Sightseeing in Bremen
In Bremen, the port plays a much smaller role in tourism than in Hamburg. Also, Bremen combines an historic core with several modern, high-technology attractions slightly farther afield.
Bremen's Marktplatz
At the top of the list of attractions in Bremen is the city's Marktplatz, where you can search out the huge Rathaus (Town Hall), one of the loveliest civic buildings in Germany. It was constructed as a Gothic building in 1410, but received its Weser Renaissance façade during the 17th century... See more
- Places of Interest on the Marktplatz:
Ratskeller (Council Cellar)
Haus der Bürgerschaft
St Petri Dom (see below)
St Petri-Dom
The St Petri-Dom (St Peter’s Cathedral), located on the Marktplatz, was erected in the 11th century, but the exterior drastically altered in the 13th and 16th centuries. The tall spires were rebuilt in the late 19th century. Inside, the original Romanesque capitals and bronze baptismal font can be seen in the western crypt... See more
Unser Liebfrauen Kirche (Church of Our Dear Lady)
Unser Liebfrauen Kirche (Church of Our Dear Lady) is a 13th-century Gothic hall church, built on the site of an 11th-century parish church. The interior is rather bare but the crypt murals are 14th century... See more
Böttcherstraße
Böttcherstraße is a 110-m (330-foot) pedestrian street leading from the Marktplatz to the River Weser. It was transformed between 1923 and 1931 by Ludwig Roselius, inventor of decaffeinated coffee. He employed various architects – some working with local styles as inspiration, but Bernhard Hoetger used Expressionist ideas to create Art Nouveau and Art Deco masterpieces. The Nazis hated it and wanted to tear down the degenerate art. The street survived when Roselius somehow convinced the Nazis to preserve the street as warning to others of what not to build. The Meissen porcelain carillon chimes daily between January and April at noon, 3, and 6 pm, and the rest of the year hourly between noon and 6 pm. St Martini-kirche at the end of the street is a 1960 copy of the 1229 original that was destroyed during World War II.
Kunstsammlungen Böttcherstraße (Art Collections)
The Kunstsammlungen Böttcherstraße (Art Collections) comprises two museums. The Paula Modersohn- Becker Museum was the first museum dedicated to works of a single female artist. Her work helped paved the way for Expressionists in Germany. The Roselius Museum... See more
Schoon Viertel
The Schnoor Viertel consists mostly of 15th- and 16th-century gabled houses (above). It is the oldest surviving neighborhood in Bremen and a popular place for artists’ studios and galleries. It also has a huge number of cafés and restaurants.
Kunsthalle Bremen (Art Museum)
At the far end of the area is the Kunsthalle Bremen (Art Museum), Am Wall 207. The collection ranges from old masters to the present. Of particular note are the German and French Impressionists of the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum also has a large Kupferstichkabinett (Prints Room) with a quarter of a million mostly German and French drawings and lithographs from the late Middle Ages to the present... See more
Übersee Museum (Overseas Museum)
The Übersee Museum (Overseas Museum) is located close to the Hauptbahnhof. It is an ethnological museum with items from all over the world... See more
Focke-Museum
The Focke-Museum, Schwachhauser Heerstraße 240, is a local history museum with displays from pre-history to the present. It emphasizes themes that were important in the development of Bremen, especially seafaring, trade, and religion... See more
Beck's Brewery
Beck’s, Am Deich 18, one of Germany’s largest breweries and one of the few with an international presence, offers two-hour guided tours of its factory.