Bremen Attractions

At the heart of Bremen lies its charismatic Marktplatz, a lively square that is home to many of the city’s attractions. It’s here that the beautiful Gothic Town Hall is located, as well as a prominent statue of Germany’s most famous knight, Roland. Both were established during the Holy Roman Empire and stand as powerful representations of the city’s autonomy and sovereignty.

Bremen’s Old Town Hall has recently been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, having been constructed in 1410 and featuring an ornate Renaissance facade that was added in 1612. It’s renowned for its elegant banqueting hall that stretches to 40 meters in length and features a large, 16th-century painting of the Judgment of Solomon. Free concerts are held here on Thursday evenings.

Also of note is the Town Hall’s beautifully carved spiral staircase and a bronze cast of the Bremen Town Musicians - a donkey, dog, cat and a cock - that appear in an old folktale...

Located on the Marktplatz in the heart of Bremen, the Cathedral of St. Peter was first established in the 11th century and is largely medieval in its architectural style. Additions were made in the 13th and 16th centuries, followed by extensive restorations at the end of the 19th century and today it stands as one of the largest historic brick structures in Europe.

Admire the richly-decorated Baroque pulpit, which was a gift to the people of Bremen from Queen Christina of Sweden in the 17th century. The cathedral contains four altars, including a main altar in the choir and a central altar featuring a sculpture of Christ carrying his cross. In addition, there are five organs in different parts of the cathedral, continuing Bremen’s long-standing tradition of fine organ music.

The oldest room in Bremen is the western crypt, which was consecrated in 1068 and exhibits the early Romanesque state of the cathedral...

Explore the nature, culture and trade history of overseas regions at the Übersee-Museum Bremen, an ethnographic “Overseas Museum”. It boasts outstanding collections relating to the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania, as well as an exhibition exploring the effects of globalization.

The Übersee-Museum Bremen is located within a heritage-listed building adjacent to the Bremen Central Station, with its collection established as the “Municipal Collections of Natural History and Ethnography” back in 1875. Around 100 years ago the museum presented “The World Under One Roof” exhibition and continues to set the European standard for modern and engaging ethnographic presentations today.

Discover the people and places that make up North and South America through displays that explore politics, economics and culture in the 20th century. Learn about the waves of immigrants who have shaped America since the 15th century, with eight video portraits expressing their hopes for the future...

Set across 114 acres to the northeast of the city, the Rhododendron-Park Bremen is an extensive botanical garden that’s famed for its vibrant displays of rhododendrons and azaleas. It was established in 1905 by businessman Ernst Franz Schütte along the banks of the Weser River. Plants were organized in geographical zones from the Orient, Mexico and Caucasus and the gardens featured collections of medicinal herbs and poisonous plants. It was transferred to its current location in the mid-20th century.

Explore the landscaped Azalea Park where wild azaleas from North America and historic cultivars from the Czech Republic and Germany are displayed beneath old beech and oak trees. Wander through the dense Rhododendron forest to admire the more than 2,000 different varieties, then witness the new rhododendron varieties being cultivated by German breeders.

In addition to the park’s rhododendrons and azaleas, there’s an eight-acre botanical garden that features plants from the Americas, Asia, the Balkans and Australasia, together with more than 1,000 species native to northwest Germany, some of which are endangered...

Despite stretching only around 100 meters in length, Bremen’s narrow Böttcherstraße is one of the city’s most popular cultural landmarks. It’s renowned for its unusual expressionist architecture, with most of its buildings erected between 1922 and 1931 following the initiative of a Bremen-based coffee merchant, Ludwig Roselius. He was a strong believer in National Socialism and Völkisch-Nordic cultural ideas, which he sought to highlight in Böttcherstraße’s architecture.

The entrance to Böttcherstraße is identified by a prominent gold sculpture known as the Lichtbringer and the thoroughfare had linked the market square and the Weser River since the Middle Ages. It had traditionally been inhabited by coopers, known locally as Böttcher, but following the relocation of the harbor in the mid-19th century, the importance of the street gradually diminished.

After its revitalization by Roselius, Böttcherstrasse is now clustered with art museums, craft workshops, bars and restaurants...

One of the oldest parts of Bremen is the medieval district of Schnoor, which is clustered with historic houses that were once inhabited by merchants and fishermen. Today it’s renowned for its handicraft shops and cafes, making it a popular spot to stroll in the city and discover its rich and storied history.

In the Hanseatic city of Bremen, rich merchants tended to settle in the Obernstraße (Upper Street) while poorer merchants and fishermen settled in Schnoor. During the 10th century, thatched cottages were established on the island between the Weser and Balge rivers, with the district highly susceptible to flooding. An old wall and round tower dating to the 13th century are still visible today, together with the Gothic-style St. John’s Church, which was constructed on top of a Franciscan abbey established around the same period.

The historic district of Schnoor came under official heritage conservation in 1973 and has since emerged as one of Bremen’s most atmospheric destinations...

Located on the “Culture Mile” near the Old Town of Bremen, the Kunsthalle is a renowned art museum. It houses an extensive collection of European paintings dating back to the 14th century, together with sculptural works and a new media collection. The building in which it is located was constructed in 1849 and later enlarged by architect Eduard Gildemeister before being heritage listed in 1977.

The Kunsthalle Bremen is the only German museum housing such an extensive art collection to still be in private ownership, with the gallery managed by the non-profit Bremen Art Society. The majority of the collection is from Western Europe, with highlights including prominent pieces by Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh. Other artists represented include German Impressionist painter Max Liebermann and groundbreaking Expressionist artist Paula Modersohn-Becker...

Experience Bremen’s history brought to life at the award-winning Bremer Geschichtenhaus, a “living” museum in Schnoor where historical events are vividly conveyed by costumed actors. What’s particularly unique about this museum is that all of the actors are long-term unemployed, with the project designed to help them find stable work and a new self-confidence.

The Bremen Story House immerses you in historical settings from the mid-17th century right through to the 20th century, with the actors sharing their knowledge and skills in different areas. It’s situated within the St. Jakobus-Packhaus, one of the oldest surviving warehouses in Bremen. The warehouse was first mentioned in documents dating back to 1660, with redevelopments taking place throughout the 19th century and at the end of World War II before being heritage listed in 1973.

You’ll be welcomed by a city guard who once patrolled the streets and taverns of Bremen, breaking up fights and extinguishing fires when necessary...

Located a 50-minute train ride north of Bremen at Bremerhaven, the Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum or German Maritime Museum showcases the country’s rich seafaring history. It forms part of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Scientific Community and consists of a building designed by Hans Scharoun and a number of museum ships moored in the Old Harbour of Bremerhaven.

The German Maritime Museum is dedicated to exploring the pre-industrial shipping of Central Europe and the impact of industrialization on German commercial shipping, as well as how man has used the sea’s resources throughout the centuries. Highlights include a World War II Mark XXI submarine and the Seute Deern tall ship, as well as an old paddle steamer known as the Meißen.

For the 25th anniversary of the museum in 2000, the Bremen Kogge was presented to the public after a lengthy conservation project. This 14th-century Hanseatic merchant ship was found in the Weser River during dredging in 1962, with kogges only known through medieval documents and seals until then...

Situated near the University of Bremen, the Universum Science Center is one of the city’s newest attractions. It covers more than 4,000 square meters and is packed with interactive exhibits related to humans, technology and nature, offering an engaging and hands-on experience.

The Universum Science Center's architecturally impressive building is a work of art in itself, appearing like a partially-opened mussel or a whale (depending on your perspective). It was designed by local Bremen architect, Thomas Klumpp, and is constructed from more than 40,000 stainless steel scales.

Inside are more than 300 exhibits designed to help visitors experience and understand scientific phenomena with all their senses. Experience the kinetic machine of the Ball Roller Coaster and observe flashes in detail with the Lightning Machine, then create digital music using analog objects on the Composing Table...