Thursday, November 4, 2021

Freiburg's Bronze Medal


Unexpectedly, the 2022 edition of the Lonely Planet travel guide attributed the bronze medal to Freiburg on its ten top travel destinations list.

Only Auckland, New Zealand, and Taipei, Taiwan, jumped higher and ran faster, while Atlanta in the US came in fourth. Lagging far behind in ninth place is Florence, Italy.

Here is what you can read on LP's website

Sitting plump at the foot of the Black Forest's wooded slopes and vineyards, Freiburg is a sunny, cheerful university town, its medieval Altstadt a story-book tableau of gabled townhouses, cobblestone lanes, and cafe-rimmed plazas. Party-loving students spice up the local nightlife.

Blessed with 2000 hours of annual sunshine, this is Germany's warmest city. Indeed, while neighboring hilltop villages are still shoveling snow, the trees in Freiburg are clouds of white blossom, and locals are already imbibing in canal-side beer gardens. This eco-trailblazer has shrewdly tapped into that natural energy to generate nearly as much solar power as the whole of Britain, making it one of the country's greenest cities.


What an ornate and yet affectioned description.

Freiburg's mayor Martin Horn regards the distinction as a wonderful tribute to our wonderful city, "Congratulations, Freiburg!" and continues, "But don't worry - we're not resting on our laurels. We continue to see a lot of potential for improvement."

The guide continues: 

The charismatic, environmentally conscious Black Forest metropolis can show many of us a few more tricks on how to live responsibly. Freiburg is a "pioneer of the German environmental movement."

And then there are the Bächle and the Lange Rote being served in a bread roll, although the grilled wurst is best when cuddling on roasted onions in a bed made of a halved, sliced, and crusty baguette.

There are no cars in the old town, but cyclists everywhere, not to mention that they are also cycling in places they should not.

The managing director of Freiburg Tourism Promotion said, "We are all the more pleased that Freiburg is getting such international visibility."

"It is expected that the mention will have a measurable impact on tourism," she added.

What is good for the economy could be bad for the Freiburgers. Already now the city gorges with shopping tourists on Saturdays. People move elbow to elbow on Kaiser-Joseph-Straße. In times of increasing Corona infection rates, you better wear your mask.

Sorry, I shouldn't be too pessimistic, but the distinction is a mixed blessing for me and many other Freiburgers.
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