Best things to do in Bremen

Schnoor Viertel has managed to retain much of its medieval character. If you stroll along this neighborhood's narrow streets, you can admire houses dating back to the 15th century. Don't miss the Schifferhaus, a well-preserved building constructed in 1630. The Landhernamt used to house the authorities administering the State of Bremen. Various shops sell local handicrafts, such as wooden toys, decorative doorknobs, fabrics, glassworks, and homemade candy. Once you've worked up an appetite exploring, consider stopping at one of the area's fish restaurants.

One of the biggest amusements parks in Germany, Heide Park features five different areas. You can explore the Lower-Saxony entrance area, Pirate Land, Transylvania, Land of the Forgotten, and Wild Wild West. Many of the 40 different rides are suitable for young children and thrill-seekers alike. Adrenaline junkies shouldn't miss KRAKE, Germany's first dive rollercoaster. When you arrive, check the schedule for the park's five different live performances, including a puppet and pirate show.

Bremer Rathaus has served as Bremen's town hall for centuries. UNESCO lists it as a World Heritage site. It's one of the most important examples of Brick Gothic architecture in Europe. You must take a guided tour to explore this striking building inside. You'll gain an insight into its 600-year history and see some of its most impressive rooms. Note especially the grand upper council chamber and Art Nouveau decoration of golden chamber. Make sure to visit its Bremer Ratskeller. This basement pub is home to oldest barrel of wine in Germany. Book your tour in advance via Bremen's official tourism website.

Bremer Stadtmusikanten is a bronze statue of four stacked animals by Gerhard Marcks depicting the Town Musicians of Breman. In the lore of the Brothers Grimm, a donkey, dog, cat, and rooster left their farms and owners, deciding to head off together--as their own masters--to become musicians. Along their journey to Breman, they notice burglars in a cottage. They stand on one another's backs to see in the window, making a racket to scare away the burglars. Long story short: The animals end up living in the cottage (which isn't actually in Breman), fat and happy, for the rest of their days. Similar statues are in front of each of Germany's five veterinary schools.

Marktplatz, with its impressive UNESCO-recognized town hall, offers you a look back into the many centuries of Bremen's history. Drink in the atmosphere and snap some photos of the architecture and statues of the Town Musicians of Bremen of fairytale fame. Ask a local to show you the Bremen hole and you can put a coin in to hear the musicians play. At least twice a year, a market takes over this community space, which covers 3,484 sq m (37,500 sq ft).

Herrenhauser Garten is filled with picturesque, historical gardens. The jewel in the crown here are the formal, Baroque grounds of the Great Garden. The Berggarten houses a world-class orchid collection and a rainforest structure. Its tropical landscape contains plants, butterflies, and birds. In the Georgengarten, you can relax with a game of football, volleyball, or cricket. Bring a picnic to enjoy on the grounds, or pop into the Great Garden cafe. The gardens often host a variety of festivals and musical events. You can check online to see if any coincide with your visit.

A shimmering shell houses Universum Bremen, where more than 250 exhibits invite you to experience science. Every exhibit is hands-on and encourages you to touch, smell, play, and experiment--which means the center is popular with school groups and families. Arrive first thing to avoid lines at the ticket counter, and you'll be able to experience the interactive exhibits that feature mankind, earth, and the cosmos without a crowd. Outside the space-age museum structure, you'll find a large park, EntdeckerPark, and the SchauBox, a rust-colored cube of a building featuring annual exhibits that won't fit inside the main complex. annual exhibits that don't fit inside the main complex.

The Rhododendron-Park Bremen (46 hectares), also known as the Rhododendron-Park und Botanischer Garten Bremen, is a major collection of rhododendrons and azaleas, as well as a substantial botanical garden (3.2 hectares), located in Bremen, Germany. It is open daily; park admission is free but a fee is charged for the nature center Botanika.

The botanical garden dates to 1905 when it was created by businessman Franz Schütte at a different site (1905 Osterdeich, 3 hectares). This original garden was organized geographically, with plants from the Orient, Mexico, and the Caucasus, as well as collections of crop plants, medicinal herbs, native plants, and poisonous plants. It remained privately held until 1935 when it became city property, and was transferred to its current location within the Rhododendron Park over the next few years. Today's garden was completed in 1949-1950.

The park itself began in 1933 at the initiative of the German Rhododendron Society on former farmland and forest, opening to the public in 1937. Its Botanika facility, described as Germany's largest nature center, opened in 2003. In 2007 ownership of the park was transferred to a nonprofit foundation.

Built in 1913, The New Town Hall is the seat of the city mayor. The striking building is reminiscent of a centuries-old castle. The lobby features four scale models of Hannover as it was in the Middle Ages, before World War II, after the destruction of 1945, and how the city looks today. After you explore the rest of the building's ornately decorated rooms, you can take the elevator up to the dome. From its 100 m (328 ft) high observation deck, you can see the whole city and--on clear days--even the Harz Mountains. The town hall is also home to a restaurant serving regional and international cuisine.

The Focke Museum is the museum of history and the history of art for the city and state of Bremen. It was formed in 1924 by the merger of a museum of industry and commerce and the previous historical museum, and is named for the founder of the latter, Johann Focke (1848–1922), a Bremen privy councillor (German: Senatssyndikus) and father of Henrich Focke. It is located in 4.5 hectares (11 acres) of grounds in the Riensberg neighbourhood of the city. In addition to a main building which opened in 1964 and was extended in 2002, the museum complex includes buildings dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries.