An ancient merchant city and formerly part of the Hanseatic League, Bremen in the north western part of Germany is a wonderful city to spend a few days in, and if nothing, a great option for a day trip from either Hamburg or Hannover, which are both about an hour away by train.

Despite my short time here, I ended up really falling for Bremen.

Read: A Travel Guide to Leipzig— The Best Day Trip from Berlin

Read: What to Do in Erfurt— A Fairytale Charm of a City

It’s charming, compact, and has plenty to keep you busy for a day or more.

In the winter, it even plays host to fantastic Christmas markets (of course, if restrictions allow).

Is Bremen worth visiting?

Absolutely.

Bremen Market Square

Known as one of the most beautiful market squares in Europe, I’d definitely be inclined to agree, especially with the imposing and grandiose architecture all around.

The architecture actually brought to mind Belgian cities, and it was cool seeing something a bit different after bursting through many German cities on my trip.

Unmissable is the Bremen Town Hall, one of the most intricate town halls I’ve ever seen.

There’s also the famous Town Musicans of Bremen (Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten) statue, a bronze statue of the donkey, dog, cat and rooster featured in the Brothers Grimm fairytale.

WHERE | AM MARKT 2, 28195 BREMEN

St. Petri Dom

The St. Peter’s Cathedral was built in the 11th century, and features two Gothic towers.

You can enter the church for free and marvel at the architecture inside, or take in just how awe-inspiring it is in size on the outside.

WHERE | SANDSTRAßE 10-12, 28195 BREMEN

Böttscherstraße

From the market square, walk down the street of Böttscherstraße, which is a stunning street lined with beautiful boutiques.

Built in the 1920s, it derives it’s name from the coopers (böttscher) who lived and worked on this street. The 110-metre lane is now home to museums, restaurants, a hotel, and many arts and craft shops where you can pick up souvenirs.

It’s also home to the Glockenspiel House, where the porcelain bells chime thrice a day.

WHERE | BÖTTSCHERSTRAßE, 28195 BREMEN

Schnoor

This used to be one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the city, and home to the city’s fishing community.

These cramped streets (some barely wide enough that if you stretch out both hands, you touch the walls), have now become a truly, truly beautiful part of town.

The picture perfect cobblestone streets, local boutiques and many cafes and restaurants add to the charm of this neighbourhood.

Some of these buildings are centuries old, and the quaint atmosphere will transport you right back in time.

WHERE | SCHNOOR, 28195 BREMEN

Wallanlagen Park

A beautiful park which lines the outside of the old city, it is particularly famous for the windmill, which brings to mind images of The Netherlands.

In the summer, you can witness flower fields just in front of the windmill in full bloom, as they awash the field with vibrant colours.

This mill is actually home to a restaurant and bistro by the name of Kaffeemüle (Mühle Am Wall).

WHERE | AM WALL 212, 28195 BREMEN

Schlachte

The Schlachte is a riverfront promenade home to many restaurants and bars, and definitely comes to life in the summer where many locals enjoy a beer along the waterfront.

In the winter, the Schlachte is host to a medieval Christmas market!

WHERE | WESERPROMENADE SCHLACHTE, 28195 BREMEN

Universum Bremen

I was surprised to see Universum Bremen make the lists of many must see guides of the city, mostly because art galleries and history museums tend to make the cut over science museums in most city guides.

I decided to make the trip out anyway, as it was said to be a fantastic and interactive experience.

At €16 per ticket for an adult, you get admission to an admittedly huge museum covering technology, nature, biology, and a special exhibition on space travel. I found the latter to be the most interesting, though the other parts were enjoyable too. The interactive elements were definitely appreciated, but I do see this more as an activity for families, and certainly spotted many with young children in tow during my visit.

I loved how the museum looked like a spaceship that landed in the middle of town.

WHERE | WIENER STRAßE 1A, 28359 BREMEN

Viertel

Known as Bremen’s hipster district, Viertel is the gateway to the east of Bremen.

With a former shady past, it’s now home to some of the best cafes and restaurants in the city.

Try Harbour Coffee or Coffee Corner, and after you’ve had your coffee break, take some time to explore the surrounding streets which are also home to some of the cutest local boutiques and stores.

WHERE | OSTERTORSTEINWEG 1, 28203 BREMEN

What to Eat in Bremen

In Viertel, there’s Bellini, an authentic Italian restaurant that is both homely and cosy.

It gets very popular so don’t be surprised to see it completely packed out.

Also in the same area is KALINKA, a Russian bistro known to be authentic and homely.

And then there’s the aforementioned coffeehouses mentioned above.

In the city centre, there’s Markthalle Acht, or Market Hall Eight. Berlin has a Markthalle Neun, coincidence?

Lovers of food halls (of which I am one) will love the vibe of this market hall.

If you’re close to the Schnoor neighbourhood, worth checking out is Fisherman’s Seafood.

I’ll be honest, I completely stumbled on this restaurant by accident.

I was heading into the building Fisherman’s is located in for warmth, and saw that this place looked really good. Much to my delight, I found out they were highly rated, and given that Bremen is not far from the North Sea, I decided to have a hearty lunch here.

TIPS

You’ll be doing a lot of walking in Bremen.

It’s one of those cities filled with charismatic neighbourhoods in all their cobblestoned, old world charm, thus to fully explore and appreciate Bremen, you’ll have to walk a lot.

I mentioned at the start that Bremen is compact, and indeed it is as most attractions are close to each other, but as there are so many side streets and alleys to explore, you’ll end up spending a lot of that time on foot.

If there’s one thing I would forego on this list if you’re pressed for time, it would be Universum Bremen as I’m not a big science museum type of person. Not to mention that Universum is actually located a bit further out of the city centre, and will thus require a tram or bus ride out.

Despite walking a lot, I still made plenty use of the trams in the city, and to hop from neighbourhood to neighbourhood.

Like many other German cities, you can get an all-day ticket for the ease of convenience— just make sure to validate your ticket before riding.