One of the main reasons I chose Freiburg as my study abroad destination was because of its running, hiking, and biking opportunities. This place is a genuine goldmine when it comes to trail running (my favorite sport) and I couldn’t have been more content during my time here. There’s no good way to verbally express the routes I’ve explored in Freiburg (i.e. take a right at this specific tree, run to the end of the path, loop back, etc), so I’ve chosen a few of my favorite pictures from Strava (please sponsor me, Strava) to illustrate my favorite runs and hikes. In addition to these wonderful routes with varying elevation gains, the views on these runs were nothing short of stunning. I will attach a few below that are linked to each run, but for the full index, please consider looking at my Strava, Rosalie Hinke! I have a public account and I’ve included every run and hike during my time abroad, along with silly notes and gorgeous pictures.
Route by Gunterstaal: This specific mountain doesn't have a name, or at least I haven't found one in my four months of running there. This trail system, though, is one of a kind: there's a mixture of large, wide, and flat trails; skinny hiking trails that climb seemingly forever; and mountain biking trails. Needless to say, on weekends, these trails are busy. On weekdays, however, there are about four regulars that I see and besides that basically no one. I love this mountain and the runs available, and while I can't map out each and every one, any route you take will be rewarding. Following this map (and leaving from Vauban), you will want to just cross Merzhauserstrasse right before the round-about (at Alte Strasse) and continue on the path straight, passing by a pond and a children's playground. From there, continue straight and eventually you'll hit the longest stairwell ever. Climb. Continue on this path, go up the mountain, go in between all of the houses and you'll ideally reach Becherwaldstrasse. From there, you just cross the street into the forest and everything is fairly clear!
Route by Merzhausen: This is called the Schonberg, and it also has a million different trail options, only for hiking and running though. For this one, there are numerous ways to get there, but my favorite is to go down and then through the neighborhoods and vineyards. There's also a million beautiful lookout points, so this is great for taking guests!
Routes nearby: Kirchzarten has the best hikes in the surrounding area (pictured below: a 5ish mile hike that was only a half day trip). It's such a cute town and it's easily accessible with your Regiokarte! Other good areas for hiking: Titisee, Schluchsee, Feldberg, and Schauinsland. Overall, hiking and running in Freiburg (and the surrounding areas) isn't just rewarding because of the elevation you gain, but also the sights you see.
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Wrapping Up
In this post, I'll write about my overall takeaways from abroad!
Rosalie Hinke
My name is Rosalie and I am a current junior at the University of Richmond where I'm a double major in Environmental Studies and Journalism. In my free time, I love hiking, running, reading, knitting, and backpacking: I love the outdoors!
