Cannes or Freiburg?

This is where Cannes is far ahead. The Croisette curves along fine sand on calm water warm enough for swimming through the summer, the Plage du Midi offers wide, free stretches between the private concessions, and the Lérins islands and the red coves of the Esterel are there for clearer water.

Freiburg has no sea at all. A swim there means a cycle to the grassy gravel lakes on the Rhine plain, a cool dip in Titisee or Schluchsee, or a crowded open-air pool in July.

The two are close on food, but the tables look very different. Cannes cooks from the Mediterranean: the morning catch at the Forville market, bouillabaisse and socca in Le Suquet, and rosé on every terrace. Much of the waterfront, though, serves dull food at high prices.

Freiburg eats in the Baden style, with Flammkuchen, Schäufele, Black Forest trout and asparagus in spring, washed down with Kaiserstuhl Pinot. Its daily Münster market, with the grilled sausage in a roll, is a local ritual. Each city has a strong fine-dining tier just outside town, and in both the choice soon starts to repeat itself.

Freiburg gives a curious visitor more to do. The red sandstone Münster, whose lace tower you can climb, the Historisches Kaufhaus, the medieval gates and the Augustinermuseum's medieval sculpture fill a satisfying day or two, even though much of the centre was rebuilt after the war.

Cannes is pretty to look at but quickly done. A climb up Le Suquet to the castle museum, the Belle Époque hotels on the Croisette and a photo on the steps of the Palais des Festivals all fit into a morning. For serious art you take the train to Antibes or Nice.

Neither town is a reason to travel for nightlife, but the evenings are very different. In Cannes they are glamorous and seasonal: beach clubs turn into party venues in summer and at festival time, and champagne and dressing up are the norm. Out of season the town goes quiet early.

Freiburg's nights are set by its students rather than the calendar. Expect pubs, wine bars and beer gardens around the Martinstor, people out by the Dreisam on summer nights and a few techno and indie clubs. It is cheaper and more relaxed, and liveliest in term-time.

Freiburg has the edge for anyone who wants to be outdoors on foot or by bike. The Black Forest begins at the Schlossberg behind the old town, the Schauinsland cable car lifts you to ridge trails at about 1,280m, and the Feldberg offers hiking in summer and dependable snow in winter. The Kaiserstuhl vineyards and the flat Rhine plain make for easy cycling.

Cannes offers sea and red rock instead. There are the volcanic Esterel trails and corniche, pine paths on Sainte-Marguerite and the coastal path round Cap d'Antibes, plus sailing, kayaking and diving around the islands. In high summer, though, fire risk can close the forest trails.

Both cities make excellent bases, and Cannes has the slight edge because the coastal train does most of the work. Antibes is a quarter of an hour away, followed by Nice, Villefranche, Monaco and Menton in turn, while Grasse, Mougins and the perched villages such as Saint-Paul-de-Vence lie just inland.

Freiburg's advantage is the variety of three countries. Basel's museums are a short train ride away, and Strasbourg and Baden-Baden are also easy by rail. The half-timbered wine villages of Alsace, such as Riquewihr and Eguisheim, are easier with a car.

Freiburg is the more rewarding city for children. They can float toy boats along the Bächle, visit the free Mundenhof animal park, ride the Schauinsland cable car and spend a big day at Europa-Park, about 40 minutes away. Swimming lakes and gentle forest walks easily fill a week, although there is little to do indoors on wet days.

Cannes is easy rather than exciting. Its sloping sandy beaches and the flat Croisette suit small children and pushchairs, and the Lérins boat makes a good picnic outing. Otherwise the town is aimed at adults, and in midsummer the heat and crowds shape the day.

Freiburg is easier to get around. Its car-free old town is walkable, trams reach the suburbs and the cable car, cycling is a normal way to travel, and many hotels give guests a card for local buses and trains, including the Höllental line into the Black Forest.

Central Cannes is also compact and flat, apart from the steep climb to Le Suquet, and coastal trains make the Riviera simple. Inland it is a different story: the hill villages and the Esterel corniche really need a car, and that means heavy summer traffic and scarce parking.

Cannes is the stronger shopping town. The Paris fashion and jewellery houses line the Croisette facing the sea, Rue d'Antibes adds a long run of mid-range French fashion and chocolatiers, and Rue Meynadier sells olive oil, soaps and Provençal fabrics.

Freiburg has no luxury tier and mostly chain stores on Kaiser-Joseph-Strasse. It makes up for this a little with independent boutiques and bookshops in the Gerberau, local schnapps and ham at the market, and cuckoo clocks and wood carvings.

Freiburg is clearly the easier city on the budget. Hotels are scarce and not cheap, especially on summer weekends and at trade fairs, but the Münster costs little or nothing to visit, and market snacks, wine taverns and student-quarter restaurants keep daily spending moderate.

Cannes is expensive in a different league. Seafront rooms, cocktails and private-beach loungers are priced for a wealthy crowd, and film festival weeks push hotel prices higher still. Backstreet lunch menus, Forville picnics, public beaches and staying in a neighbouring town all help.

Freiburg has the steadier programme through the year. Theater Freiburg stages opera, drama and dance in repertory, and the Konzerthaus is home to the Freiburger Barockorchester, a leading period-instrument ensemble. The Zelt-Musik-Festival fills a tent village every summer.

Cannes is famous for a film festival that most visitors can only follow through the free beach screenings. It also has the regional philharmonic, a respected dance festival and summer concerts in the castle courtyard on Le Suquet. Out of season the stage is thin, though jazz fans have Juan-les-Pins close by.

Freiburg sits in spa country, and that gives it the clear lead. It has a mineral thermal bath with saunas on its eastern edge, the large warm pools of Bad Krozingen about twenty minutes south, Badenweiler's Roman ruins beside a modern bath, and Baden-Baden an hour away by train.

Cannes has no thermal springs or public baths. Its wellness means the polished spas of the palace hotels and seawater thalassotherapy along the coast. A calm spring morning on the bay can be restful, but August and the festival weeks are not.