Freiburg or gengenbach?

We chose Gengenbach, but also Staufen, just south of Freiburg to stay in. We’ll take the train from Staufen to Freiburg. We too will have a rental car.

The Konus pass would be a bonus for me, but I really prefer the intimacy of a small town like Gebgenbach (pop 11,000) to a larger one like Freiburg (pop 230,000). Of 158 nights I've spent in Germany, over half have been in small towns under 8,000 population.

Here's another vote for Gengenbach - I spent 4 nights there last year and absolutely loved it! And not just because of the KONUS pass (although that is very helpful!), but because it's such a charming place. It has a nice small town feel to it with the beautiful German half-timbered houses, but there is a lot to see and do there. I did some hiking and shopping, and toured the town's historical attractions and made a few day trips. Plus there are a number of nice hotels and inns, and quite a few very good restaurants. So you get the best of both worlds.

I think that it would easier to get around from Gengenbach than if you used Freiburg as a base since it's on the main train line. You can make quick day trips to many places if you are so inclined. When i was there I went to Strasbourg, which was only 30 minutes by train (Strasbourg was wonderful - go if you can). I also went to some of the smaller villages and the Open Air Museum (Vogtsbauernhof). You can also get to Karlsruhe quite easily and many other places.

My advice mirrors Lee's. Freiburg is a pleasant urban center of around 235,000, not really a "middle sized town." It's much like other German cities that size and not really a good example of what the Black Forest is like. The Black Forest region's history and cutural character has been better preserved in the smaller communities where families have persevered over the years - so the smaller rural towns are more fulfilling if you want to experience a Black Forest "vibe" - and staying in these places makes them more real.

Have a look at some of the rural Black Forest accommodations listed on Bavaria Ben's site for a sense of what it's like to stay in the true Black Forest:

http://www.bensbauernhof.org/farmscentralbf.html

If you stay in Gengenbach, Gutach, Haslach, or Hausach, you'll be close to the Vogtsbauernhof open air museum and summer bobsled run in Gutach (worth several hours) as well as the Alpirsbach monastic brewery, the Wolfach glass-blowing shop, the costume museum and the Vulkan concentration camp memorial site in Haslach, and the charming town of Schiltach. Just a little further out is Triberg (Black Forest Museum, waterfall, a birds of prey exhibition.) If you're out on a longer drive, Baiersbronn, to the north Schiltach, is a good destination too if you are tempted by top-end restaurants:

https://guide.michelin.com/en/de/baden-wurttemberg/baiersbronn/restaurants

I am in the Gengenbach camp and have been for many years. Here's why:

Location. Close to the north south autobahn and easy access by train or car to Strasbourg, and very easy into the deeper parts of the northern Black Forest. On the river.

Storks. plenty of them.

The medieval town walls and town gates with towers. The medieval street layout behind the main street with houses overflowing with flower baskets and little benches and cobblestone lanes. The Bächle in the gutter.

Among many good hotels one that we really love.

Train station in town and the aforementioned KONUS.

Helpful people at the TI.

Plenty of food opportunities, and the ancient bakery behind the town hall.

The Jakobs walks and associated chapel.

and much much more...

The medieval street layout behind the main street with houses overflowing with flower baskets and little benches and cobblestone lanes.

Oh yes, Nigel! That was one of the best things - those charming back streets that you could just meander through with the quaint houses and flowers.

Lisa, if you want a look at it, I created an online journal with photos while I was there. Here are a couple of posts where you can see some of the beauty of Gengenbach:

https://mostlytraveled.wordpress.com/2022/05/04/day-10-gengenbach-and-the-black-forest
https://mostlytraveled.wordpress.com/2022/05/06/day-12-hanging-out-in-town/

excellent photo books Mardee. They take me right back there!!! We really do have a soft spot for Gengenbach.

I can’t comment on Gengenbach, but Freiburg would never be a destination for me. I spent time there visiting relatives. It’s a nice place to live but as a vacation destination… nope.

Nigel, we do. :) I really love that town.