Bremen, Germany
*POST UPDATED NOVEMBER 2024.
This might sound weird, but I can remember the exact moment when I decided that I wanted to go to Bremen. I was 17, & I was studying for my final German exam ever. The paper I was studying was about the German government trying to bring tourism to a little city in the north of the country that I’d never heard of before: Bremen. My recollections of the paper are pretty vague. I remember that it focused on the fact that the city boasts has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and that the city was situated around a river. That said, it must have been a pretty convincing paper. It has been 6 years since then, and I’ve been waiting the perfect reason to travel there.
why Bremen?
The reason that cropped up was better than I could have dreamed. See, Boyfriend had never been to Germany before. Never. We’d talked of visiting my beloved Munich, or Berlin maybe, but both of them have certain aspects that I wasn’t sure he would love. And I needed him to love Germany. Germany is one of my top three favourite countries & I needed to be sure Boyfriend would love it just as much. Or, at least love it enough to go back for future visits. I took a gamble on Bremen, as I had never been there either, but after some investigations online I was 98% sure that it would be perfect for us. Casual & laid back, but with cultural & historical aspects, too. Besides, it’s pretty close to Hamburg, so I had a backup plan if needed.
Turns out, I was right – Bremen was the perfect place for us. It was, in fact, one of the easiest trips I have ever been on in my life. The flight from Dublin to Bremen takes just under two hours. The tram from Bremen airport into the city centre is a mere ten minutes. The walk to our hotel was a further twelve-ish minutes. It was that simple. This warmed us to the city immensely. We also instantly loved: the lack of English tourists, the cleanliness of the city, and the relaxed attitude. We. Loved. It. We ate and drank our way around the small city, and then we drank some more.
where we stayed
Motel One // after searching around online for a while, we decided to settle on Motel One. The place gets amazing reviews & deservedly so. It was central, comfortable, quiet, and clean. That’s all of our boxes checked! Would recommend. Address: Am Brill 10, 28195 Bremen
where we ate
breakfast
Teestübchen im Schnoor // breakfast in Bremen was a bit of an issue for the first few days. Our hotel offered an optional breakfast, but it was expensive, and we thought finding a good pastry place would be easy. At first, our search was extremely unsuccessful. It was filled with lackluster croissants & the kind of coffee that made me wish I’d ordered tea. Then, we found Teestübchen. A crooked, pointy building, hiden down an alley in the Schnoor district with a fabulous breakfast menu. We went back three times during our stay & between us consumed enough for a small army. 6 croissants, 4 sides of bacon, copious amounts of scrambled eggs, a few slices of rye bread, 8 coffees, 1 tea, and 1 orange juice. But who’s counting, right? A must-visit. Address: Wüstestätte 1, 28195 Bremen
Kaffeehaus Classico // honestly, we only ventured in to see if Teestübchen is the only good breakfast place in Bremen. Turns out, this is a close second! The omelets are hearty & filling, the baguettes are heavenly, and the coffee was good enough to get a takeaway when we left. Address: Am Markt 17, 28195 Bremen
dinner
Kleiner Olymp // at first, we stumbled across this restaurant without knowing just how good it would be. We wandered inside because it was one of the only restaurants around that actually had signs of life within. We booked a table for that same evening & then went back to the hotel to Google it. Needless to say, we were more than happy with the results of our search – we ended up going back twice! Pro tip: get the onion soup to start, it was the absolute best we’ve ever had! The pork schnitzel for mains is also a really good choice. And, of course, a glass of Schnoor Brau to wash it all down is an excellent idea! A must-visit. Address: Hinter d. Holzpforte 20, 28195 Bremen
Standige Vertretung // I’m reluctant to include this in my list of recommendations because the service was so slow, even by Bremen standards, but I’m going to include it because the food was good. Not great, but good, & the interior is worth having a look at – every inch of wall is covered in photographs and memorabilia. Address: Böttcherstraße 3-5, 28195 Bremen
Bremer Ratskeller // we arrived in Bremen on Thursday & were unable to get a reservation here until the following Monday. The whole weekend was entirely booked up. Housed in the cellar of Bremen Town Hall, it is worth eating here for the location alone – it, along with the Roland statue in the square marketplace, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site! Long communal tables, dim lighting, and huge cavernous arches. The menu is pricier than most, but definitely do not miss the flammkuchen. Address: Am Markt, 28195 Bremen
where we drank
beer
Becks am Markt // if I were to tell you the truth about how many times we stopped at this place, you’d tell me that we have a problem. See, the location is unbeatable, it’s smack bang in the centre of the main square. You can sit out in the sun, people-watching to your heart’s content, while also taking in the beautiful surroundings of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Definitely our favourite place to stop for a locally brewed pint of Becks.. Or an Aperol Spritz in the evenings. Address: Am Markt 9, 28195 Bremen
Hofbrauhaus // Boyfriend & I hunted this place out simply because we have a deep seeded love of Hofbrau. The building is decorated in the style of a large beer hall, & all of the staff wear traditional Bavarian lederhosen. A particular highlight for me was seeing Boyfriend’s reaction to the litre-sized beer glasses. Address: Ostertorstraße 11, 28195 Bremen.
*2022 UPDATE: sadly, now closed.
Spitzen Gebel // I’m just adding this place into the list for the novelty factor really. It’s a tiny little pub just off the Bottscherstrasse where you can still smoke inside. At first we thought it was kind of cool, but do you really want to sit in a pub full of smoke? Address: Hinter dem Schütting 1, 28195 Bremen
wine
Weincontor St Petrus // we only discovered this gem towards the end of our time in Bremen – if only we’d known about it all along! It’s tucked away under the arches of the Bottscherstrasse, where you can sit & watch the world go by (along with the owner of the wine bar, who we spotted dragging his chair out to the strasse to have a little snooze in the sun). Added bonus: the place is linked up with neighboring Standige Vertretung! This means you can order a delicious flammkuchen to go with your wine! Address: Böttcherstraße 5, 28195 Bremen
*2024 UPDATE: sadly, now closed.
what to see + do
areas to explore
Schnoor // by far our favourite area of Bremen, this should be top of your list of places to see. Wandering down the little alleyways feels like you’ve stepped back in time or onto a film-set. Everything is wonderfully, almost perfectly, crooked. We got up early one day to explore every nook & cranny without the hassle of other people around. A must-visit.
Schlachte // a couple of nights, we wandered along the Schlachte for an after-dinner drink. It’s an area along the edge of the river with loads of restaurants & beer gardens. Fun fact: we very narrowly avoided getting hit by flying ducks while out for a romantic stroll along the promenade one evening.
Wander down the Bottscherstrasse // basically, just a funky old street that dates back to the middle ages. Hidden under the arches, we were able to watch the different demonstrations of candy making, jewelry making, & knife making. Added bonus: you can listen to the bells of the Glockenspiel ring out through the street here.
free attractions
Bremen Cathedral // in all honesty, we only wandered into the cathedral because we had some unexpected free time on our hands and we figured we should do at least one really touristy thing. I’m pretty glad we did – the interior is just as beautiful as the exterior! Address: Sandstraße 10-12, 28195 Bremen
Am Wall Windmill // we totally stumbled across this while we were tipsy & lost one day, but it is too cute not to mention, and it’s in a nice park. Address: Am Wall 212, 28195 Bremen
*Date of trip: 30th March - 4th April, 2017*
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