With 159 locations in 98 countries, the Goethe Institute, the Federal Republic of Germany’s cultural organization, is widely considered the preeminent way to learn about German language and culture. On its leafy street in the Old Town, Freiburg’s Goethe Institute deserves that reputation. Housed in an ivy-covered modern building, it’s the perfect place to refresh your German or start a new study of the language. Take a class, attend events or simply meet other German students to practice your Deutsch.
Learn more about the language in one of the center’s 13 classrooms. Study in the well-appointed, hyper-modern white interior. Take your books and a glass of wine out to the terrace and garden on a sunny afternoon to review declensions and verbs. Practice Bach sonatas on the pianos in the foyer or join everyone in a rousing rendition of Die Mühle im Schwarzwälder Tal, a local folk song.
Come in once or twice a week for a casual class, best if your German is already pretty good, or sign up for an intensive program. Stay in the institute’s accommodations in the Stühlinger district, near Albert-Ludwigs-Universität’s campus. Here you can make friends with students who come from around the world to study in Freiburg. By the end of your class, you’ll be chatting comfortably in German, having created memories and skills you’ll never forget.
Find the Goethe Institute at the western edge of Freiburg’s Old Town, directly down the street from Freiburg’s main train station. Take the tram from the landmark Bertoldsbrunnen (Bertold's Fountain) in 5 minutes or walk in 10 minutes. Walk here in 5 minutes from the main campus of the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität or in 11 minutes from the Freiburger Münster. Metered parking is available at the train station. You may find limited street parking on the nearby streets.
Courses at the Goethe Institute are offered year round. For information on how to sign up, visit the Goethe Institute’s website. The institute’s reception area is open on weekdays during regular business hours, although it closes in the early afternoon on Fridays.
