Freiburg

Nicole and I set off to Freiburg next. I have to say, I love this town. I was originally only goint to stay one night, but I had to book one more, just because this place is so cool! It's like the Asheville of Germany. Lots of art, music and bohemian vibes. The place I'm staying at, The Black Forest Hostel, feels more like a hippie commune than a hostel. I really enjoy it!

Freiburg is situated on the southern tip of the Black Forest. Some of you might recognize the name. It's what inspired a great deal of Grimm's fairytales, Hansel and Gretel being the most popular. It gets it's name from the mass of dark evergreen trees that are scattered about the hills, creating an almost foreboding feeling when looking at them. It also has this name because once you get deep in the Forest, the tree cover is so thick, that not much light comes through the canopy. Back in older times, the locals here believed the forest was inhabited by werewolves, witches and other frightening monsters. Today, it's mostly inhabited by hikers and campers and tourists.. so roughly the same thing. :P

Nicole and I spent most of the day walking around Freiburg, taking in the art and beauty of this little town. Around 6 pm, we hiked up to a really nice lookout spot where locals frequent to have a few beers (25 cents a beer! and it was good, too!) and watch the sun set over Freiburg. We had a nice time just talking aboout everything from family to movies. As we were coming back down, it began to rain, so we spent the rest of the night in the hostel to eat dinner and play some pool with other backpackers.