Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [377]
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Baden-Baden is on a major north–south rail corridor. Twice-hourly destinations include Freiburg (€17.80 to €27, 45 to 90 minutes) and Karlsruhe (€9.50 to €14.50, 15 to 30 minutes).
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Getting Around
BUS
Stadtwerke Baden-Baden ( 2771; www.stadtwerke-baden-baden.de) run local buses that cost €1.60/2.10/4.70 for a one-zone/two-zone/24-hour ticket. A three-zone day pass for up to five people is €7.10.
Bus 201 (every 10 minutes) and other lines link the Bahnhof with Leopoldsplatz. Bus 205 links the Bahnhof with the airport from Monday to Friday.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
The centre is mostly pedestrianised, so it’s best to park and walk. There is a free parking lot north of the centre on Schlossstrasse, close to the Neues Schloss.
Michaelstunnel on the D500 routes traffic away from the centre, ducking underground west of the Festspielhaus and resurfacing just south of the Russische Kirche.
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FREUDENSTADT
07441 / pop 23,700
Duke Friedrich I of Württemberg built a new capital here in 1599, which was bombed to bits in WWII. The upshot is that Freudenstadt’s underwhelming centre is offset by its striking Black Forest location and myriad outdoor pursuits. Statistic lovers will delight in ticking off Germany’s biggest square (216m by 219m, for the record), dislocated by a T-junction of heavily trafficked roads. Freudenstadt’s saucier claim to fame is as the home of the country’s first naturist hotel: tan obligatory, clothing verboten.
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Orientation & Information
Freudenstadt’s focal point is the Marktplatz on the B28. The town has two train stations: the Stadtbahnhof, five minutes’ walk north of Marktplatz, and the Hauptbahnhof, 2km southeast of Marktplatz at the end of Bahnhofstrasse. The bus station is outside the Stadtbahnhof.
ATMs There are several on the Marktplatz.
Post office (Marktplatz 64)
Tourist office ( 8640; www.freudenstadt.de; Marktplatz 64; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat, Sun May-Sep, 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat, 11am-1pm Sun Oct-Apr) Has an internet terminal (€6 per hour). Hotel reservations are free.
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Sights & Activities
At the heart of Freudenstadt, the sprawling, arcaded Marktplatz harbours rows of shops, cafes with alfresco seating and a playground.
In the southwest corner looms the 17th-century red-sandstone Stadtkirche ( 10am-5pm), a potpourri of styles, with an ornate 12th-century Cluniac-style baptismal font, Gothic windows, Renaissance portals and baroque towers. The two naves are at right angles to each other, an unusual design by the geometrically minded duke.
The glass-fronted Panorama-Bad ( 921 300; www.panorama-bad.de, in German; Ludwig-Jahn-Strasse 60; adult/6-17yr all day €9.30/8, incl sauna €14.20/10.90; 9am-10pm Mon-Sat, 9am-8pm Sun) is a relaxation magnet with pools, steam baths and saunas.
While you won’t linger for Freudenstadt’s sights, the deep forested valleys on its fringes are well worth exploring. Scenic hiking trails include a 12km uphill walk to Kniebis on the Schwarzwald-Hochstrasse, where there are superb Kinzig Valley views. Ask the tourist office for details and maps.
Slip into the saddle of a mountain bike to tackle routes like the 85km Kinzigtal-Radweg, taking in dreamy landscapes and half-timbered villages, or the 60km Murgtal-Radweg over hill and dale to Rastatt. Both valleys have bike trails and it’s possible to return to Freudenstadt by train. Intersport Glaser ( 918 590; Katherinenstrasse 8), 300m north of Marktplatz, hires mountain bikes for €14 per day.
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Sleeping & Eating
There’s a hotel board with a free phone outside the tourist office.
Camping Langenwald ( 2862; www.camping-langenwald.de; Strasburger Strasse 167; per person/tent/car €6.50/5/3; Easter-1 Nov) A Rolls-Royce of a campsite, this foresty hideaway has leafy pitches, a nature trail, solar-heated pool and barbecue