Freiburg Unity Day

"It is our understanding that everything shuts down on Sunday as well in Germany. Are we losing 2 days of our trip now?"

Only if you are doing a retail-shopping-only trip. Museums, restaurants, public transport, etc. should be functioning as usual.

Shops close on a Sunday.

Most places in Germany close the museums on Mondays - they should be going gangbusters on Sunday.

Are you staying there as a jumping off place for excursions into and around the Black Forest, or are you there for the town and all it offers?

How are you traveling? What had you planned to do there?

Thanks Russ and Nigel for responding. Do either of you know whether everything will be shut down on Saturday Oct 3 which is Unity Day? Apparently that is a really big holiday in Germany. In the US most everything is open on holidays. We are using Freiburg as a place to go from. Mostly going to try public transportation to get around. May rent car to get us to Fussen after 5 days in Freiburg area. Main objective is to get to Blechheim where my Great Great Grandfather came from. Also going to try and see some natural areas as well.

Is your spelling correct with "Blechheim "?

I can't find it.

Is it in Baden? Or B-W?

"Do either of you know whether everything will be shut down on Saturday Oct 3 which is Unity Day?"

Not sure, but certainly not "everything." I would expect grocery/retail shops to be closed (but at railway stations these will likely be open.) Throughout Germany I would expect museums, restaurants, historical sites, etc. to be open. In other words, this official holiday will probably be like any other official holiday or any Sunday would be.

Typically, the state capitals (Stuttgart in this case) have some sort of celebration. Frankfurt is this year's site for the national celebration. AFAIK Freiburg will just be Freiburg but maybe some Freiburgers with more knowledge will chime in.

"We are using Freiburg as a place to go from. Mostly going to try public transportation to get around."
The most scenic train journey involves the Black Forest Railway between Offenburg and Donaueschingen. You can read a little bit about it HERE. There are numerous attractive towns and attractions in several towns along this route and along the Kinzig Valley railway between Hausach (on the BF railway) and Freudenstadt to the north. These towns include Gengenbach, Gutach (home of the Vogtsbauernhof open-air museum,) Haslach, Hornberg, Villingen, Schiltach, Wolfach (glass blowing) and others. Check out THIS MAP.

Only thing is that Freiburg is a pretty long trip from this most interesting part of the Black Forest. A lot of people book there just because. But a better base town might be Offenburg (if you want a modern city??) or nearby GENGENBACH (if you want one of the most adorable old-world villages in Germany.) If you book instead of Freiburg in Offenburg or Gengenbach you will be much better positioned to enjoy both a tour of the BF railway towns AND to take a day trip into Freiburg.

The other reason this makes sense is that all your train outings (from Gengenbach anyway) will be free. G'bach participates in the KONUS program - every guest gets a KONUS card good for free rail travel on the BF railway and all other Black Forest rail lines. You can't get this if you stay in Freiburg or Offenburg, however. Read KONUS details HERE.

BLECHHEIM? There is a settlement known as BLEICHHEIM, part of HERBOLZHEIM but just to the east about 2-3 miles. The BLEICHBACH (Creek) and the BLEICHTALSTRASSE (street) both pass through town. Sounds like that might be your Grandpa's place. Herbolzheim is on the rail line half way between Offenburg and Freiburg (so you could travel that far on the KONUS card from Gengenbach.)

There will be no big sales or anything going on on Saturday, October 3rd. All stores will be closed (just like Sunday) and that's about it. So this year there will be two days in a row where stores are closed, banks are closed... so you might want to stack up on beverages and snacks on Friday. Restaurants and most sights will be open both on the 3rd and the 4th.