An Afternoon in Bremen

Situated in north-western Germany, the city of Bremen was once part of the medieval Hanseatic League, a powerful ‘club’ of important trading cities located along the Baltic and North Sea coastline. Even though its days of economic and political power are in the past, Bremen is still one of the most important cities in northern Germany and offers more than 1200 years of history and culture to its inhabitants and visitors.

In an attempt to escape the hustle and bustle of Hamburg, we decided to catch a train southwards and spend an afternoon in the cultural hub of Bremen.

Bremen had been on my list of places to see in Germany for quite some time, mostly because it was one of the few German cities that I had not visited and because I had heard from many people that it was well worth exploring!

Having left Hamburg at a little after midday, we arrived in Bremen’s main station (Hbf) roughly an hour later and we were pleased to be greeted by some sunshine on our arrival. The Old Town was a short walk, of about 10 mins, from the station, which we negotiated by following signs through the town’s outskirts in the direction of the Rathaus (Townhall). Our route took us past Wallanlagen Park, which marks the location of the old city’s ramparts and allowed us to catch a glimpse of one of the city’s five windmills – the so-called Windmill on the Wall.

Marching onward, we eventually reached the Rathaus am Markt and spent a few minutes admiring it’s lovely facade and gothic architecture, before spotting the entrance to the Ratskeller. Always worth a visit in any German town or city the Ratskeller, provides an ideal spot to quench one’s thirst, sample the local cuisine and provides an opportunity to investigate and view the architecture as well as glimpsing a little of the past.

Bremen did not disappoint! The cellar’s high, vaulted ceilings, the enormous wine barrels and the ornate booths, complete with doors for added privacy, was a feast for the eyes and provided us with the chance of a nice cool drink as well as shelter from the hot sunshine.

Once we had finished our drinks, we headed back out into the sunshine and set off to find the iconic bronze statue of Bremen depicting the characters from a tale by the Brothers Grimm (The Town Musicians of Bremen) one atop the other. We didn’t have to look far to find the popular statue or the crowds of visitors queuing to take photos. We couldn’t resist either and waited our turn.

Local folklore has it that by touching the front hooves of the donkey, your wishes will come true – it was therefore no surprise to see the polished metal, burnished by thousands upon thousands of hands, gleaming in the afternoon sunshine!

Just across the road stood the statue of Roland, which is said to symbolise the freedom of the city and by turning clockwise on the Hanseatic Cross near the statue, we were able to see St. Peter’s Cathedral, the State Parliament and the Schütting guildhall.

The collection of buildings around the square and those close by certainly painted a pretty picture and told a little of the story relating to the city’s history and its status as one of the great Hanseatic ports.

Leaving the market square behind us, we made our way along Lange Wieren and into the Schnoor, a delightful quarter of the city with its narrow streets, medieval buildings and unique atmosphere. Once populated by fishermen, artisans and traders the area is now home to a mix of exclusive shops, olde worlde pubs, restaurants and cafes. Plenty of material for the Travel Blogger!

With mental snapshots of, for example, the narrow alleyways around the Katzen-Café and the delightful buildings along Wüstestätte, well and truly captured, it was time to head down to the river, the Weser and from there along the waterfront to Böttcherstrasse.

Famous for its 1920s architecture, this street today contains several museums, arts-and- crafts workshops and the normal mix of bars and restaurants. This narrow street which links the Market square to the river is lined with red-brick houses, many of which have unique facades, and along its length there are whimsical fountains, statues and a carillon. At the northern end is the striking golden relief ‘The Lichtbringer’ which was originally intended as a tribute to Hitler but which today provides an impressive visual statement as one enters this fascinating thoroughfare.

Re-entering the Market Square we took in all of the surroundings once more, but from a different perspective, and then retraced our steps back through the town to the station. It was half-past-four when we got on the train for the return trip to Hamburg, pleased that we had chosen Bremen for a day out.

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