Güterbahnhof Nord
Where goods trains were once shunted, thousands now live and work. A young quarter with old halls, and lately an Irish pub on the corner.
From freight yard to city quarter
For over a hundred years Freiburg's goods station lay north of the main station, between the tracks, Waldkircher Straße and Zähringen. Once freight traffic had moved away, the city turned the site, step by step, into a new quarter: Güterbahnhof Nord, around 21 hectares, roughly half housing and half workplaces, planned for several thousand residents and jobs.
The result is a mix you rarely find elsewhere in Freiburg: new buildings with flats and offices, research and technology firms, crafts and trades, nurseries, green spaces, and in between them the brick halls of the old railway yard.
Old halls, new life
- Lokhalle: the former locomotive shed, today a venue for events, culture and start-ups, and something of a landmark for the quarter.
- Zollhalle and Zollhallenplatz: the old customs yard and its wide forecourt form the entrance to the quarter.
- Creative businesses: workshops, studios and small firms have settled in and around the old buildings.
Waldkircher Strasse
Waldkircher Straße is the old road out of town to the north, named after the town of Waldkirch in the Elz valley. It links the Brühl district with Zähringen and separates the freight yard site from the residential streets around Komturplatz and Tennenbacher Straße. O'Donnells sits at number 1, on its corner with Rennweg, by the tram stop of the same name.
Why a pub belongs here
A quarter where so many people are newly living side by side needs a meeting place that is neither a café nor a canteen. Somewhere to have a pint with colleagues after work and get to know the neighbours. In Ireland that is called the local. O'Donnells wants to be the local for Güterbahnhof, Brühl, Herdern and Zähringen.