Things To Do in Bremen
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Bremen Attractions
Country folk who once came into the city to sell their goods at the central Marktplatz are honored with the Schweinehirt und seine Herde (Pig Herder Statue), by local sculptor Peter Lehmann (1921–1995). It’s at the foot of Sögestrasse (Sow’s Street), called that because herders drove their pigs along the lane to the Herdentor, a gate in the city walls, and into the countryside to graze. Look carefully and you’ll see a commentary on human nature in the grouping: One shy pig stands close to the herder, one loner remains aloof, two enamored pigs are an inseparable couple, and three gregarious pigs frolic in a group. When arranging a meeting place in Bremen, it’s common to “make an appointment with the pigs.”
Many of Bremen’s great landmarks crowd the Marktplatz and the lanes that lead off it. The imposing medieval statue of legendary hero Roland commands attention, standing 5.5 meters (18 feet) tall. Even so, he’s a benign presence, with the words “I show you freedom” emblazoned on his shield. During the French occupation, Napoleon was so impressed with the statue that he wanted to have it carted off to the Louvre in Paris. Roland stands in front of two great symbols of Bremen’s onetime trading might, the Rathaus, with its remarkable façade of gables and statues, and the Schötting, the guild house for city merchants. The Schötting’s fanciful spires and tall, ornamented windows attest to the wealth that Bremen once possessed as a powerful member of the Hanseatic League. The guild’s anthem is proudly displayed on the facade, “Outside and in, risk it and win.” That is, you’ve got to take some chances to make a fortune.
Before following this advice, walk across the square to the bronze statue of the Bremen Town Musicians and place your hands on the donkey’s knees—it’s said to bring good luck. As the Grimms told it, this beloved quartet of old, unwanted farm animals had reached the end of their useful days but made their way toward Bremen, famous city of freedom, to earn their keep as musicians. The statue is by Gerhard Marcks (1889–1981), a proponent of the Bauhaus movement who the Nazis decreed as degenerate.
Another Marktplatz landmark is beneath your feet: What looks like a manhole cover next to the 1960s-era Haus der Bürgerschaft (State Parliament) conceals the Bremer Loch (The Hole of Bremen). Throw a coin down one of the slots and a Bremen Town musician will bray, bark, meow, or crow in response. The money goes to charity.
Beyond the Altstadt
Bremen gets especially picturesque in the Schnoor quarter, alongside the River Weser at the southeastern edge of the Altstadt. The name comes from “string,” Schnur, for the rope and cable that neighborhood craftsmen once made in workshops along the narrow alleys. The name could also easily be a reference to the lanes that wind and twist like a piece of string; some are so narrow that it’s necessary to walk sideways to pass through them. Neighborhood houses that are usually no more than 55 sq. m (600 square feet) once provided cramped quarters for some of Bremen’s poorest residents; they’re now the quaint settings for shops and restaurants. To get to the Schnoor, from the southeastern end of the Marktplatz, follow Balgebrückestrasse. (This street covers what was once The Balge, a tributary of the Weser River that was Bremen’s medieval harbor.)
East of the Altstadt, Am Wall crosses the old ramparts, now the Wallanlagen park. This leafy boulevard is also known as the Kulturmeile, or Culture Mile, because lining the broad pavement are such institutions as the Kunsthalle and the neoclassical Theater am Goetheplatz. Am Wall emerges into the Viertel, a slightly Bohemian quarter beloved for its relaxed nightlife and terraced 19th-century houses. Bremen claims these rows of two- and three-story residences with high ceilings are typically Hanseatic, though they might remind you of Chelsea or another London neighborhood. The sensation is reinforced with a walk back toward the Altstadt along the riverside Osterdeich, with more than a whiff of the Chelsea Embankment.
The German Emigration Center in Bremerhaven
In 2005, the first emigration museum opened in Europe, appropriately sited at Bremerhaven, where seven million people departed to the New World between 1830 and 1974. These various periods of mass exodus were not just to the United States but to Canada as well as South America and Australia. The Deutsches Auswandererhaus (German Emigration Center) lies at Columbusstrasse 65 (tel. 0471/902200; www.dah-bremerhaven.de). Since its opening, many emigrants, or their descendants, have visited the research facility in search of their roots. One of the most moving exhibits is of mannequins depicting emigrants as they gathered to board the ship that will carry them into "the unknown." Motives for emigration included poverty, adventure, ambition, family quarrels, and, later, escape from the Nazis. Old photos reveal how the people lived in a self-contained village awaiting passage across the seas. Perhaps the most evocative of the exhibits are the old and battered suitcases in which the emigrants stuffed the few items they were taking from the old world to the new.
- Neighborhood
Böttcherstrasse
Bremen’s most atmospheric street, the lane of the coopers, or barrel makers, runs between the Marktplatz and the banks of the Weser River and looks like something out of a Nordic fantasy. That’s exactly the point. In the 1920s, coffee merchant Ludwig Roselius had the medieval lane… - Religious Site
Dom St. Petri
Local tradition dictates that no building in Bremen can rise higher than the city’s august cathedral. The city has turned a blind eye to this rule in a few cases, but in one form or another, the church has been a commanding presence on high ground in the Altstadt since 782, when a… - Museum
Kunsthalle Bremen
Bremen’s art gallery opened in 1849 and has been expanded many times since. The museum is especially well known for its collection of Impressionist paintings, including several by Max Leibermann (1847–1935). The son of a wealthy banking family, Leibermann used much of his fortune to… - Museum
Kunstsammlungen Böttcherstrasse
Two adjoining houses belonged to the two creators of Böttcherstrasse. The older house, a patrician’s townhouse dating to 1588, was owned by Ludwig Roselius, who financed the construction of the street in the 1920s; he filled the house with Northern European art and furnishings from… - Landmark
Rathaus
Bremen’s 560-year-old Rathaus was built and rebuilt in the early 17th century to suggest might and civic power. The glorious structure on one side of the Marktplatz achieves this effect not with towers and battlements but with glass—a graceful sweep of tall Renaissance windows…
Bremen Shopping
Bremen has thrived on business and commerce since it was founded. Today, you'll find lots of shopping options along two streets, Obernstrasse and Sögestrasse, as well as dozens of boutique-inspired gift shops in the Schnoor. The city's cutest stuffed teddy bears, available in all sizes and degrees of fuzziness, are sold at Bärenhaus, Stavendamm 9 (tel. 0421/3378419; tram: 4, 5, or 6), for prices that begin at 14€ for your garden-variety bear and can go much, much higher.
The best shop for women's fashions is Roland Kleidung, Sögestrasse 18-20 (tel. 0421/4788570; tram: 4, 5, or 6), although the town's largest department store, Karstadt, Obernstrasse 1 (tel. 0421/30710; www.karstadt.de; tram: 4, 5, or 6), also stocks an impressive selection of less expensive garments. Antiques, including some brass fixtures salvaged from old ships, are sold at Antikitäten B&M, Fedelhörn 19 (tel. 0421/328282; tram: 10).
Leder-Koopman, Postbrookstrasse 58 (tel. 0471/302829; tram: 4, 5, or 6), has been making quality wallets, belts, bags, and other leather products for 100 years. Visit their shop to admire a level of craftsmanship that has become a rare commodity, and chances are you won't leave empty-handed. Bargain hunters swarm over the city's riverfront flea markets. The Weserflohmarkt is held at the Schlactel and Weser promenade every Saturday 10am to 4pm.
Bremen Nightlife
Bremen nightlife offers a full range of activities. Many pubs and clubs, including those geared toward the gay community, are located in the Ostertorsteinweg district (tram: 10).
The Performing Arts
Classical concerts, opera, and dance performances by visiting companies are held in the Theater am Goetheplatz complex, Am Goetheplatz 1-3 (tel. 0421/36530; www.theater-bremen.de; tram: 2 or 3). Call for a list of scheduled performers, ticket prices, and available seating. One of its stages, Schauspielhaus (tel. 0421/36530), houses a theatrical company that occasionally performs in English. Tickets are 15€ to 30€ during the September-to-June season. Opera and other musical performances are scheduled in the Musiktheater, Am Goetheplatz (tel. 0421/36530; tram: 2 or 3), where tickets are 12€ to 35€. Experimental theater and modern dance can be found in the Concordia, Schwachhauser Heerstrasse 3 (tel. 0421/9868966; www.concordia-bremen.de; tram: 1 or 4; bus: 25), where a seat costs 14€ to 25€. To attend productions of the Bremen Shakespeare Company, head for the Theater am Leibnitzplatz, Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse at Leibnitzplatz (tel. 0421/500333; www.shakespeare-company.com; tram: 6), where tickets are 11€ to 20€.
Bars
An early evening bar, Achim's Beck Haus, Carl-Ronning-Strasse 1 (tel. 0421/15555; www.beckshaus.de; tram: 4, 5, or 6), is a gathering place for drinks and simple pub fare. It's open Monday to Thursday 10am to 11pm, Friday and Saturday 10am to 12:30am.
Casino
Bremen's centrally located casino, Casino Bremen, Boettcher Strasse 3 (tel. 0421/329000; www.westspiel.de; tram: 4, 6, or 8), contains roulette and blackjack tables. Admission is 2.50€, and a passport is required (you must be 18 years old to enter and gamble), as are jackets and ties for men. The casino is open daily 3pm to 3am.
Dance Clubs
One of Bremen's clubs-of-the-minute is Stubu Club, Rembertiring 21 (tel. 0421/326398; www.stubu.de). Open only Thursday to Saturday from 9:30pm to 3am, it offers high-energy dance music on its street level and a somewhat calmer, more contemplative ambience upstairs. Expect doses of house, punk rock, and garage music, and clients ranging in age from 23 to 50. The cover charge runs from 5€ to 10€. In winter, Modernes, Neustadtswall 28 (tel. 0421/505553; www.modernes.de; tram: 1, 4, 5, 6, or 8), is a movie house during the week, with dancing and live music on the weekend. The rest of the year, bands usually play from 7 to 11pm; afterward, it's a dance club. The cover charge is 10€ when there's just dancing; when there's live music, it's 15€ to 26€. Twice monthly, there's a free show.
Gay Clubs
Much of the gay nightlife in and around Bremen is diverted into the clubs of nearby Hamburg, but there are still a few good spots. A gay and lesbian bar of note (though it mostly caters to men) is Rat und Tat, Theodor-Körner-Strasse 1 (tel. 0421/700007; www.ratundtat-bremen.de; tram: 10).
Live Music
For music in a bar setting, check out the band lineup at Aladdin's, Hannoverschestrasse 11 (tel. 0421/435150; www.aladin-bremen.de; bus: 40), which also houses a two-room dance club and a bar with rock-'n'-roll memorabilia. It's open Wednesday to Saturday 10pm to 7am; cover is 9€ to 15€. Moments, Vordem Stein Tor 64 (tel. 0421/7926633; www.club-moments.de; tram: 2, 3, or 10), hosts live rhythm and blues as well as jazz for a crowd of loyal regulars. Cover is 5€ to 8.50€. The place functions as a dance club on some nights; cover is then 7.50€. Moments is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8pm until dawn.
Variety
Popular with children and adults, the ambitious puppet theater Theatrium, Wüste Stätte 11 (tel. 0421/326813; www.theatrium-puppentheater.de; tram: 2 or 3), produces entertaining interpretations of books, plays, and movies, ranging from classical works to Woody Allen. Tickets cost 7.50€ for adults, 5€ for children. In the same building, Theater im Schnoor (tel. 0421/326054; www.packhaustheater.de) presents cabaret and underground theater productions. Tickets are 16€ to 22€.
