Freiburg im Breisgau

Freiburg was founded in 1120 by Konrad and Duke Berthold III of the House of Zähringen as a free market town, and the University followed in 1457, making it one of the oldest in Germany. The old town still has its medieval layout. The Minster, a Gothic church in red sandstone, was begun around 1200, and its west tower is 116 metres tall. Near it stands the red-fronted Historisches Kaufhaus from 1520, and along the streets run the Bächle, narrow water channels that were probably laid out when the town was founded.

The Bächle are the thing every student learns about in the first week: on a warm day people sit on the kerb with their feet in them. The Schwabentor, one of the surviving town gates, marks the edge of the old centre on the Schlossberg side.

Freiburg markets itself as an eco-city, and some of that is policy rather than slogan. In 1995 the council limited municipal construction to low-energy buildings, and the Greens have been the largest party in the council since 2004. The clearest example is Vauban, a former French Army base redeveloped from the late 1990s as a model district for about 5,000 people, with solar power on many homes.

For a student the everyday effects are simple. A large part of the centre is car-free and the tram network is the backbone of local transport. The city also hosts the International Solar Energy Society and ICLEI, a network of local governments for sustainability, and the solar research institute Fraunhofer ISE, with around 1,300 employees, cooperates with the University of Freiburg's INATECH institute.

Schauinsland is the local mountain. The Schauinslandbahn cable car runs from the valley station behind Günterstal to the top in about 20 minutes (it is 3,600 metres long and has run since 1930), and the foot of it is about 20 minutes by bus or tram from the centre. At the top there is an easy circular walk of just under an hour, and a former silver, lead and zinc mine that you can visit on a guided tour.

Further out, the tourist office lists Belchen (1,414 m, free of trees, with views as far as the Alps), Feldberg, Schluchsee, and the Black Forest's long-distance and wine trails. It does not publish travel times to them, so look up a bus or train on the day.

The VAG tram network is the backbone of local transport, with a tram every 7 to 8 minutes on the main lines, and about 70% of residents live within 500 metres of a stop. The central station is on the Frankfurt–Basel railway. The semester ticket covers the trams, buses and regional trains. The ticket costs €98 per semester and is valid on buses and trains across the whole RVF network, including night trams in the city. It does not cover first class on Deutsche Bahn or some night and on-demand services, which need an extra ticket.

Large local employers include the University Medical Center (about 15,000 staff), and the research institute Fraunhofer ISE (about 1,300 staff) works with the University. Neither site lists student jobs, so look at their career sections for current openings. The Studierendenwerk runs a Studijob service with a job-placement service, a babysitter register and student jobs at the Studierendenwerk itself.

The sunshine-and-forest picture is real, but so is the housing squeeze: the Studierendenwerk itself says that searching for a room in Freiburg can be a challenge, with demand highest at the start of the semester.

The University of Freiburg has its administration at Friedrichstraße 39 and eleven faculties spread across the city. The Service Center Studium is the first stop for study questions (studium@uni-freiburg.de, hotline +49 761 203 4246), and the International Office looks after exchange students, Erasmus+, Global Exchange and Eucor.

If you apply as a degree student from abroad, read the international applicants page first. It explains the Studienkolleg route, language certificates and enrolment at the Registration Office once you are admitted. For most undergraduate programmes you need a high level of German.

The Studierendenwerk runs dormitories across Freiburg, including Studentendorf Vauban with 607 rooms in eight buildings, about 7 minutes by tram from the centre. Shared rooms there are €263 to €369 a month and include electricity, water, heating and internet. There is also an international quota of University dormitory places managed by the International Office; exchange students are allocated through their Erasmus+ or Global Exchange application, and international Bachelor's and Master's students are nominated by their programme coordinator.

On the private market, the Studierendenwerk's advice is to register on every housing portal, answer new offers quickly, try Facebook groups and look in nearby towns such as Denzlingen, Gundelfingen and Kirchzarten, which are reachable by bus and train. Searching during the lecture period is usually easier than at the start of a semester. If you can, take a temporary room at the start of winter semester and keep looking from there. Never pay a landlord who says they are abroad and cannot show you the flat; you can report suspicious offers to zimmer@swfr.de.

The Studierendenwerk canteens (Mensen) include Rempartstraße, Institutsviertel, Littenweiler and Flugplatz, plus smaller cafés such as Café Europa and the MusiKantine. Dishes are labelled for vegetarian and plant-based options. Student prices for main courses are around €4.45 to €4.80.

For sport, the Allgemeiner Hochschulsport offers about 450 courses each semester. Thursday evenings at the MensaBar belong to the International Club, and the Studierendenwerk's StudiTours run cheap trips to the Black Forest, the Alps and nearby cities.

Non-EU students in Baden-Württemberg pay €1,500 in tuition per semester, according to the Studierendenwerk, and have to show they can support themselves. For rules on exemptions, read the University's tuition fee page. Check the current amount before you apply.

Non-EU students with a study residence permit may work 140 full days or 280 half days a year. During the semester, working more than 20 hours a week is possible only on weekends, evenings or nights, within the 26-week rule. Self-employment and freelancing are not allowed. A minijob has to stay under €603 a month. Details are on the Studierendenwerk's page on jobbing.

Applicants from China, India and Vietnam must go through the APS before the visa application. Start early; the University says a visa can take several weeks or even months.