Bremen (State)

Wander through the market square, the heart of Bremen and one of the prettiest squares in Germany. Marvel at the UNESCO World Heritage listed town hall and the stone statue of Roland. Study the sculpture of the Bremen Town Musicians, made famous in a Brothers Grimm fairytale. Discover Böttcherstraße, a pedestrian alleyway bursting with tradition where the böttcher (coopers) used to make their barrels. Leading from the market square down to the Weser river, the most famous street in Bremen is an attraction in itself with historical red-brick buildings interspersed with modern Expressionist architecture. Take in the picturesque Schnoor quarter, the oldest part of Bremen. Wander through its rambling lanes, where fishermen, artisans and sailors once lived. Explore the cafés, top-notch restaurants and handicraft stores that now line the streets.

Discover the dark streets of Bremen accompanied by a night guard carrying a lantern, horn and axe. But be careful to stay with your group since no one knows what might happen. Learn more about the city's exciting past on a walking tour. Find out more about historical misconducts and the long-gone times of Bremen, an old Hanseatic city. Listen to stories unknown to the ordinary citizen, as only the night guard checked the proper closing of doors and gates. Travel back in time and visit the Bremen Market Square and the Böttcherstraße up to the Schnoor while listening to the tales told by the night guard.

Join this tour through the underground of Bremen and enter premises accessed only ever by a few. Dare to look beneath the surface of Bremen. You have the choice of 2 different tours to explore the city's underworld. Unterwelten 1: Your journey into the underworld of the Hanseatic city begins at the elephant statue. Descend into the crypt and learn interesting facts about its history and present-day use. Next, make your way to the huge ground-level air-raid shelter at the central station. It was built in the 1940s and later on, at the height of the Cold War, changed into an ABC-Bunker. Cross the Bremen ramparts on the way to the Church of Our Lady, where at least 8 bunkers are located. Thanks to historical photos, you will see how these bunkers looked alike. In the Church of Our Lady, visit the crypt used as a tomb in the Middle Ages. Unterwelten 2: Your journey begins at Bremen's first und only underground street. This was used for the underground supply of the surrounding shops and was unknown to the Bremen police for a long time. At the Central Station, thanks to historical photos, you will see what was once under the green court of the Overseas Museum and why the Central Station was not destroyed during the Second World War. Next, make your way to Bremen's freight yard. At the depot, you'll find the former banana ripening halls of the fruit yard, where before WWI, inhabitants of Bremen could satisfy their cravings for exotic fruits. Your tour ends at the huge ABC Hochbunker on Admiralstraße. Descend into the Hochbunker and discover the history of WWII air-raid shelters and the development of the bunker during the 20th century.

Learn about the art of brewing beer at the famous Beck's and Haake-Beck visitors center in Bremen on a 3-hour guided tour in German and English. Start with a visit to the brewery museum to discover the history of this famous brewery and its well-known brands. On weekdays, visit the raw material rooms and brew house. Continue to the malt silos and fermentation and storage tanks to see the process of beer production up close. Watch 2 different 10-minute films about beer making in the brewery's own cinema. You will then be invited to test 3 of the beers in the guest room. Soft drinks are available if you prefer. Due to ongoing brewery operations, there may be changes at short notice during the tour.

Step inside Universum Bremen and become a scientist and explorer for the day. Check out the numerous different exhibits that will help you to learn more about the human body, nature, and technology. There's also a special exhibition and outdoor area for you to explore. In the technology area, find out more about the workings of everyday objects such as toasters, electric toothbrushes, and mobile phones. Learn about the gearing mechanisms, electric motors, and the effect of signal transmission through the interactive exhibits. The human area will show you a new side of yourself and require you to use all of your senses. Test your communicative abilities and perception as you learn things about yourself and your body from a new perspective. Discover the natural world in the next section. Explore fascinating natural phenomena and learn more about why the world exists as it does. Why is grass green? Why are mountains pointed? What do polar lights and fireflies have in common? Find out the answers to these questions and more.

The German Emigration Center is Europe’s largest and most modern museum on the topic of migration. You can follow the paths of 7 million Europeans who left their homeland via the port of Bremerhaven, in search of a better life in the New World. You can even begin a search for your own ancestors using the museum's state-of-the-art research facilities. Your electronic boarding pass allows you to embark on a journey of 300 years of immigration and emigration history. Each iCard contains the story of an individual who emigrated to the New World. The iCard also activates many audio stations and interactive displays. Equipped with the iCard, you will embark on an unforgettable journey through time and experience the stories of the emigrants firsthand. At the quay, you will meet emigrants from various European countries. Learn about how they experienced an emotional moment of farewell and departure to an unknown country. Together with them you will then board a ship, getting a glimpse of life aboard three eras of passenger shipping, for example, onboard the ocean liner Columbus in 1929. Having arrived at the immigration station on Ellis Island, you now have to undergo an immigration test at the legal desk. With the entry permit in hand, you will continue your journey to Grand Central in New York. Here, you will learn more about the life of the emigrants in the New World. Dive deeper into the history and factors of migration as you experience the various exhibition halls. Once you have completed the journey and learned all about the emigration process, you can embark on a personal search for emigrated ancestors in the Family Research room. This service is free of charge, and a trained assistant will be there to help guide you through your own family's emigration history.

Visit the highlight of Bremen's Marktplatz, the Bremen Town Hall. Enjoy an included entry ticket and guided tour of a building that has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2004. After entering the town hall, explore the Bremen Town Hall's 600-year history on a guided tour. Admire the impressive Upper Town Hall and the Roland Statue, and take a look inside the splendid Golden Chamber.

Get to know Bremerhaven on a bus ride through the town and harbor with a live tour guide onboard. Pass by landmarks including markets and museums, and see the bustle of the ports and shipyards up close. Set off from the Schaufenster Fischereihafen (Shop Window Fishery Harbor), a scenic maritime and cultural spot. Head through the city, passing by museums like the German Maritime Museum. Next, ride through the Havenwelten (Harbor Worlds) area to see the port's fascinating harbor operations up close. Admire views of the normally restricted international port area, spot luxury cruise ships and ocean steamboats, and learn about the town's history and culture from the tour guide. Please note: If entering at the stop "Schaufenster Fischereihafen", the bus takes you along the city and the harbor. If you enter only at the German Maritime Museum, the bus tour takes place in the harbor area, not the city.

Discover the dark side of Bremen, off the beaten path of tourists, and learn all about the criminal activities that have happened in the city and become infamous throughout the country. Visit what was formerly the most modern prison in Germany, built in 1900, and see the criminal archives with your guide to discover more about the historic crimes, deadly murders and elaborate heists. Visit the sites of sentencings and executions and hear blood-curdling tales of all manner of misdeeds. Investigate the murder that wasn't, yet which still constituted a crime. Learn how explosive fire extinguishers can be and think like a criminal as you figure out the puzzling death of a burglar.

Get the keys to the city of Bremen with a 1, 2 or 3-day BremenCARD. The ticket will allow you to explore the city at your own pace, without the worry of having to pay extra every time you use the buses, trams and regional trains. All local public transport in Bremen and Bremen-Nord is free of charge and you will benefit from discounts of up to 50%. Use the BremenCARD from 6 pm on the day before the starting date of the card and until 3 am after the last valid day. Enjoy a free ferry crossing across the Weser between Osterdeich and Café Sand.