Bremen is a quaint German city popular with tourists to appreciate classic German architecture. It features exquisitely designed government and church buildings, a statue of stacked farm animals and the borough of Schnoor. I visited the city on a drive from Hamburg to Düsseldorf to explore for a few hours and have some lunch.
The main central plaza has two large town halls and churches with a path leading of to some restaurants. There are detailed signs pointing to tourist spots in the area. While exploring we came across an alley with its entrance decorated with a golden relief of a swimming man holding a sword. Under that relief is a sign describing the attractions in that alley known as Böttcherstraße which is lined with historic buildings with brick tiled murals on the walls. Right at the entrance were various shops underneath long awnings, selling souvenirs and nearby there is a tourist information centre where we procured a map.
One of the buildings I was excited to see in Böttcherstraße is the Atlantis House a symbol of national mythology depicting the “Wheel of the Year” and the shape of the sunken city. Back up the alley is the Glockenspiel (clock tower) of the area featuring the images of various aviators and seafarers. We were able to catch one of the times it chimed and admire the mechanism as some of the explorers come by on our way back out to the main square. We took some time to explore the church and appreciate the detailed statues and emblems on the outside of the buildings.
After exploring the alley ways and buildings, we decided to set out to find the symbol of the city, the Town Musicians of Bremen. The statue is unique and quite a sight but a little hidden away at the back of a church. It features a stack of four animals with spindly legs and comes from a local fairy tale of the same name written by the Brothers Grimm. We also visited the Bremen Cathedral and checked out it lovely vaulted roof and a crypt below the church with a large cauldron in the room’s centre.
From there we set off looking for Schnoor, a quaint part of the town with well-preserved architecture there are metallic nail markers that are supposed to lead to it but we got a bit lost as there was a construction site along the way. Eventually we reached the winding alleys walled with colourful houses, that was Schnoor. While it is quaint and worth a visit, as described, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it wasn’t a bit overhyped.
For lunch, the restaurants in the main square are wonderful and I would recommend trying some apple strudel, an Austrian delicacy, which is served wonderfully in the area. We tried some at one of these restaurants and enjoyed so much we promptly went back for seconds, that same sport also serves a great Currywurst and Pommes (Chips).
In my opinion Bremen is 100% a wonderful spot for a one-day stopover to see the main sights in the city and enjoy a meal in the old square. A stopover on a longer drive to stretch your legs or a one-night break during a trip across the country.