Bremen walking tour & city guide

The Market Square

Bremen's Market Square is surrounded by the Gothic and Renaissance Town Hall and the statue of Roland, symbol of the city's freedom, both a UNESCO World Heritage Site. St Peter's Cathedral rises beside it, and in a corner of the Town Hall stands the bronze statue of the Town Musicians. Touching the donkey's front legs is said to bring luck.

Böttcherstraße, the Schnoor and the Schlachte

Böttcherstraße is a short lane rebuilt in the 1920s in a unique brick Expressionist style, with a carillon of porcelain bells. The Schnoor is the oldest quarter, a maze of tiny medieval houses now filled with craft shops and cafés. Along the Weser River, the Schlachte promenade is lined with beer gardens and restaurant boats.

A classic walk through Bremen

Start at the Market Square and the Town Hall, then visit the cathedral and the Town Musicians statue. Walk through Böttcherstraße to the Weser and follow the Schlachte promenade along the river.

Finish by turning back into the narrow lanes of the Schnoor quarter. The walk is about 3 kilometers.

Visiting tips

Bremen is about an hour from Hamburg by train. The Town Hall's historic wine cellar is one of the oldest in Germany, and the Freimarkt in October is one of the country's oldest fairs. Bremerhaven, the city's port on the North Sea, has maritime museums.