Bremen

Federal Republic of Germany | Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Germany

English

Deutschland

Germany

Region:

Central Europe

Area:

357 022 km²

Ranked 63 out of 195

Population:

83 190 000

Ranked 18 out of 235

Urbanization:

78 %

Ranked 53 out of 194

Capital:

Berlin

Population: 4 473 000

Largest City:

Berlin

Population: 4 473 000

Major Cities:

Berlin
Hamburg
Cologne
Munich
Frankfurt

Economy & Development:

Human Development Index:

Very High

Ranked 6 out of 189

Inequality-Adjusted HDI:

Very High

Ranked 10 out of 189

GDP (PPP) Per Capita:

$53 919

Ranked 26 out of 225

Democracy & Freedom:

Democracy Index:

Full Democracy

Ranked 14 out of 167

Freedom House:

Free

94 points out of 100 possible

Press Freedom:

Satisfactory

Ranked 16 out of 180

Economic Freedom:

Most Free

Ranked 20 out of 162

National Identity:

Independence Since:

1871

Independence From:

German City-States

National Day:

3rd of October

What Is Celebrated On The National Day:

The unification between East and West Germany, which was formally in effect on the 3rd of October 1990. In Germany, the day is known as "Tag der Deutschen Einheit" (German Unity Day). The date was chosen as National Day ahead of the 9th of November, the day when the Berlin Wall was torn down, and which is a more symbolic day in the Unification process, because the 9th of November was also the date of the Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) in 1938.

Facts & Codes:

Driving Side:

Right

Time Zone:

UTC +1 (CET)

Summer Time: UTC +2 (CEST)

Country Calling Code:

+ 49

Country Code:

ISO 3166

German State | Deutsche Bundesland

Bremen

English / German

Region:

Northern Germany

Area:

419 km²

Ranked 16 out of 16

Population:

680 000

Ranked 16 out of 16

Population Share:

<1 %

Of National Population

Capital:

Bremen

Population: 566 000

Largest City:

Bremen

Population: 566 000

Major Cities:

Information:

GDP Per Capita::

$58 100

Higher than national average

Climate:

Oceanic Climate

Köppen: Cfb

Time Zone:

UTC +1 (CET)

Summer: UTC +2 (CEST)

Bremen Roland

Statue On Marktplatz

Schnoor

Old Quarter

Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten

Famous Statue

Flughafen Bremen

IATA Code:

BRE

ICAO Code:

EDDW

Passenger Volumes:

Distance:

4 km / 2 mi (S)

Located In:

Named After:

Information:

A regional airport serving only the Bremen area, and with only a few routes from nearby cities.

Transfer To/From:

Tram line number 6 will take you to the city center in eleven minutes with departures every six to ten minutes (except Sundays where there are fewer departures).

Flughafen Hamburg

IATA Code:

HAM

ICAO Code:

EDDH

Passenger Volumes:

Distance:

120 km / 74 mi (E)

Located In:

Fuhlsbüttel

Named After:

Former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt

Information:

Hamburg Airport is the fifth-largest airport in Germany and serves, apart from Hamburg proper, also most of the North-Western part of the country such as Bremen and Schleswig-Holstein. Most of the destinations are within Europe, with only a handful of intercontinental routes.

Transfer To/From:

It's very convinient to travel to/from this airport. The S1 S-Bahn line has a station underneath the terminal building. Departures are every ten minutes and it takes less than 30 minutes to the city center. When I visited in the summer of 2022 there were some construction work along this route so I had to change line at Barmbek. Even with this change it was one of the better airport connections I've encountered.

Underground Metro

Tram / Light Rail

Elevated Rapid Transit

Walkability

Public Transportation:

You will likely not need any public transportation as a tourist in Bremen. If you arrive by car you should choose a hotel close enough to the Old Town that you can walk, in which case you will have everything within walking distance, or you will arrive by train, in which case Bremen Central Station is within walking distance of everything you need. If you however do want to use public transport there's a network of trams at your disposal in the city and there's an extensive network of commuter rail which connects the city to many towns in the region, such as Bremerhaven.

Walkability:

Bremen is an excellent city for walkability. The city center is quite small and easy to navigate. All the sights are within walking distance if you're at the central Marktplatz in Old Town. Even the sights that are slightly further away such as Bürgerpark and Viertel can be reached easily with a short walk.

Currency:

Euro

Code:

EUR

Subunit:

Cent

Symbol:

€

Cash Or Credit:

Cash is King in Germany! It always amazes me that a country that is so technologically advanced in just about everything else is still using mostly cash and doesn't even offer cards as an option in many stores. It was however much better when I visited in 2021 than during my previous trips in 2017 and 2019. In just those two years it changed a lot, and it was now at least possible to pay by card in most medium-sized stores. There were however still places where I was not able to use my card, so you still need to bring paper cash.

Even in 2022, I faced some issues, but by now card payment is available at most places. Bring cash, but you don't have to bring as much as before. And in most cases, you could just go somewhere else instead of using cash. Most tourist attractions are now accepting card payments, something that was not the norm just five years ago.

Good To Know:

Local Language:

German

Language Family:

Germanic (Indo-European)

Writing System:

Latin Alphabet

What About English?

Germans previously had a reputation for not being so good at English. Today, this is completely false and nothing could be further from the truth. Germany has by far the highest proficiency in English of the major non-native-speaking countries in Europe. Only the much smaller Scandinavian and Benelux countries are better. If English is your only language, you won't have to worry about language in Germany. There is a slight generational difference though. The older generation might not always be able to help you out, but young people almost always speak more or less perfect English.

Obernstraße

Pedestrianized

Partly

Built

District

Altstadt

It's not the prettiest street in the city, most of the architecture along it is modern. But Obernstraße is the main shopping street going through central Bremen, and it does also pass through Old Town and the Marktplatz. The street will continue North as Faulenstraße, and also South as Ostertorsteinweg through the area of Viertel. There's no need to continue it North, but you should follow it South into Viertel.

Altmarkt, and especially the area around Marktplatz is where you'll spend most of the time as a tourist and it's where most sights are located. Central Bremen is rather small and it's easy to walk from one end to the other of the central area. Try to stay somewhere along the Northern shore of Weser as close to Altstadt or Bremen Central Station as possible.

Bremen is a very safe city and you won't have to worry while exploring the city center. The area around the Central Station is sketchy and should probably be avoided late at night. During the day you can walk around that area and while it might be sketchy, which is pretty much the norm in Europe around Central Stations, there's a lot of people around during the daylight hours so there's no need to worry.

Note: My assumption is of the basis that you will always take normal precautions when you're out traveling, just as you would do at home. Even the safest cities have bad elements and no matter how safe you might feel you must always take basic precautions. I'm always aware of my surroundings when I walk around, both with and without the camera. I am however a very typical tourist and it shows so I am a person that will undoubtedly draw the attention of those who targets tourists. If you can you should of course always try to blend in as much as possible, but with my big camera around my neck, it's impossible. That's two things that are good to know when reading my assessment of how it felt from a safety point of view.

A mural on Hollerstraße near Ostertorsteinweg in Viertel.

The best area for street photography in Bremen is by far the Viertel area. It's located East of the Old Town. Just follow Am Wall until it becomes Ostertorsteinweg and then walk for as long as you want. Along the way, you will find street life and many very interesting murals. I strongly recommend a walk through the neighborhood if you're into street photography. The Old Town isn't a good place for that as I felt that street life lacked a bit. There are however some beautiful buildings and architecture to look at there. The interesting area is quite small though and only consists of a few blocks around the Marktplatz. You will quickly get into newly constructed areas in Modern architecture where there are neither beautiful buildings nor street life to photograph.

- Germany Is Closed On Sundays

It is good to know that almost all of Germany closes down on Sundays. Stores are not allowed to be open on Sundays! They are allowed to be open on four Sundays during the year, and most of them will choose to keep open during the Christmas season. Restaurants are allowed to be open, and so do tourist attractions and certain stores that cater specifically to tourists (such as souvenir shops). Those are more or less the only exceptions. Not even Supermarkets are open, so plan your purchases well and make sure to buy everything you need on Saturday already if you plan on staying over a Sunday.

Nordsee

Origin:

Founded:

Type of Food:

1896

Did I Try:

Yes

My Score:

4 / 5

About:

A German chain that serves seafood. The company was founded in 1896 in Bremerhaven to supply seafood from the North Sea to the residents of Bremen. The literal translation of the name is "North Sea". In the 1960s the current chain was developed when they, in addition to the original fresh seafood menu, also added a more fast-food-like menu with fried products.

Comment:

They have two menus. One menu consists of more a restaurant type of seafood that is served on plates, and which is arguable of higher quality. The other menu, which is the one I like better, consists of typical fast-food items such as fried shrimp or fish served with fries in paper boxes. I can highly recommend visiting this chain if you're looking for a quick meal.

Bremen is a very typical Northern German city. As with most German cities, the Old Town was destroyed in the 1940s and what we see today is a reconstruction. The Old Town of Bremen is rather small, compared to for example Lübeck. Both Bremen and Lübeck are located in Northern Germany and in both cities the Old Town is located on an island. But the Old Town of Lübeck is much larger than that of Bremen. In Bremen, the Old Town only consists of a few quarters on one side of the island, and the rest of the city center is built in more modern architecture. However, the area that is a proper Old Town includes some very beautiful buildings and many sights. Quality before Quantity, I guess. Because the quality of the main buildings of Bremen Old Town is of the highest standard.

Do I Recommend You To Visit?

If you're nearby or if you're looking for a trip to Northern or Western Germany, then definitely. I can't say that I would recommend anyone to go out of their way to visit Bremen, but for a city of its size, I have to say that there were quite a lot of sights to see.

Will I Come Back Again?

No, most likely not. I feel that I did everything that Bremen has to offer and I don't expect to be back anytime soon. However, due to the location of the city, I can't rule it out. Bremen is located along the way for a road trip from my home in Sweden down to Western Germany, Benelux, or France.

Weather During My Stay:

It was mostly sunny, or partly sunny/cloudy with a passing shower occasionally. Generally very typical summer weather for Northern Europe.

Best:

Not As Good: