Park

Sternwald

The city forest on the Bromberg - a recreation area with the Water Castle, the Franzosenweg trail and the Sternwaldeck viewpoint.

The Sternwald stretches along the southern edge of the Wiehre and, together with the neighboring forest around the Lorettoberg, forms the closest recreation area on Freiburg's east side. It owes its name to the former "Zum Sternen" inn in the Wiehre, once a popular destination near the old Wiehre station. The forest climbs the northern flank of the Brombergkopf (about 607 m), which lies between the Wiehre and Günterstal. The area is managed by the City of Freiburg's forestry office, which in recent years has increasingly focused on near-natural forest conversion and on preserving deadwood for insects and birds.

The Sternwald is opened up by a dense network of forest roads and narrow paths, including the Franzosenweg, which can be walked as a loop over the Franzosenschanze. Popular starting points are the Sternwald meadow and the pavilion at Sternwaldeck, from which a path leads to a viewpoint over Freiburg. Halfway up sits the Water Castle from the late 19th century; from the Bromberg rock the view reaches the Vosges on a clear day.

From Freiburg-Wiehre station the lower forest entrances are reachable on foot in about 15 to 20 minutes via Sternwaldstraße. By tram, lines 3 and 5 run nearby; the Lorettostraße stop is a practical starting point.