Bremen felt much smaller than some of the other cities I have visited. It felt like a teeny, traditional place which had some wonderful back alleys to explore. I chose it because it seemed to have many interesting statues interspersed throughout the city and some historic buildings. Read on to see more…
When I arrived, it was a little different than I had imagined – as I said, very traditional. Usually, you might come across a shopping centre or a busy high street, but Bremen just didn’t feel like that. It would perhaps be the sort of place where a total cleanse from technology would seem rather fitting. Of course, there were some shops and you could jump on the trams but it was rather different than anywhere I’ve been before.
As we all know by now, I love a good charity shop! I’ve said it on virtually every post, but nowhere beats the UK.. or at least, not that I’ve seen yet! I was a little sad to find zero charity shops here. Zilch. Nada. A quick Google search will reveal that technically there are some, although I would say they were more like vintage/retro stores and these come at a higher cost. I did manage to pick up some lovely shoes though, at about €15, so a little pricier than your average charity shop.
I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of vegan options available, being such a small-feeling city. It absolutely poured it down most days, so I took refuge in a few cafés, not really expecting any snacks or meals but I was happy to be proven wrong. I would say that the majority of this post will be about the food because, on reflection, I don’t really feel like I got up to that much, but that is probably due to the rain. I remember watching many episodes of Game of Thrones in the evenings (yes, I was late to the game!) because my room was a little while away from the centre. Plus, being a solo traveller, I personally don’t want to be too far away from the hotel/hostel in the evenings, especially if an area is unknown or you don’t know the last bus, tram time etc. You can read my horror story from my Rimini post here!
There was a whole mini district to explore with the rather unusual name of ‘Schnoor,’ which I think sounds like something from a Dr. Seuss book! It had very idyllic little lanes and alleys which just felt like entering somewhere completely different from the city. But it was an unexpected surprise when I stumbled across it.
Now let’s have a look at how you could spend your time in Bremen…
- St. Petri Dom (St. Peter’s Cathedral)
A magnificent cathedral with two grand towers and some of the most intricate carvings I have seen. A pleasure to behold and so many aspects of this building to admire.
- Stadtmusikanten (Town Musicians of Bremen)
This is a well-known and loved statue as you can see by the colour change where many hands have touched this. It is said to bring good luck.
- Visit the small district of Schnoor
You will be sure to get some Instagram-worthy snaps, here. Very small and quaint with some shops selling hand-carved wooden figures, local to the region.
- Bremen Roland
Find Roland the statue, who has been proudly representing the values of the medieval city since 1404.
- Hirt mit Schweinen (Shepherd with Pigs)
Another lovely statue – I told you there were lots! There are many dotted throughout the city; it is such a treasure trove of art and I particularly liked this one.
Places to Eat & Drink
- Burgerhaus – looks basic from the outside but has a couple of vegetarian and vegan options available
- Coffee Corner – I ordered a vegan pancake from here and it was delicious!
- Vegano – specialising in Sri Lankan and South Indian cuisine, there are many mix and match options available and the staff were so friendly!
- BackWERK – food is displayed as self-service selection with the option of takeaway or eating in. There was a vegan schnitzel available, located in the ‘Hauptbahnhof.’
- Hans Im Gluck – my favourite meal of the whole trip, there were no fewer than seven vegan options available and that was the burger section alone! I didn’t know which one to choose but everything was so delicious and I was so full I didn’t even have a dessert.
Useful Information
- The currency used in Germany is the Euro (€)
- I couldn’t find a detailed tourist map before my journey, but thankfully these are available from local hotels and hostels usually
- Bremen’s tram timetables are located here
The Solo Vegan 