Bremen is the tenth largest city in Germany, and along with Hamburg one the biggest in the north of the country. For much of its history it was an independent city-state, and has a history dating back more than 1200 years.
Founded on the banks of the river Weser, Bremen is quite a long and 'narrow' city, not extending much more than a mile or two away from the river at any point.
Given its relatively small size, the majority of the areas of interest can be explored on foot - parts of the city are pedestrianised, and it's definitely safe enough to walk around, even at night.
Main Tourist Sights
The main square in the city, Domshof, plays host to two of its best known sights - the Rathaus (town hall) and the DomSt Petri (St Peter's Cathedral).
The Rathaus (below) is a UNESCO World Heritage site and dates back to 1410. Tours are operated by the tourist board throughtout the day, but even if you don't fancy having a look around inside it's well worth seeing the stunning architecture by strolling past.
The Dom dominates the square, and entrance to view the impressive interior is free. For a small fee you can climb the cathedral's tower for one of the best aerial views of the city available.
Also in the square is the statue of Knight Roland, who was seen as a protector of trade. His is a common statue throughout European cities, particularly in the Hanseatic League (medieval trading alliance throughout northern Germany). There is also a statue in Domshof to die Bremer Stadtmusikanten, characters from the Brothers' Grimm fairy tales.
Away from the square, Böttcherstrasse (below) leads you down to the river, and this art-nouveau street boasts a number of wonderful facades, as well as a couple of museums. Alternatively, Am Wall is a park found alongside the old defensive moat to the city, or perhaps you'd rather take a stroll through the winding streets of the Schnoor quarter, which includes a wide range of boutique shops and also the world's smallest hotel.
Getting Around Generally
The city centre is easily covered on foot for all but the laziest fans. There are taxis if you have a reasonable distance to cover (such as to/from the stadium), but there's also an excellent tram and bus network connecting all areas of town.
Night buses run through the night at hourly intervals from the central station, although these only run on weekends. Tickets for buses and trams can be bought onboard, although we'd remind you that this is not the case for any trains - these must be bought before departure. As ever there are savings to be had on daily tickets rather than single fares.
