You start the tour at the magnificent municipal theater, which was built in 1910 on the former "Dauphin" bastion. This building, built in the neo-baroque style, survived the war years and has been lovingly restored.
Right next to the theater, you can't miss the modern university library. With its striking façade, the building is reminiscent of a polished black diamond. The university library has a very sophisticated architectural design and stands out from the otherwise rather historic old town of Freiburg.
A few steps further on, to the right, is the theater workshop, where the magic of the sets and costumes is brought to life. This is where the creative heart of the theater pulsates. Take a look through the window, perhaps you can see the craftsmen at work.
Take a short detour to the right into Moltkestraße. On the left-hand side, you will discover the REHA store with eye-catching graffiti by Tom Brane, an artist known for his colorful and socially critical works. His art brings color and depth to urban spaces. Opposite the REHA store is the modern Cinemaxx cinema. The walls of the cinema are decorated with graffiti art from various movie scenes.
Walk back down Moltkestraße to Sedanstraße and turn right. Various stores and cafés are lined up here, such as the Unverpacktladen on the corner, the Glaskiste, next to Le Sac, Waschbär and the Sedan Café. The second-hand boutique Le Sac in Sedanstrasse is more than just a vintage store. It sells second-hand and newly designed fashion and uses the proceeds to support a project for women in precarious living situations. The boutique is an insider tip for sustainable fashion with social responsibility and can be found in the backyard of the building.
Many of the houses in the district date back to the Wilhelminian era, which took place in the last decades of the 19th century. Some of these buildings were built in the Art Nouveau style, an ornate architectural style characterized by curved lines, floral ornamentation and a fascination with nature. Today, these Art Nouveau houses in Sedanstrasse are a characteristic feature of the district and contribute to its special charm.
At the end of Sedanstraße, turn right towards Konrad-Adenauer-Platz. From 1972 to 2002, the construction of major cultural facilities such as the Konzerthaus (concert hall) (1996) and the CinemaxX adjacent to Bertholdstraße, the new construction of the station axis and the westward shift of the city center have permanently changed the face of the district.
The view from Konrad-Adenauer-Platz in Freiburg is rich in historical and cultural facets. The Konzerthaus (concert hall) has played a central role in the city's cultural life since it opened in 1996. The Dancing Cones are a public art installation by sculptor Andrea Zaumseil, located in front of the Konzerthaus (concert hall). It consists of four large, dark brown painted metal cones that look as if they are dancing or spinning. The kinetic work of art is intended to convey movement, lightness and joie de vivre.
The Wiwilí Bridge (also known as the Blue Bridge), named after Freiburg's twin city Wiwilí in Nicaragua, stands for the deep historical ties between the two cities. It also connects the Sedan district with the Stühlinger district, where the Sacred Heart Church is located. This was consecrated in 1897 and is a magnificent example of Rhenish Gothic architecture. It was designed by architect Max Meckel. The sculpture of the "abandoned cloak" on the Wiwili Bridge is a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust and a reminder of the importance of peace.
The route now leads back to Konrad-Adenauer-Platz and along Wilhelmstraße. Here you will come across the Weinschlösschen, which was built in 1874 in the Wilhelminian style. This impressive building is a window into Freiburg's rich wine history. The building itself was erected as an upper-class residence above a deep wine barrel cellar, today's Jazzhaus. The barrel cellar was built about 7 meters deep into the ground with only small windows at the top of the vault.
Right next to the Weinschlösschen is the Jazzhaus. Since 1987, the vaulted cellar of the Weinschlösschen has been known as Jazzhaus, an institution for live concerts in the city. The low ceilings and vaulted ceiling create intimate and atmospheric acoustics.
Between the Jazzhaus and the store "Die Radgeber", turn left through the Spechtpassage. Spechtpassage has a long history as the center of the alternative scene and the squatter movement: it originated at the end of the 19th century as a residential area for workers and craftsmen. In the 1970s, the alternative scene moved into the partially vacant buildings. Artists, musicians and students revitalized the Spechtpassage and turned it into a meeting place for the subculture. During this time, the squatters' movement also squatted empty buildings. The Spechtpassage became a focal point for disputes between squatters and the authorities. The conflicts shaped the image of the neighborhood for years and formed its alternative identity. Despite the conflicts, the Spechtpassage developed into a cultural center of Freiburg. Studios, galleries, pubs and the Theater Harrys Depot sprang up and attracted artists and cultural workers.
At the end of the Spechtpassage you will find the Jos-Fritz bookshop with its adjoining café. In its beginnings in the 1960s/70s, Jos Fritz was considered a stronghold of resistance against state paternalism and a center of left-wing political thought. In recent decades, Jos Fritz has been transformed into a cozy coffee house. Joß Fritz (also: Joss Fritz; * around 1470 in Untergrombach; † around 1525) was a German peasant leader, social rebel and initiator of the Bundschuh movement.
We walk along Wilhelmstrasse and pass the AGORA wine shop on the right. Here you can take part in wine seminars and tastings as well as listen to the terrace concerts over a glass of wine on a warm summer evening.
Then turn right into Belfortstraße. At the end of the street you will find various Freiburg subculture venues such as the Eimer, Bodega Geier and Café Pow. If you turn left from there into Schnewlinstraße, you will come to the legendary "Crash". Since 1985, this gothic basement pub, which offers concerts and music ranging from wave to rock, punk and metal, has enjoyed cult status in the scene.
When you turn left into Adlerstraße halfway up, the streetscape changes abruptly. You find yourself in the left-wing alternative part of the district and pass a small park. Former workers' houses are lined up on the left. At the end of Adlerstraße, turn right onto the Grether site. This was originally an area with a foundry, machine halls and apartments for the workers of the Grether factory. Today, the site is home to the three residential projects Grether Ost, Süd and West as part of the Mietshäuser Syndikat. It offers affordable housing for around 100 people and space for social initiatives.
The Strandcafe, an important meeting place for local residents, is located on the right-hand side of the Grether site. It is run as a self-managed collective and serves as a free space for political, cultural and non-commercial events. There are regular events such as readings, art exhibitions and themed evenings that enrich cultural life in Freiburg.
We walk through the Grether grounds and turn left onto Faulerstrasse, which we follow to the left. The site of today's Faulerbad was once a traditional open-air swimming pool over 100 years old. The baths were originally a "cold-water river bathing facility" fed by the Dreisam and opened in 1869 at the request of the Freiburg municipal council. In 1999, the artists Jörg Siegele, Manfred Dörner and Peter Zimmermann initiated the exhibition "Art on the sunbathing lawn" in the Faulerbad. The sculptures have since been set up along Faulerstraße and now range between "Art in urban space" and "Art in nature". The pool bar opened in the former Faulerbad kiosk, offering a "dry environment" for eating, drinking and dancing right by the pool. With its casual aesthetic and music events, it quickly gained a regular clientele.
Walk back along Faulerstrasse and turn right into the street "Im Grün". Cross the bridge there before turning right and strolling along the stream with a view of the Münster spire. Cross Wilhelmstrasse and turn right into Moltkestrasse. On the left you will find the Zündstoff store, which sells sustainable, fairly produced fashion.
Continue into Belfortstrasse, which branches off to the right from Moltkestrasse. There are some interesting pubs on this street. Just before Milchstraße, which branches off to the left from Moltkestraße, you will see one of the last corner stores in Freiburg on the right. The "Tischlein deck dich" at Belfortstraße 26 is run as a family business. The owner is continuing the tradition of her grandmother, who had a store in the same neighborhood 70 years ago.
On the way back to the University library, you can see the university's Kollegiengebäude I (KG I) and the old synagogue square. Especially in the evening hours, it is worth taking a short detour to the Mensa Fountain. Depending on the day of the week during the warmer months, you can dance to a variety of dance styles there.
