What is worth seeing in Bremen? Bremen is a city in Germany: one of the most beautiful places in the country. It is at the same time a province as well as Bremen.

The city of Bremen is something from the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm - the authors of the famous Bremen Town Musicians. Their sculptural images are presented throughout the city in all souvenir and monumental forms. In plush, porcelain, clay, paper, plastic, bronze, plaster and it is still unknown in what form. In a word, there are millions of them. At some point, you may get the feeling that Bremen was built exclusively for tourists - the number of monuments and a favorable background for photographs is ten per square meter. A very large number of urban sculptures in scale - the size of a person.

Geography

Bremen is located on flat terrain on both banks of the navigable river Weser. It is another 60 kilometers to the place where it flows into the North Sea, and the whole area is called the “Damp Triangle”, covering the swampy plains between the Weser and the Elbe. In fact, the expansion of the mouth of the river takes place in Bremen, which caused its high importance as a river port. Also part of Bremen is the town of Bremerhaven, which is located on the coast of the North Sea and is separated from the Hanseatic city by the same 60 kilometers. The division into districts in Bremen is quite simple - there are North, South, East, West and Central, and at a smaller level, the division occurs according to the historical development. In administrative terms, the central part of Bremerhaven is also part of the city, but in fact these two settlements are often considered as one - the smallest federal entity in Germany - the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. The time difference compared to the zero meridian is +1 hour, and in summer +2 hours, as in fact in the whole of Germany.

Climate

The weather conditions in Bremen are quite pleasant, as they combine continental and maritime climate. Due to the proximity of the North Sea and the vast Bremen Bay, the humidity fluctuates considerably during the day, and precipitation can start suddenly. The most rainy period is autumn, and short-term snowfalls can occur in winter. Temperature fluctuations are not very strong and in the period from December to March, the thermometer rarely drops below -6 ° C even at night. Daytime winter temperatures range from +1°С to -3°С. The most favorable seasons for visiting Bremen are spring and summer, when the air temperature is up to + 25 ° C, and the heat is not felt so exhausting due to the refreshing winds from the sea. Despite the northern location, in Bremen the river water warms up quite well and you can safely relax on the city beaches. Autumn in the Hanseatic city is a season of colors and festivals. The temperature does not change much during the day, but there may be light rains, fogs, and in rare cases even storms. The decrease in temperature occurs gradually throughout the season, and therefore does not act too depressingly on the tourist, and night frosts are observed only in November - around + 2 ° С-0 ° С.

Story

The city of Bremen originates from the episcopal settlement, which in 787 was granted the status of a city. And from 845, the city began to be ruled by the Hamburg bishops, almost until the time when in 1260 Bremen joined the Hanseatic League and became a Free City-State. From a historical point of view, Bremen is considered one of the two oldest independent cities in Europe, which has retained its status to this day. The rapid development of trade and crafts led to the rapid growth of Bremen, and already in 1404 a 5-meter statue of Roland, the patron saint of the Hanseatic cities, was erected on the central Market Square. The monument itself with a pommel and a pedestal rises almost 15 meters and is an invariable symbol of Bremen - it has been preserved in its original form to our time. The second important building is the city hall, erected in 1409, where the council still sits and the burgomaster works. Being in the center of Europe, Bremen constantly became a participant in various events on the continent. It was under the rule of the Swedes and the French, the troops of the city participated in the Thirty Years' War and in almost all campaigns organized by Prussia. In 1866, Bremen became part of the German Empire as a republic - the Free Hanseatic City with autonomous control.

During the Second World War, Bremen was significantly damaged, as there were important military factories nearby, a port, and there was a submarine base in Bremerhaven. By and large, industrial areas far from the center were destroyed from the bombing, and the historical monuments of the market square miraculously survived. After the war, the city became part of Germany and is a separate federal state - in this status it still exists. In 1971, a university was opened in Bremen, where any military research and the creation of weapons are officially prohibited. In modern times, various types of industry, science and art have developed in Bremen. The Polar Center is located in Bremerhaven, in Bremen itself there are enterprises of Airbus, Mercedes, high-tech industries - for example, echo sounders and underwater echo sounders. New market segments are constantly developing, which is perfectly combined with the leading historical role of the city, which it has supported for more than 1000 years.

Sights of Bremen

One of the main attractions of Bremen - St. Peter's Cathedral (Bremen Cathedral) is already about 1,200 years old. During the war, the cathedral was badly damaged and was repeatedly reconstructed and rebuilt, but all the same, if you look closely - these walls, these images are 12 centuries old. In Bremen, half of the population are believers, that is, they regularly attend church. Half of them are Protestants, the other half are Catholics, Muslims and Orthodox. Alas, the number of believers (with the exception of Muslims) is decreasing every year. But the paradox is that at the same time the line of those wishing to get married in the main hall of the Bremen Cathedral is growing. Line up for the whole year!

Near the cathedral is a biblical garden. Here are collected all the flowers, plants and medicinal herbs that are mentioned in the Bible. On the tablets next to each plant are the corresponding psalms.
Bremen Town Hall was built at the beginning of the 15th century. The building is located on the Marktplatz square in the center of the old town. The town hall was built in the Gothic style and is a vivid example of the "Weser Renaissance". In 2004, the Bremen City Hall was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Shnoor (Cord) - a small area of the city, where a cord (rope) was once stretched. In fact, this is one street, laid in a loop between closely standing old buildings, with small branches, lanes and alleys. The name has been preserved, most likely, exclusively for guides and souvenir dealers. "I can take you to the narrowest street," the guides brag. The width of the street in some places is less than one meter.
A monument to one of the residents of this exotic quarter is erected in the Shnur area. His name was Jürgen Heinrich Keberle and he lived here throughout the second half of the 19th century. He was the son of a shoemaker, and his nickname was "wooden leg", because of his severe lameness. But not for this, a bronze monument was erected to him, but for his "because". He was an eternal beanbag, but very polite and courteous, he always promised to return the money borrowed, and the whole city knew him. He also knew because he accompanied his requests with German proverbs.
Another attraction of Bremen is Boettcherstrasse (Bocharov), which is only 110 meters long. It is called the secret main street of Bremen. In the old days, coopers made barrels here. Traditional brick buildings coexist here with modern and very expressive architecture, which makes the street strikingly contrasting. It was actually created by the coffee merchant Ludwig Rozzelius. In 1926, he bought these buildings, attracted architects and sculptors. At the end of the war, it was destroyed by bombing, but with the help of all the townspeople, it was restored.
Monument to Roland. In total, there are 25 monuments to Roland in Europe, but the one located in the city of Bremen is the largest. The statue of Roland in the Middle Ages symbolized the freedom of the city, its right to independently conduct trade and administer justice.
The Bremen Science Museum is located in an unusual building. The museum building looks like a smiling whale emerging from the waters of the ocean. This is the most popular museum among schoolchildren and students, and tourists do not bypass it either.

Events and festivals

You can visit Bremen at any time of the year and you can almost always get to a fair or festival. Despite its centuries-old history and established traditions, the city often hosts various events of a modern nature - creative, musical, technological and scientific. In any case, there is something for everyone to see in this famous city. The most significant festivals take place:

in autumn - towards the end of October, the oldest fair in Europe Freimarkt starts, which has been held since 1035, from the moment Bremen was granted exclusive trading rights. The difference of the festival lies in the fact that it was possible to trade for everyone without exception, and not only for guilds and recognized trading posts - since that time, almost anything can be bought on the central square - from famous brands to any hand-made goods. In November, an international rowing tournament is held on the Weser River;
in winter - from the beginning of December, numerous Christmas and New Year fairs and festivals are held, within which a lot of events take place, including concerts, theatrical performances, outdoor treats and much more;
in spring - a huge and multi-day festival in honor of Easter, held with festivities, processions, concerts and solemn services;
in the summer - June, the month is marked by the largest techno-parade Vision, and the art festival Breminale - dedicated not only to cinema, but also to theater, music and acting. In August, the largest circus festival takes place in Bremen.

In addition, the city annually hosts a variety of exhibitions, seminars, performances and shows - Bremen is considered one of the best venues for various events. No wonder the city has large exhibition complexes, scientific institutions, dozens of galleries.

Restaurants and cafes

In Bremen, everything is different from the usual European modernity, including the cuisine, which has evolved over many centuries. It was Bremen that was one of the first port cities where coffee was brought, and from where this drink got to other European cities. It's no surprise that Bremen's traditional Knigge coffee houses are located all over the city, and offer a wide variety of types and types of drink. It was in Bremen that decaffeinated coffee and wonderful sweets Kluten were invented - a chocolate plate with mint filling. In many cafes and restaurants you can taste the best Bremen chocolate, which is still produced according to old recipes. Despite its history, the city has a lot of catering establishments of various classes and directions - national cuisines of different peoples of the world, chain cafes and restaurants, brand restaurants and art studios with original cuisine. Local chains of snack bars Schlachte, Viertel are popular. But in Bremen, you should definitely try the national local dishes of North German cuisine, which arose not without the influence of the Swedes, Norwegians and all other nationalities with whom the Hanseatic city of Bremen traded. Dishes are easy to prepare, satisfying and ordinary products. People in Bremen love fish delicacies and ordinary smelt, corned beef and boiled eggs, stewed cabbage and pork sausages, stews and meat pies. For dessert, you can taste the famous Bremen marmalade, cakes with lots of almonds, butter, sugar, chocolate. In general, the locals are rather indulgent towards plentiful sweets and will offer them in any catering establishment. In Bremen, besides coffee and tea, they also drink beer and wine in unimaginable quantities - almost no dinner is complete without these drinks.

shopping

A European city with a centuries-old history cannot do without traditional trading places where shops, cafes and restaurants have existed for many decades - Bremen is one of such places. The well-known district of Shnoor, named after the rope manufactories that once existed here, has become the center of trading life. On the streets of Bottcherstrasse, Lloyd Passage, Sogestrasse, Obernstrasse and adjacent to them, there are numerous shops of both famous European and world brands, as well as original souvenir shops, outlets of local designers and hand-made lovers. The city market in the central square constantly offers original products at a fairly low cost - the right place to buy souvenirs that will remind you of Bremen:

figurines of the Bremen town musicians - the famous animal quartet is made of any materials - from fabric and vines to gold and silver;
ships and boats - Bremen is closely connected with maritime trade, and therefore the traditions of sea travel are in the blood of the locals and they will offer tourists a variety of ship models - from huge collector's ones to small ones placed in a bottle;
symbols of the Hanseatic League - it is printed on mugs, T-shirts, bags, accessories, presented in the form of magnets, key rings and other small souvenirs;
wine - in Bremen there are many cellars with old wines, as well as tastings of young drinks from different regions of Germany and Europe are constantly held;
paintings and sculptures - there are hundreds of artists and sculptors, graphic artists and other artists in Bremen who offer their works not only in galleries, but also in markets, or simply on the streets of the old city;
Beer is the most famous German souvenir. In Bremen, there is a factory for the production of Beck`s beer, which can be bought in a supermarket, in any store, bar or pub. At the same time, the taste of fresh beer is incredibly pleasant and soft, thanks to the purified water of the Weser River.

How to get to Bremen?

Getting to Bremen without a transfer will not work, even though there is an international airport nearby. The airfield is located 15 minutes from the city center by tram number 6, and so far serves only regional flights. Therefore, you can get from Moscow, St. Petersburg or any other major Russian city by plane via Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Dutch Groningen, Brussels or Copenhagen. The train connection connects Bremen with all major German cities, so you can also get there by train, though you will also have to make a transfer. Trains arrive at the central station, located in the very center of Bremen, and it is a real architectural monument, from where you can easily get to any part of the city. By bus from Russia to the Hanseatic Free City can be reached with transfers, since Bremen is connected by routes with almost all corners of Germany - Munster, Oldenburg, Hamburg, Hanover and others. Several federal highways pass through the city, allowing you to quickly get to Bremen by car. Just keep in mind that the city has a maximum speed limit on highways of 130 km / h - this is the only strict rule for driving on autobahns in all of Germany.

Transport

The public transport system is quite well developed, although it is represented by only a few of its varieties:

The tram is the most popular and widespread type of land transport, enveloping the whole of Bremen and the suburbs that make up the agglomeration with its routes. There are also night routes that allow you to get from one part of the city to another at any time of the day.
The bus is an even more extensive system of communication, including many different directions and serving all areas of Bremen. There are also routes that operate at night.
The river bus is more of a tourist transport and connects both banks of the Weser River, although it allows you to quickly get from one bank to the other.
Bicycle is a popular mode of transport that allows you to move around Bremen, including the pedestrian historical part, parks, squares and picturesque surroundings. You can rent a bike almost everywhere - in a hotel, near tram stops, at rental points, near tourist attractions.
Taxi is a fairly expensive mode of transport, which is represented by two companies. The cost will depend on the distance of the trip, and is calculated based on a price of 2.1 Euro per kilometer.
Car rental is a popular way of transportation, as it presents a variety of brands and classes of cars to choose from. There are rental offices at the airport and train station, in large hotels and are located around the city - both local firms and pan-European networks are represented in Bremen.

Accommodation

The historical part of bremen is rich in ancient places of residence, the main feature of which is that they are located in historical buildings that have retained their decoration and partially furnished. Naturally, the level of service and amenities is quite modest, but this is offset by the feeling of incredible belonging to the Middle Ages and the times of the Hanseatic League. In addition, the city has many hotels of international chains Holiday Inn, Radisson, Marriott, as well as dozens of local hotels of various classes - from elite five-star to budget two-star - Dorint Park Hotel Bremen (5 stars), Hotel zum Kuhhirten (3 stars). There are a lot of youth hostels in Bremen, which are located literally throughout the city and offer quite good living conditions at an affordable cost. It is better to book places in advance, since during the festivals, as a rule, all hostels are overcrowded, and it will not be possible to find a place immediately upon arrival. You can rent an apartment or apartments at different prices, depending on the area of the city. The farther from the center, the lower the cost, but due to the size of Bremen itself, this difference does not seem so tangible, since the difference can be only a few tens of Euros.

Connection

Bremen organically combines tradition and innovation - therefore, in almost all public places there are free Internet access points, including trams and buses. Hotels can offer increased traffic for an additional fee, while shopping malls and food courts provide excellent Wi-Fi for free. The system of city telephones, which are in hotels, restaurants, is also functioning perfectly in the city, and is presented in the form of payphones on the streets, at the station and other places. Mobile communications are provided by local German companies and international networks such as Vodafone. If you plan to spend a lot of time in Bremen, then it is better to take a card from a local operator without a monthly fee, so that at the end of using the card you do not have to pay for it monthly.

1. You should definitely make a wish at the statue of the Bremen Town Musicians on the market square and rub the leg of a donkey, and if you reach it, then a dog, a cat or even a rooster. The best quest will be to search for all the images of the famous animal four, of which there are a great many in Bremen.
2. The city of Bremen is a port, so fish dishes are prepared very well in local restaurants.
3. Visit the wine cellars under the town hall, which have been operating since the construction of the building itself and have a huge collection of old drinks.
4. It is customary to leave a tip in restaurants in the amount of 5 - 10% of the order value. Sometimes you can limit yourself to the standard remuneration, which is 1 euro.
5. It is better to buy souvenirs away from tourist centers - prices are a little high there.
6. Public transport runs like clockwork, the need for a car is minimized, and as a result there are no traffic jams at all, parking is available, and the most popular mode of transport is a bicycle. It is also very convenient to move around the city using the metro.
7. Get a travel card that helps you save on public transport - sold almost everywhere in the city.
8. Climb the south tower of St. Peter's Basilica and view the city from a height of almost 60 meters.
9. When traveling in spring and autumn, you need to take a sweater or windbreaker with you - the weather can change unexpectedly, and light rain is quite common.
10. It is better to book a hotel in advance, as well as a flight - low-cost airlines can offer different routes at an affordable cost.
11. It is worth a trip to Bremerhaven - a satellite city of Bremen, where there are also a lot of attractions. The journey can be made by boat on the river Weser, by bus or by car.
12. Be vigilant and leave valuables in the hotel safe; withdraw money only at bank branches; do not trust random and suspicious persons. Bremen is very hospitable, but it is better to beware of scammers.

Bremen on the map, panorama

In this article you will learn:

The Free Hanseatic City of Bremen is the smallest federal state in Germany. It consists of only two settlements: Bremen itself and its satellite Bremerhaven, separated from the main city by lands.

Geographical position

The city is located on the border of the middle course of the Weser River and its lower reaches on both banks. The North Sea, where it flows, is about 60 km. The second Hanseatic city, Bremerhaven, is also located there. The river itself is a natural boundary between two regions: the Wesermarsh and the Wet Triangle, a swampy plain between the mouths of the Elbe and the Weser.

Historical information

The history of the city begins in 787. At first, it served as an episcopal residence, but later, taking advantage of market privileges in 888, it quickly became rich and by the 11th century was already called "northern Rome". Bremen gained even greater fame by becoming a member of the Hanseatic League - the most powerful state-trading organization that for several centuries set the tone for trade between the countries of the Baltic region.

Having risen on the classic maritime trade, this city is now the most important transit point in the north-west of Germany. The port of Bremen provides work for every third able-bodied inhabitant.

In addition to the port, the city's economy is supported by several powerful world-famous concerns, including the Beck's beer brewery, Daimler (Mercedes-Benz), one of the Airbus divisions and several other well-known organizations.

Landmarks and culture

The storytellers the Brothers Grimm, who wrote a story about the Bremen Town Musicians, added additional fame to the place. Now every child knows about this ancient city. In Bremen itself, the image of a quartet of animal musicians is not used very actively, which is not surprising, because according to the fairy tale, the friends never got to it, but remained to live in the robbers' house.

The monument to the Bremen Town Musicians stands only in the center of the city, and on one of the streets there is an automatic machine, from which, after a coin is thrown into it, the cries of fellow musicians sound, which, oddly enough, come from under an iron hatch on the ground.

Trade has left a big imprint on the cultural monuments of the city. The Maritime Museum and the Overseas Museum operate in Bremen, attracting many visitors from Germany and other countries. Its commercial orientation is also evidenced by boat trips that regularly depart from the Martinianleger pier. Charter flights along the rivers Weser and Lesum attract many tourists.

Martinianleger

Adding to the attraction is the fact that since 1996 a ship with full sailing equipment has been assigned to the port of Vegesac. This former training ship is now a hotel, which is extremely popular among lovers of maritime romance.

Thanks to wealthy Bremen merchants, the city was able to create an amazingly beautiful architectural ensemble. Now its historical center is a real museum of the Renaissance. It all starts from the Town Hall Square, where the ancient Gothic St. Petri Cathedral, the magnificent Town Hall and the symbol of the freedom of the city - the statue of Roland, erected in 1404, are located. By the way, the last two UNESCO sights have been included in the World Heritage Fund.

Roland statue

Immediately from the square, a fashionable embankment called Schlakhte originates. Numerous tourists walk along it along the Weser River, for whom many cafes and restaurants are open, from the windows of which there are picturesque views of the river and the city.

Another attraction of Bremen is the Schnor quarter. Translated into the local Low German dialect, the name means "string", which is consistent with the principle of building a street. The street stretched out into a long thread, like beads, is lined with small half-timbered houses from the 15th-16th centuries. Here, as well as on the embankment, you can visit a cafe or look into one of the many jewelry or art shops to choose some rare thing for yourself.

Shnor quarter

The Free Hanseatic City of Bremen is one of the oldest state formations on German soil. It appeared during the time of the Frankish Empire, created by Charlemagne, and over the past years has constantly developed and grown rich, having managed to maintain its culture and independence.

(function(w, d, n, s, t) ( w[n] = w[n] || ; w[n].push(function() ( Ya.Context.AdvManager.render(( blockId: "R-A-220137-3", renderTo: "yandex_rtb_R-A-220137-3", async: true )); )); t = d.getElementsByTagName("script" ); s = d.createElement("script"); s.type = "text/javascript"; s.src = "//an.yandex.ru/system/context.js"; s.async = true; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); ))(this, this.document, "yandexContextAsyncCallbacks");

Throughout its 1200 year history, Bremen has remained one of the most important cities in northern Germany. It is especially popular among young people due to excellent universities and free tuition. More than 30,000 students are present in the city every year, which makes it an attractive place for interesting and active recreation.

Bremen Town Hall (Photo © / Jürgen Howaldt / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Germany)

The rather narrow and long city, located on the plains, lines both sides of the river Weser. For the most part, at least the part visited by tourists, it is easy to explore on foot. You can rent bicycles at the train station. Bremen among the major cities in Germany is the most comfortable for cyclists.

Bremen (Photo © Javier Carro / commons.wikimedia.org / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported)

What to see in Bremen: interesting places

Iconic sights are found in the Old Town (Altstadt), surrounded by the Weser River to the southwest and the former moats of the medieval city walls to the northeast.

Market Square(Marktplatz) with the oldest (commercial) buildings of Bremen, early 17th century. Its center is a huge statue of Roland with Dürendart and a shield decorated with an imperial eagle, 1404, defender of the city, overlooking the cathedral. In addition to Roland, on the western side of the town hall there is a bronze sculptural composition by Gerhard Marx Bremen Town Musicians.
Market Square (Photo © A.Savin / commons.wikimedia.org / Free Art License)
town hall, dominating the Market Square - a symbol of a rich and free city. The building was erected in 1405-1410 in the Gothic style, two centuries later, in 1609-1612, the facade was built of glazed and unglazed bricks and a Renaissance-style roof covered with copper.
In the basement of the Town Hall is legendary pub Ratskeller("Ratskeller") with several halls and cellars and exclusively German wines. Prince Bismarck and Emperors Wilhelm I and Wilhelm II, Richard Wachner and Richard Strauss, Theodor Fontane and Nikolai Gogol have been here. German wines have been stored and sold there since the founding of the town hall, making it the oldest wine cellar in Germany. In the Apostolic Cellar (Apostelkeller), twelve Rhenish wines from the 18th century are stored in twelve oak barrels; in the Rose Cellar (Rosekeller), designed for especially high-quality wine, there is a "Rose Barrel" with the famous wine from Rüdesheim, dating back to 1653.
Saint Paul's Cathedral(St.-Petri-Dom) - an impressive building with sculptures of Moses and David, St. Peter and Paul, Charlemagne on the facade. The first wooden church was built in 789, replaced by a stone building around 805. After repeated destruction and reconstruction, the three-storey basilica was built in the 11th century, providing the foundation for the cathedral in its current form. It houses a museum with valuable artifacts discovered during excavations during the second reconstruction, liturgical objects from past centuries, a "lead cellar" with an exhibition of mummies in open coffins, originally buried in the eastern crypt of the cathedral.
St. Peter's Cathedral, Bemen (Photo © yeowatzup / commons.wikimedia.org / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License)
Bötterstrasse(Böttcherstraße) - a street about 100 meters long, stretching from the main square to the embankment, the entrance to which is marked by the work of Bernhard Hetger "Archangel Michael Fighting the Dragon". Bötterstrasse impresses with its extraordinary architectural ensemble, defined as Expressionist style, buildings with façades decorated with many details and charming courtyards that house art museums, including the museum of the wonderful artist Paula Modersohn-Becker, representatives of expressionism, creative and craft workshops, restaurants, bars, shops and a hotel. One of the highlights of the street is the carillon of porcelain bells from the Meissen factory in the Carillon House (Haus des Glockenspiels).
Shnoor or the Schnoorviertel, a historic quarter that has retained its medieval character with a street of the same name, to which it owes crafts associated with navigation: lanes between houses were associated with employment; the place where the ropes were made - Schnoor, the adjacent area where the anchor chains were made - Lange Wieren. The oldest houses in the quarter date back to the 15th century.
Art Museum(Kunsthalle), located near the Old Town on the "cultural mile" - the only German museum with such an extensive collection of art, from the 14th to the 21st century. Highlights are French and German painting of the 19th and 20th century, works by Paul Cezanne, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Vincent van Gogh, Max Beckmann, Lovis Corinth, Max Liebermann, Paula Modersohn-Becker and modernist works by other artists of the Worpsweed Colony, installations by Otto Pine, Peter Campus, Olafur Eliasson, Nam June Paik.
In the heart of the Hanseatic city, in the center of the Weser on the Teerhof peninsula, in converted brick warehouses, Weserburg(Weserburg) or the Bremen Museum of Modern Art is the largest in Germany and has a high international reputation. The museum's permanent collection displays art from the 1960s to the present day. Major special exhibitions are constantly changing. Visitors can expect a varied program of weekly tours, concerts, lectures, presentations, performances by artists, film screenings.
Ubersee(Überseemuseum) - a museum of natural history and ethnography - one of the most visited museums in Germany, presenting expositions on Asia, Oceania, America, Africa.
Design Museum(Wilhelm-Wagenfeld-Haus), which is used for contemporary art exhibitions, is named after Wilhelm Wagenfeld, an industrial designer born in 1900 in Bremen.
Bremen (Photo © Philipp Hertzog / commons.wikimedia.org / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported)

What to do in Bremen: explore the corners of the old city

Where to eat and drink in Bremen

Bremen cuisine is characterized by Bremen's location on the navigable Weser. Fish from the North Sea and the Weser are on the menu of almost all restaurants. Good establishments offering fish dishes are located on Bötterstraße. Haddock is especially popular in Bremen: it is fried or steamed, served with mustard or mustard-yoghurt sauce, spinach and potatoes. Several popular cafes and restaurants are located along the historic Schlachte promenade. Other gastronomic areas are the Market Square and the Viertel ("quarter"), well known for its many cafes, restaurants and boutiques. Bremen's traditional coffee house is Knigge.

Bremen (Photo © Rami Tarawneh / commons.wikimedia.org / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic License)

Culinary specialties of Bremen - Bremen labskaus (Bremer Labskaus): lightly salted fatty herring, with a fried egg, beetroot and pickled cucumbers; kale dish with boiled sausage, smoked pork, bacon and fried potatoes (Kohl und Pinkel). You should try the traditional sweet of Bremen - Kluten (mint fudge, partially covered with chocolate).

TOURIST ANSWERS:

Both adults and children, without any exception, adore the cartoon "The Bremen Town Musicians", but few people know that in Germany, in a glorious city called Bremen, there is a magnificent monument to these fairy-tale characters!

The study of local attractions usually begins with the historical center, located on Marktplatz (Marktplatz), one of the most beautiful squares in Western Europe. There are numerous, perfectly preserved historical buildings, the pearl of which, without any doubt, is the building of the Town Hall (Rathaus). The City Hall, without any doubt, is recognized as a real masterpiece of two styles of architecture at once. Due to its Gothic style, this building is deservedly considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. No less charming is the Renaissance, which imitates the Dutch tradition; it was in this style that the carved facade of the building was made in the 17th century, where the senate and the burgomaster of the city still sit.

The Town Hall can be found at: Bremen, Am Markt 21. I want to inform, if anyone is interested, that in the basement of the town hall there is the oldest wine cellar in Germany (Bremer Ratskeller) and a shop where you can buy very old wine dating back to 1693.

On the same market square, at: Sandstrae 10, there is another pride of Bremen, St. Peter's Cathedral (Bremer St. Petri Dom). This religious building is considered the oldest temple in the city, built in the 11th century. The building itself looks a little gloomy, but its grandiosity is not diminished by this. Do not be lazy and go up to the observation deck of one of the towers (whose height is 98 meters) to capture in your memory the magnificent view of the city that opened before you. By the way, you can enter the cathedral for free.

Literally 300 meters from the center there is another attraction of Bremen - (Martinikirche). During the bombing in 1945, the church, like the vast majority of buildings, was damaged, but thanks to the efforts of local residents, it was completely restored. The most famous work of art is a fresco depicting scenes of the crucifixion of Christ. The date of its manufacture is 1300. Location address- Martinikirchhof 3, Bremen.

The city has a huge number of various museums for every taste. By the address: Bremen, Am Wall, 207- Kunsthalle is located. A rather large collection of paintings by world famous masters of painting, such as Dürer, Degas, Cezanne, Monet and many others, has found its home here. The price of an entrance ticket to this wonderful museum is always different, depending on the exhibits on display and their significance.

Be sure to take a walk along Boettcherstrasse. This is a typical medieval gothic street with narrow passages miraculously run by modern trams.

Admirers of modern art will be happy to get to know the recognized masters of our time in the building of the Weserburg Museum fur Moderne Kunst located at: Bremen, Teerhof 20. The price of the entrance ticket, both for adults and for children, is 8 euros. Here exhibited such authors as: Olaf Metzel, Herman Nitsch and others.

There are extravagant museums in Bremen, such as the Hospital Museum (Krankenhaus-Museum), which tells about the history of psychiatry. The museum itself is located on the territory of the premises, in the common people called the madhouse. Here you can take a closer look at all kinds of stun guns, straitjackets and rubber batons to calm the violently mad. If there is not enough extreme, then you can get acquainted with a part of the exposition that tells about psychiatry in the dark and terrible years of the Third Reich. You can find this museum at: Bremen, Zuricher Strae, 40. The price of tickets for adults is 4 euros, and for children - 2 euros.

Bremen, Schoppensteel 1. Here is the famous monument of the famous sculptor Gerhard Marx, which is the symbol of Bremen - the sculpture "The Bremen Town Musicians" (Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten). An urban legend says that if you rub your hand on the nose of a donkey standing at the base of this exotic pyramid, you will definitely return to the city.

When you get tired of exploring the local attractions, go to the Embankment (Schlachte), located between the Teerhof Bruck bridge and the Wilhelm-Kaisen-Brucke bridge. This section, which is more than half a kilometer long, is very popular as a place for recreation, both among tourists and citizens.

Bremen, Deliusweg 40. At this address you will find the inimitable and charming rhododendron park and botanical garden (Rhododendron-Park Bremen und Botanischer Garten), where countless rhododendrons and azaleas grow between century-old trees on 46 hectares. And there you can, for only 8 euros, go to the park called "Botanica", which has huge greenhouses where flowers from all over the world grow.

Lloydpassage 4, Bremen. Here, shoppers will find a whole gallery of all kinds of shops and cafes covered with a glass roof. Fans of large shopping centers should really like it at: Obernstrasse 82-88, Bremen. In this complex you can buy almost everything.

Helpful answer?

Bremen, or rather the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, is a port city on both sides of the Weser River, the center of the land of the same name, a famous tourist center with bizarre architecture, in which there is a place for both ancient German traditions and modern high-tech.

Its name is known, probably, to almost all the children of the world, as well as adults who were once children. And for this we must thank the Grimm brothers, who came up with a story about the adventures of a donkey, a cat, a dog and a rooster on the way to the city of Bremen. The popularity of these heroes among Bremen is so great that in the very center, on the Market Square, in the middle of the 20th century, their monument was erected, which is now a symbol of the city.

The Market Square itself, located near Bremen's main railway station, is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe, thanks to the magnificent buildings framing it, which have long become recognized architectural monuments.

The most beautiful of them is the magnificent building of the Bremen Town Hall, made in the style of the so-called "Weser Renaissance". There are daily guided tours around the town hall, the ticket price is 5 euros, for children under 11 years old - free of charge. The building, which, by the way, houses the local Senate and houses the offices of the president of the Senate and the burgomaster of the city, is listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

The same list includes another attraction - the statue of Roland, which is not only the main symbol of the city, but also the personification of its freedom and independence. The Bremen Roland, at over 10 meters high, is considered the largest free-standing medieval sculpture. Among tourists there is a sign that in order to visit Bremen again, you need to rub Roland's knee.

Directly opposite the statue of Roland is the Bremen Cathedral of St. Peter - the oldest church in the city, built over 1200 years ago.

Romanesque and Gothic styles intertwined in the building. On one of the towers - South - you can climb to admire the surroundings. You can visit the cathedral itself, the museum and get to the concerts regularly held here for free. A tour of the museum costs from 1 euro for children to 3 euros for adults.

The Bremen Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or Schütting, is also one of the highlights of the Market Square. The building is decorated with baroque sculptures, on the windows of the lower floor there are coats of arms of Hamburg and Lübeck, which, together with Bremen, were cities of the Hanseatic League.

In the basement of the building there is a traditional German restaurant.

The composition of the Market Square is completed by the modern parliament building and the equestrian monument to Otto von Bismarck. The best time to visit the square is during the Christmas holidays, when a traditional Christmas market opens in its very center.

Not far from the Market Square begins the colorful and picturesque district of Schnor (Das Schnoor) - a well-preserved historical part of the city, built up in the Middle Ages by fishermen and artisans.

There is a well-preserved small Gothic church, all kinds of fireworks houses. Craftsmen still work in these houses, and you can also find a large number of restaurants, art, souvenir and antique shops.

Just south of the market square, Bötchershtrasse or cooper street begins. With a length of only 110 meters, the street is the shortest in Bremen. Its main attraction is a block of seven houses built in the style of brick expressionism - a rare combination of traditional and expressionist styles in architecture.

This street appeared in the first half of the 20th century thanks to Ludwig Roselius, a merchant and philanthropist. In front of the entrance to Bötchershtrasse, there is a bas-relief of the Archangel Michael, defeating the forces of darkness, called "The Bringer of Light".

There are many other sculptures, statues and bas-reliefs on this street.

All houses on the street have their own name (for example, the House of Atlantis, the house of Robinson Cruz, the Seven Sloths). They house several art museums, restaurants, as well as the house of the creator of the street.

November 16th, 2016 04:40 am

In the last post, I showed you what the Bremen sleeping areas look like, today we will walk through the city center along the standard tourist route - we will examine the remains of luxurious Hanseatic architecture, walk along the embankment and get acquainted in detail with the historical center of Bremen.

Bremen has always been a very rich and very beautiful city. I will not retell the history of the city, I will only mention the fact that Bremen was a free city for centuries, had its own port and special customs rules, thanks to which a huge amount of money settled here. This could not but be reflected in the appearance of the city. In past centuries, one of the external manifestations of wealth was luxurious architecture - they did not save on this at that time. The richer and more successful was the trading or industrial office, the more luxurious was its representation in the city. Well, rich industrialists and merchants also did not save on decorative excesses when building their mansions.

Historical photographs and drawings give us a great idea of the imperial luxury that Bremen flaunted before the outbreak of World War II.

In addition to the fact that the urban architecture was luxurious, it also had its own unique style. Bremen is not to be confused with any other city in Germany.

Archival photographs of Bremen streets and buildings are impressive! Every building is a masterpiece! The land in the historical part of the city was very expensive, and those who had money to buy a plot here did not skimp on paying architects.

By the 30s of the twentieth century, Bremen became the largest industrial center of northern Germany, and soon one of the main forges of the military power of the Third Reich and one of the most important ports of the fascist empire. This played a fatal role in the history of the city. During the Second World War, the city was bombed 173 times and as a result of these bombings, 62% of the city's buildings were destroyed.

When British troops entered Bremen on April 26, 1945, they did not see the most rosy picture - the city lay in ruins.

The industrial and port northwestern areas of the city were almost completely wiped off the face of the earth.

This is what, for example, the western district of Valle, most affected by the bombing, looked like - only skeletons remained of the houses.

The historical center of the city was also badly damaged by the bombing.

The destruction is severe, but this image shows that about a third of the buildings in the heart of the city have survived. Unlike many other German cities that completely lost their historical center during World War II, Bremen still looks relatively good, although miracles should not be expected. The city was not restored after the war, and faceless boxes of German post-war architecture soon grew on the site of the destroyed houses.

If you look at the city center from a height, you can see traces of the fortress past of Bremen - a moat, part of which in the northern part of the city has survived to this day. In the period from 1803 to 1811, the fortifications of the city were demolished, and a park was created in their place, part of which is still here. Fortress toponymy has also been preserved, for example, in the center there are Contrescarpe or Am Wall streets, and the areas adjacent to the moat are named after the former fortress gates. With the development of transport infrastructure in the 20th century, the southern part of the moat at Neustadt was filled up.

This is what Bremen looked like in 1757, being a fortress.

01. This was a small introduction, now let's examine the territory of the former old city in detail.

02. The old city and the new city - Neustadt (to which the last post was dedicated) are separated by the Weser River. From the side of the old town along the river, a beautiful embankment has been built - my favorite place for walking in Bremen. I will show it in detail at the end of the post.

03. The historical building in Bremen has been partially preserved, although its punctuation does not allow you to fully plunge into the atmosphere of the good old Hanseatic city.

04. Let's start our acquaintance with the very center of Bremen - the Market Square. She was lucky - during the bombing, the buildings surrounding the area for the most part survived, which can be clearly seen in the last of the historical photographs given at the beginning of the post. The Bremen Cathedral also survived (in the center of the frame).

This is what the place looked like over a hundred years ago.

05. Good old Bremen. To make such a holistic atmospheric shot, you need to try. Outside the Market Square, historical buildings become, in the truest sense of the word, dotted.

06. The square itself is quite pleasant visually, although it is teeming with tourists, homeless people and crazy agitators.

07. Miraculously survived 173 bombings, the town hall, built in 1405-1410 (!). Included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Fund.

08. During World War II, the outer walls of the town hall were protected from fragments, in addition, firefighters were constantly on duty around the town hall - in this way the building managed to survive the air raids without damage and today the Bremen town hall, whose history has passed the 600-year milestone, has come down to our time in its original state.

09. A little less fortunate was the building of the Bremen Chamber of Commerce, located opposite the town hall. During a fire in October 1944, caused by another bombardment of the city, the building burned out completely and only a shell remained of it. In 1956, a thorough restoration of the building of the Chamber of Commerce was completed, which affected only the external appearance - the building was completely rebuilt inside.

This is how the house looked in 1900 and how it looks today. The Bremen Chamber of Commerce has occupied this building since 1849, and it was built in 1537-1538 and initially had a more modest appearance, but over the course of history it was overgrown with decorative elements, becoming more beautiful and more magnificent. The luxurious entrance portal with a staircase was completed only in 1896.

10. Next to the Bremen Chamber of Commerce is a complex of preserved residential buildings framing the Market Square.

11. Bremen City Hall in the evening illumination.

12. There is a representative of modern architecture on the Market Square - the stylish building of the Bremen Parliament, built in 1965-1966 by the German architect Wassili Luckhardt. A very beautiful building - one of the few post-war buildings in Bremen that does not cause melancholy with its appearance.

13. A couple more classic Bremen houses, next to the square.

14. It is noteworthy that after the end of World War II, the buildings destroyed by the bombing were not restored in Bremen, so, unlike the same Dresden and Nuremberg, where there is a lot of remake, in Bremen almost all historical buildings are original.

15. Another place with the atmosphere of old Bremen is the tiny Böttcherstraße street, some of the houses on which were rebuilt in 1922-1931 in the expressionism style.

16. On the left in the picture is the oldest building of the street, built presumably in the 14th century. In 1928, as part of the restructuring, the building received a stepped pediment. The facade of the building was almost completely destroyed during the bombing of World War II, but restored to its original form in 1954. On the right are two former warehouses, rebuilt in 1922-1924 into residential buildings.

17. Between them were rows of bells ringing every hour.

18. In the evening illumination Böttcherstraße takes on a special flavor.

19. Expressionism in architecture is beautiful!

20. It is a pity that this style has not gained much popularity and not many examples of expressionism have survived to this day.

21. Wall with a sea of lamps - a facade created in 1965 by the German artist Ewald Matare. Before that, there was a building called Haus Atlantis, built in the Art Deco style with a concrete and glass facade, but during the war the old facade was destroyed.

22. Stained glass.

23. The street is located next to the Market Square and is considered one of the main tourist attractions of Bremen.

24. On the left in the photo is a real aquarium - there are two of them, both are part of the decorative design of the street.

25. Böttcherstraße impresses with its limited interweaving of expressionism into classic Bremen medieval architecture. When I came here for the first time, I was puzzled - on the one hand, it is clear that some of the houses are very old, on the other hand, the lines and shapes of some buildings do not at all draw on the 17th or 19th century. Only now, preparing the material for the post, I learned that this street appeared in 1922-1931 by rebuilding old warehouse buildings and its creator was the Bremen businessman Ludwig Roselius, a person who is not indifferent to art.

26. Otherwise, most of the post-war buildings in Bremen look something like this. The photo shows one of the central streets of the old town leading to the Market Square.

27. Lunar September evening.

28. The stepped pediments of the Bremen Hanseatic houses would look much more organic in this environment than the faceless facades of post-war German architecture.

29. A typical shopping street of any West German city, there is nothing original Bremen here.

30. The rest of the buildings in the Bremen center are a mix of preserved classics, post-war facelessness and in some places quite original inclusions of postmodernity.

31. Sometimes this mixture looks very pretty.

32. I liked the modern building very much, playing with the forms of its neighbor. Pleasing to the eye is the neighborhood of the old and the new.

33. Dotted there are remnants of former luxury.

34. Next to modern houses, trying to imitate classical forms.

35. But in general, the environment of this handsome man from the era of aristocrats, frankly, evokes melancholy.

36. Another piece of former splendor.

37. The proximity of the old and the new here is clearly not in favor of modernity.

38. And if you make the shooting angle wider, then the eye will see a picture completely far from fabulous Bremen.

39. The whole center of Bremen is such a mix of the remnants of its former splendor and post-war practicality, and the latter is clearly more here.

40. The luxurious building of the Bremen Sparkassy built in 1882, which survived the war, with almost socialist bas-reliefs on the facade.

41. With the exception of small oases of classical architecture, the center of Bremen has something like this.

42. These photos characterize the city center more honestly than those tourist patches that I showed you in the first half of the post.

43. But all this applies only to the city center - the place where the old city used to be. All the beauty of Bremen, unlike other West German cities, is not in the center, but in sleeping areas. I will have more posts about them.

44. Another island of beauty in the middle of a dull concrete building.

45. The building was built in 1630, a hundred years later both bay windows were completed on the sides of the entrance. In 1927, a transformer substation was placed here, and since 1995, the architectural and engineering chambers of Bremen have been located here.

46. Another aristocratic grandfather in a gallant suit, surrounded by grandchildren in torn jeans and T-shirts.

47. When designing luxury real estate, architects recall the glorious Bremen traditions and try to bring the features of port architecture into the appearance of new buildings.

48. But in general, the city center is hardly capable of impressing a person tempted by good architecture.

49. Another of the shopping streets in the central part of the city. That moment when the quality of photography on a tablet is better than on a brand new Canon 80D.

50. An old mill has been preserved in the park near the fortress moat. Built in 1833, during the course of history it was destroyed several times and rebuilt again. It is noteworthy that it was used for its intended purpose right up to 1947. Now there is a restaurant on the first two floors of the mill.

51. Let's continue our walk around the center. Another surviving complex of buildings that will definitely delight fans of Belle Epoque architecture.

52. Beauty! Now there is a Munich pub called Hofbräuhaus with Russian waitresses and beer that tastes absolutely nothing. The worst beer I drank in my three months in Bremen was here.

53. You leave the pub and find yourself in a typical Bremen center.

54. Another island of former luxury is the luxurious building of the main Bremen station, built in the neo-Renaissance style in the period 1885-1889. It is surprising that the building managed to survive the bombings intact, because usually infrastructure, including train stations, were the main targets of air raids.

Perhaps the station was saved by disguise - for this purpose, the city authorities built a pseudo-road passing through the building. Be that as it may, the Bremen station is one of the oldest stations in Germany that has come down to our time in its original state. Photo taken in 1942.

55. But the area around the station was less fortunate - the buildings here were practically wiped off the face of the earth. This is how a tourist who comes here by train will see Bremen. The first impression is unlikely to be inspiring.

56. To the north of the station is the cultural and sports complex ÖVB-Arena - the largest indoor venue in Bremen, which hosts major sports and cultural events.

57. But back to the beauties. In Bremen, a small but very colorful medieval Schnoor quarter has been preserved. Narrow streets, half-timbered houses, cobblestones and a sea of restaurants and souvenir shops. The classic tourist will not be disappointed.

58. I’m full of beauty of this kind, so I’ve only been here a couple of times when I gave excursions to my guests. I have cooled down to all these cozy medieval streets, this does not impress me anymore.

59. Even writing something about this quarter is too lazy. Maybe I’ll reveal this topic in more detail in a post dedicated to Bremen at night - I somehow walked around at night with a camera.

60. The last third of this post will be devoted to my favorite place in Bremen - its embankment, which here is called Schlachte.

61. This place is very popular with Bremen during the warm season. People pour out here in droves, take their places on numerous benches by the river and relax.

62. The Bremen embankment is thoroughly saturated with maritime romance - numerous boats are standing at the pier, seagulls are circling over the river and everything around reminds you that you are in a port city.

63. Almost every walk around the city included a route along the embankment - I was always charged with inspiration in this place.

64. Perhaps the only thing I will really miss in Leipzig is a similar embankment.

65. I love it when there is a lot of water in the city, surrounded on all sides by interesting public spaces. With this, everything is fine in Bremen - here, in addition to the river, there are several lakes, around which there are numerous parks, gardens and cozy residential areas.

66. On the embankment in warm weather it is always crowded. Someone is reading a book, someone is enjoying a bottle of beer after a day's work, the Arabs are puffing up their hookahs, and after dark it often smells of something sharper here. Bremen has the most liberal attitude towards soft drugs in Germany, in this it is somewhat reminiscent of Holland.

67.

68. A boat standing on an eternal pier, in which a restaurant is located, the main dishes of which are pancakes.

69. For all the time I never visited it. I wonder how authentic the boat is, and how much is a remake?

70. Evening.

71. The tallest skyscraper in Bremen, built in 2007-2010. The building has a height of 82 meters and 22 floors.

72. Due to the presence of a network of bike paths covering the entire city and flat terrain, the favorite means of transportation for Bremen is a bicycle. In the center, everything is parked with them, as in some kind of Holland.

73. Cyclists.

74. In terms of architectural beauties, the embankment from the side of the old city does not catch the stars from heaven. This is not the luxurious Dresden embankment. The architecture here is mostly typical post-war, dull.

75. The situation is saved only by a district built on a peninsula opposite the old city. Several old port facilities have been preserved here, which now house a museum of modern art, and in the 1990s a modern residential area was built on the rest of the island, stylized as a warehouse port. It all looks pretty nice.

76. Let's watch the rest of the promenade from the bridge.

77. Hot southern guys follow the beauty with their eyes.

78. A little higher is a street with numerous restaurants.

79. It's always noisy and festive here...

80. ... but I like the atmosphere down by the water better.

81. With the onset of darkness, the human flow increases.

82. And the embankment opens up in a new light. I love her like this even more than during the day.

83. My night walks here near the water with my favorite music in my headphones and an endless cycle of thoughts in my head, I will remember forever.

84. Perhaps these will be my most vivid memories from my three-month period of life in beautiful Bremen.

85. During this time I managed to really fall in love with this city. Bremen has become my second love after Dresden.

86. Yes, it is not as beautiful as Hamburg, not as noisy and multifaceted as Berlin, not as replete with luxurious architecture as the cities of eastern Germany. But in Bremen I felt that this was my city. I had feelings for the city.

87. After three years of imprisonment in the South German province, Bremen became a breath of fresh air in my life. Here again, after a three-year break, I felt like a city dweller and plunged into the urban environment that I loved so much.

88. In addition, I lived almost in the very center of the city. It was only 20 minutes of leisurely walking to the embankment, through the beautiful districts of Neustadt, built up with bright Bremen houses.

89. Before moving to Bremen, I read a dozen posts about this city and they were all carbon-copied, with the same shots of the town hall, the Bremen town musicians and the Schnor quarter. I hope that in this post I managed to show you the real Bremen in all its diversity.

90. Although the topic is far from exhausted, it's just that the post has dragged on for so long, so it's time to put a comma.

91. But on this we do not say goodbye to Bremen - I still have something to tell and show you about this city.