I arrived in Freiburg, Germany after taking two trains (90 minutes total) from Colmar, France. I only had five minutes to change trains and had to take an escalator and an elevator to get to the correct platform and the doors literally shut less than 10 seconds after I pulled my luggage on board. I wasn’t able to store my luggage at the Airbnb I was staying at until check-in time (they were on vacation), so I paid 5 euros and stored it at the train station. I lived in Germany in the late 70’s for a few years while in the military and had visited Munich in 2014, so I was looking forward to being back.

I thought this was a cool building and unusual outdoor seating. It didn’t look comfortable though.

The McDonald’s sign looks out of place with the 13th Century architecture of Martin’s Gate.

While the Airbnb owners were on vacation they gave me permission to borrow their bicycle. I rode 13 km, exploring Seepark (photo below)

and Japanischer Garten

and a cycling path called F1.

Almost one-third of Freiburg has dedicated cycling lanes.

I stopped in the Cathedral in Freiburg

Researching online I found a Mineral Spa facility called Keidel Therme, located 40 minutes away via bicycle, so I left early one morning. The ride there had designated cycling lanes, but cyclists were whizzing by me on steroids and they weren’t saying “on your left” when passing.

What a wonderful place! I was going to take photos but an employee told me I wasn’t allowed to, but that I could take them from their website. It’s huge with indoor and outdoor facilities and lots of different pools, some that are hot and some lukewarm, cascading water that pounds on your shoulders, jets for your back, legs and feet. They have infrared lights that you can lay under. There’s also a sauna, but I didn’t pay for that. They offer massages and water therapies. Use of the pools is only 16.5 euros for all day.

I stayed in for an hour, swimming from area to area becoming a prune.

Then I purchased a pastry for breakfast and soaked up a little sun, before returning to the pools.

I decided to have lunch there and it was delicious! The experience reminded me of when a girlfriend and I went to a schwimmbad in Frankfurt. We were 19 years old and when we walked into the changing facility we were shocked because there were men and women walking around naked, sprawled out in the sauna. We kept our bathing suits on.

p.s.  If you’ve just began reading…I planned an 11 week, 5 European country, 21 accommodations solo trip from April – June of 2022.  Photos were taken with my LG Velvet Android phone.