Staufen and the Kaiserstuhl Wine Country

Wine is the Black Forest's quiet second personality, and two places near Freiburg show it best. Staufen im Breisgau is a small town of about 8,500 people at the foot of the hills, with a historic centre, a Faust legend and a castle ruin first mentioned in 1248 and destroyed in the Thirty Years' War in 1633. The ruins are about a fifteen-minute walk from the town and look out over the Rhine plain towards the Vosges. To the north-west of Freiburg rises the Kaiserstuhl, a volcanic massif that forms a wine region together with the nearby Tuniberg. The Freiburg tourism board calls it a Burgundy oasis, with Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris among the most widely grown varieties, and the sun-baked terraces, loess hollows and cellar lanes reward a slow day of tasting. Together they make a relaxed half-day or full-day outing from Freiburg by car, train or bike.

Staufen is the easier of the two for a visitor without a car. Trains run from Freiburg to Staufen on the Münstertalbahn line, and the town centre is a short walk from the station. Wander the old lanes, stop at a cafe on the market square and then follow the path up through vineyards to the castle ruin. The town is associated with the legend of Doctor Faust, who is said to have died in an inn here in the sixteenth century, and its streets are lined with wine bars and small shops.

The Stadtmuseum in the town hall is a modest place to learn the local story. Staufen has also been known for ground movement that cracked some buildings in the historic centre after geothermal drilling in 2007, and visitors may notice repairs, which is a reminder that old towns are living places.

The Kaiserstuhl needs more planning. The region is made up of villages such as Ihringen, Oberrotweil and Achkarren, each with family wineries that open their doors for tastings, often by appointment or at set hours. The volcanic soils and warm climate give rich whites and elegant reds, and cooperatives and estate shops are the easiest places to start. The state winery runs tastings at its Blankenhornsberg vinotheque, according to the Freiburg tourism board, which is a good stop for visitors who want an organised introduction.

Hiking and cycling routes cross the hills between vineyards, with terraces cut into the loess, and the Liliental arboretum on the southern edge, an eighty hectare forestry test site set up in the 1950s, adds oaks, orchids, Japanese tree species and a redwood forest, with guided tours offered.

Practical points matter. If you plan to taste wine, avoid driving, and use a bus, a taxi or a guided tour. Many wineries close at lunch, on Sundays or in the quiet winter months, so check hours before you set out. Autumn, during harvest, is a special time, with new wine, onion tart and a busy rural calendar, while spring brings blossom and summer long warm evenings on the terraces.

Combine both with Freiburg's old town and the Schlossberg for a rounded trip. A good day might begin in Staufen, move to the Kaiserstuhl in the afternoon and return to Freiburg for dinner. Allow half a day for Staufen alone, or a full day with wine tastings and a walk in the hills.