At 1,493 meters it is the highest peak in the Black Forest: There are idyllic paths around the Feldberg or you can take the Feldbergbahn up and down (prices for ascent and descent: 14 euros/adults, 9 euros/children)
Zweribach waterfalls: In order to reach it, you have to walk a good hour from St. Peter through a protective forest – the reward falls refreshingly from above.
Windgfällweiher: The highest bathing lake is at 966 meters, between Schluchsee and Titisee. Cool, little besieged.
Hochburg: One of the largest castle ruins/fortifications in Baden near Emmendingen.