Gasthaus Zur Sonne — Hotel in Freiburg im Breisgau

It was never part our plans to stay in Freiburg on our tour of Europe. In fact we weren't even going to get off the train in Germany at all, but somewhere in the middle of a mammoth trip between Rome and Amsterdam via Geneva we decided that we needed a nice bed for the night and it just happened that trains for the 'Dam stopped off and left from Freiburg.|So with time running out on the train, we skimmed through our ever trusty Lonely Planet Guide to Europe and the Gasthaus Zur Sonne caught our eye because of the promise of reasonably priced rooms and 'a magnificent breakfast' (which I'll get to later.) |The only problem we experienced with this place was that the owner did not speak English but thankfully I paid attention in High School German and even though I was a bit rusty I remembered enough to book us a room for 3 people for the night.|After staying in nothing but hostels for a couple of weeks, this place was absolute luxury. The rooms we clean and tidy, the beds were unbelieavbly comfy with blankets to get lost in and the showers we clean and warm (and not on a timer switch so I could soak for as long as I wanted)|After a very peaceful sleep and not particularly wanting to leave the warmth and comfort of the beds we ventured down the stairs in time to sample the breakfast. Again having spent so much time in hostels offering their free breakfasts (usually a roll or a slice of toast and some fruit juice) this was absolute heaven. There were meats, cereals, pastries, toast, tea, coffee, yoghurt, donuts, fruit juice. I'm not usually one to eat much at breakfast but I just had to have seconds and third helpings of this magnificent spread.|Unfortunately we had to leave on the 3o'clock train so had to book out of the hotel sooner than we would have liked. But we still had time to sample some of delights of this gem of a town.|When we arrived at night, the streets were shrouded in a thick freezing fog but come the morning this had lifted to reveal a really traditional German market town, complete with its Gingerbread style houses and beautiful architecture... all in the shadow of the magnificent Black Forest. I really wish we had stayed here longer.|So thank you Lonely Planet, yet again you proved how invalubale you are to the weary (and...

On balance I had a nice experience at this gasthaus. Bernd and Katrin are very friendly, gracious and accommodating hosts. Their English isn't perfect but it's good enough for basic communication. It is certainly far better than my German. I was there during the peak of the summer of 2018 heat wave and the placed a fan in my room without my having to ask for it. They were also kind enough to order a taxi when I needed it.

My room was cleaned every day.The room was clean with a private bathroom and small refrigerator, and the bed was wide and comfortable. I was provided with an amoire for my clothes, TV which I never used and free wifi. The wifi was sporadic but good enough for me. If you're going to need consistent WIFI then it's a consideration.

The dinner menu is good and varied. Bernd is a fine chef and Katrin waits on tables. The continental breakfast offers a wide choice of cold cuts, cheeses, juice, cereal and boiled eggs. The coffee is excellent.

The biggest minus is the distance of the gasthaus from the center of town. If you're a party animal that needs to stay out until all hours then this place isn't for you. However, it was sufficient for me to be in my bed by 12:30 A.M. and if you're like me then you'll be fine. The last #1 tram leaves the center of Freiburg at the Hauptbahnhof stop at 11:30. This gives you plenty of time to make it to the Landwasser stop, which is the end of the line, and pick up the waiting #36 bus to Dorfplatz, where the Gasthaus Zur Sonne is located. The ride is less than 10 minutes and only 4 stops.

One unexpected bonus that they offer is laundry service. Katrin did my laundry for two weeks for 14 Euros. Prices may vary but this is the ballpark figure.

So again, on balance, I recommend Gasthaus Zur Sonne. If you consider the fine hospitality, the menu and the reasonable price, these factors far outweigh the distance from the city center and sporadic WIFI, in my opinion. I gave them four stars but if I could I'd make it 4.5.

Yuri...

The location was far from Freiburg, in a run-down area. Also, by German standards, the guesthouse was grimy and not well outfitted (i.e. our daughter and son-in-law's room had a curtain separating the bathroom, and another unanchored curtain for the shower - my daughter said the shower sprayed all over the inside of the bathroom, and even into their room!). The parking was a bit of a squeeze, especially considering that one of the evening serving staff had parked her small car entirely blocking the rear exit/entrance to the parking area, and she became incensed and began yelling at one of our group when she felt my husband drove too close to her car, trying to turn around to exit. We ended up parking a couple of blocks away, to avoid being hassled further. As there were 5 of us, requiring two rooms, we booked this guesthouse because of it's 'proximity' to Freiburg (it's a good 20 minute autobahn drive out of the city), and because it was fairly highly rated and reasonably priced. Given the accommodations and location, it was none of those. We all very much enjoyed visiting Freiburg, but all of us felt this was the worst stay of our month-long driving trip. ...