Freiburg city centre: Tourists are happy about better orientation

The city-owned Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG (FWTM) and the city planning office further developed the existing guidance system to simplify reaching tourist destinations and service points in the historic city centre. The result is attractive steles that provide visitors who are not familiar with the area with reliable orientation.

The steles were designed by designconcepts from Freiburg with reader-friendly city map sections and quickly comprehensible graphics. Additional QR codes expand the information offered. The slim, eye-catching red-white-grey signposts were realised on time and within budget by the guidance system specialist Meng from Birkenfeld. New pillar locations at the Platz der Alten Synagoge, at the university, at the Stadtgarten, at the Predigertor and at the Stühlinger Kirchplatz were sampled by meng with 1:1 mock-ups provided free of charge and thus facilitated a precise location selection.

During production, particular importance was attached to a resource-saving and recyclable choice of materials made of steel and aluminium. To ensure the best possible protection against vandalism, the information surfaces of the steles were produced as full-surface inscriptions without visible fastening points. The surfaces were then covered with an anti-graffiti laminate. The overall costs could be significantly reduced by adapting the stele construction for the re-use of existing foundations.

Inner-city events were taken into account in the installation planning so as to have as little impact as possible on traffic routing. The special paving work and the construction of the foundations were realised by the Freiburg company Weiß Pflasterbau. With the new guidance system, Freiburg was able to further expand its attractiveness for tourists, but locals and visitors also appreciate the information on sights and photo spots.