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10 reasons to love Bremen
A stroke of luck
“The Bremen Town Musicians†based on a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm made the Hanseatic city famous. The story is about four unloved animals who leave their homes to seek their fortune in Bremen. Local legend has it that touching the donkey’s forelegs on the statue brings good luck. The bronze statue from 1953 on the market square shows the characters of the story: donkey, dog, cat and rooster.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
The guardian of the city
The Roland statue has stood on the market square in Bremen since 1404. It shows a real knight who was the paladin of the Roman-German Emperor Charlemagne. According to legend, Bremen remains free and independent as long as Roland guards the city. Together with the historic town hall, the Roland is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
The formula for success
The former Schütting guild house on the market square has served Bremen merchants and traders for almost 600 years. In 1899, the Low German inscription “buten un binnen wagen un winnen†– or “outside and inside, risk and win†– was placed on the building’s portal as a motto, which means that Bremen merchants are called upon to risk their assets inside. and abroad to make fortune.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
Under full sail
The Weser is Bremen’s connection to the sea. It leads around 60 kilometers downstream to Bremerhaven. On board their Hansekoggen, square sailboats, traders brought in raw materials from Northern Europe and also sold fabrics and iron goods. In the Middle Ages, 70 large cities, including Bremen, and more than 100 smaller cities formed the Hanseatic League.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
A key factor
In the 17th century, architects created countless figures and reliefs made of sandstone to decorate the facade of the town hall in the Weser Renaissance style. Here is the Bremen key, which was included as a symbol in the city coat of arms. When neighboring Hamburg claims to be the gateway to the world, the people of Bremen are happy to answer: That may be, but we still have the key to it.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
Finally women at the table
Every year 100 ship captains, 100 merchants and 100 guests gather in Bremen’s town hall for the traditional Schaffermahlzeit banquet. It was introduced as a fraternal dinner in 1545 to bring the city’s captains, shipowners and merchants together. On February 13, 2015, women were invited to the table at eye level for the first time, ending Germany’s oldest male domain.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
Everything safe at sea
Around 150 years ago, a shipwreck affected a teacher in Bremen so much that he founded the German Sea Rescue Service DGzRS. Thanks to generous donations, the lifesavers are on standby around the clock and can start a quick mission with their 60 lifeboats in the North and Baltic Seas whatever the weather.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
Weigh anchor!
The commercial port of Bremerhaven at the mouth of the Weser in the North Sea is one of the largest container ports in Europe. Around 50 million tons of freight are handled annually. Bremerhaven continues its tradition as a port for passenger ships and recently created the Columbus Cruise Center. This is also where the “Atlantic Hotel Sail City†is located, which resembles a huge sail in the skyline.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
On to new shores
The German Emigration Center in Bremerhaven breathes farewell and farewell stories. More than 7 million people boarded ships going to the New World here in the 19th and 20th centuries. Extensive databases help North and South Americans in particular to understand the history of their ancestors.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
Climate adventure
The Bremerhaven harbor district has a glittering highlight: the Klimahaus. The building in the form of a stylized ship is encased by more than 4,000 panes of glass. Visitors embark on a trip around the world on the 8th degree of longitude, past glaciers, through desert sand and tropical rainforests to Antarctica. The effects of climate change on nature and humans are obvious.
Author: Ille Simon
After Berlin and Hamburg, Bremen is the third largest and smallest city-state in Germany. This northern German state combines the cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven. More than 670,000 people live here. Bremerhaven on the North Sea is best known as a modern port for cruise ships. Bremen lies further inland and with its historic brick buildings has still retained its spirit as a Hanseatic city on the Weser.
Bremen, home to UNESCO World Heritage Sites
The Bremen town hall and the Roland statue on the market square have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2004. More than 600 years of Hanseatic history have produced not only distinctive architectural styles, but also countless legends. Check-in moderator Nicole Frölich looked around the Hanseatic city before the coronavirus crisis.
Schnoor, the old town quarter
Bremen’s oldest district, the Schnoorviertel, is full of narrow streets and listed buildings. Schnoor is Low German for cord, which means cord. In the past, ropes and cables for ships were manufactured in the quarter: Today, charming shops invite you to rummage.
Böttcherstrasse, an architectural jewel
The renowned brick ensemble on Bremer Böttcherstraße is an architectural gem. The buildings, built in the Expressionist style, were lamented by the National Socialists and largely destroyed by aerial bombs in 1944. Ten years later, the facades were largely restored to their original state.
What do Bremen, Hamburg and Lüneburg have in common? In the Middle Ages, the cities were part of the Hanseatic League of merchants and cities. This union was rich and powerful – that can still be felt in the cities today.
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Germany’s most beautiful Hanseatic cities
Bremen
Wealthy merchants from Bremen shipped their goods across the Weser to the North Sea and from there sent them all over the world. The market square particularly reflects the self-confidence of the medieval Bremen citizens. The richly decorated town hall (building on the left in the photo) and the Roland statue have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004.
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Germany’s most beautiful Hanseatic cities
Hamburg
From the 13th to the 15th century, the Hanseatic League dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe. In 1321 Hamburg joined the trade alliance. The port already existed then. Nowadays the Port of Hamburg is very popular with tourists. At the beginning of May alone, a million visitors celebrate the port anniversary.
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Germany’s most beautiful Hanseatic cities
Lübeck
Lübeck was the richest city in the Hanseatic League. Known as the “Queen of the Hanseatic League”, she ruled the union for many years. The old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. The Hanseatic League formed around 200 cities along the North and Baltic Sea coasts and inland. The European Hanseatic Museum in Lübeck documents the rise and fall of the trade association.
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Germany’s most beautiful Hanseatic cities
Rostock
At the time of the Hanseatic League, Rostock was one of the most important cargo handling points on the Baltic Sea, which earned it the name “Gateway to Scandinavia”. Every summer the city hosts a large maritime festival known as the Hanse Sail. Around 250 traditional sailors of all shapes and sizes come to Rostock’s city harbor, where visitors can board and view them.
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Germany’s most beautiful Hanseatic cities
Stralsund
Stralsund on the Baltic Sea shows what Hanseatic cities looked like in the 14th century at the height of the federal government. The basic design of the medieval town center has remained largely unchanged. The modern oceanographic museum “Ozeaneum” (white above) was built between the old port warehouses. Here visitors can immerse themselves in the underwater worlds of the North Sea, Baltic Sea and Arctic Ocean.
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Germany’s most beautiful Hanseatic cities
Wismar
Wismar’s calling card is the red brick architecture, a construction method that can only be found in northern Germany. In the characteristic brick Gothic style, large non-religious buildings such as warehouse buildings, but also powerful churches, were built. The old town of Wismar was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002.
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Germany’s most beautiful Hanseatic cities
Luneburg
The Hanseatic city of Lüneburg an der Ilmenau was the largest salt supplier in northern Germany in the Middle Ages. The salt was mined in Lüneburg and then shipped downstream; the Ilmenau flows into the Elbe, which flows into the North Sea after another 100 kilometers. The German Salt Museum in Lüneburg shows the history of salt production and its influence on the city.
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Germany’s most beautiful Hanseatic cities
Korbach
Korbach, in the center of today’s Germany, is neither on the coast nor on a river. Nevertheless, the city joined the Hanseatic League in the 15th century, thanks to its geographically and economically important location at the crossroads of several important trade routes. Today there are 25 cities in Germany that bear the “Hanseatic†label.
Author: Lina Elter
From Bremerhaven into the world
Excursion ships, cruise ships, container ships: the sea terminals in Bremerhaven are always busy. In the 19th century this was the gateway to the New World – the largest port for emigrants from Europe to America. On land you can easily spend a relaxing day with a walk, a stop and a visit to a museum.
Favorite dish with a fun factor: kale
What asparagus is to Germans in spring, kale is in winter. This cabbage is a real cult in Bremen. The cabbage ride is a popular ritual in which you go on hikes together and meet at the end of the tour to eat kale. Let us bring you a Bremen specialty with a recipe that you can cook yourself: kale and sausage.
Your trip to Germany
Are you looking for recommendations for your visit to Germany? We have them: Tips for Germany – state by state.
