Bremerhaven Travel Guide
A detailed destination guide for your next Germany vacation
Bremerhaven Overview
Bremerhaven is the seaport of the free city and federal state of Bremen (Bremen vacation rentals | Bremen travel guide), Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham (Nordenham vacation rentals | Nordenham travel guide). Though a relatively new city, it has a long history as a trade port and today is one of the most important German ports, playing a crucial role in Germany's trade.
Where to stay in Bremerhaven?
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Things to See
Bremerhaven has only a few historical buildings, and the high street and city centre are almost exclusively post-war. The main attractions for tourists are the German Emigration Center (since August 8, 2005) and the German Maritime Museum (Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum) on the historical harbour with many museum ships, such as the Type XXI U-boat Wilhelm Bauer, the Seute Deern (a three-masted sailing vessel), and the Hansekogge, a vintage ship dating from 1380. The Lloyd-Werft shipyard is renowned for building and renovating large cruise liners, for example the Norway. The fishing port also houses an aquarium (the Atlanticum). The zoo reopened on 27 March 2004, after a lengthy renovation. It features Arctic wildlife, both terrestrial and marine. Attractions include the Klimahaus, simulating travel adventure along the 8th line of longitude.
Every five years Sail Bremerhaven is held, a large sailing convention that attracts tall ships from all over the world. The last time it was held was in 2005, coinciding with Sail Amsterdam.
[ source: Wikipedia ]
Maps and Driving Directions to Bremerhaven
Due to its unique geographic situation, Bremerhaven suffers from a few transportational difficulties. The city has been connected to the autobahn network since the late 1970s. The A 27 runs north-south, east of the city, connecting Bremerhaven to Bremen and Cuxhaven. Road connections to Hamburg, however, are poor. The Bundesstraße 71 and secondary roads therefore carry most of the heavy lorry traffic. A proposed solution is the construction of the A 22, the so-called Küstenautobahn (or "coastal motorway"), which would link Bremerhaven to Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven/Oldenburg (using the Weser tunnel). Roads leading to the overseas port are regularly overloaded with freight traffic, and solutions are presently being discussed, including a deep-cut road favoured by the city government and various interest groups.
Travel Insider Tips for Bremerhaven
My Husband went to the major port city of Bremerhaven to pick up our car and he really enjoyed the sites there - quite unique to any other town in the country.
Shared by Vicky Hall-Mccurdy, Jul 2010
Bremerhaven has a big Windjammer festival once every four years (I think it is that often). This August happens to be "Sail 2010". Well worth going to, but most hotels may already be booked out. Once in that area, they have a few good museums and also mudwalking in Cuxhaven. This website is about "Sail 201". http://en.bremerhaven.de/experience-the-sea/tickets-events/events/sail-bremerhaven-2010.10475.html
Shared by Katie Cuite, Jul 2010
Bremerhaven
[ source: Flickr]
Popular Points of Interest in and near Bremerhaven
German Emmigration Center
[ source: Wikipedia ]
The German Emigration Center is a museum dedicated to the history of German emigration, especially to the United States. Visitors can experience the process of a historical emigration and there is a special children's section. The museum also provides access to databanks with immigration records.
Hours: daily March - October, 10am - 6pm; November - February 10am - 5pm.
German Maritime Museum (Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum)
[ source: Museum website ]
The Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum (DSM) was founded in Bremerhaven in 1971 to replace the Museum of Marine Science in Berlin, which had been destroyed during World War II. Its task is to collect, record, research and present documents and artefacts pertaining to German maritime history. For this purpose, the DSM is equipped with laboratories and technical facilities for the examination, conservation and restoration of different types of water craft as well as other objects. It also houses a wide range of collections and a dedicated archive and specialist library with adjacent reading room.The museum consists of the building planned by Hans Scharoun as well as several museum ships in the Old Harbor of Bremerhaven, including the Seute Deern windjammer and the Wilhelm Bauer U-boat.
Hours: April 1 to October 31 daily 10am - 6pm. November 1 to March 31 Tuesday to Sunday 10am - 6pm (closed on Mondays). The ships in the museum's harbor can only be visited from April 1 to October 31.
Related Sites
We collected some useful links related to Bremerhaven. If you know a few more sites not listed here, or also know some insider tips or point of interests for this destination? Please share and submit your Germany travel tip. If approved it will be shown on this page!
- Homepage of Bremerhaven: Bremerhaven (official home page)
- Wikipedia: Bremerhaven
- Wikipedia: Bremerhaven
- Official city website
- Interactive city guide
- German Emigration Center
- U-2540 Wilhelm Bauer
- Freilichtmuseum Bremerhaven
- Fischereihafen
- Seute Deern
- Eisbaeren Bremerhaven
More about the History of Bremerhaven
The town was founded in 1827, but there were settlements, such as Lehe, in the vicinity as early as the 12th century. These tiny villages were built on small islands in the swampy estuary. In 1381 the city of Bremen (Bremen vacation rentals | Bremen travel guide) captured de facto rule at the lower Weser stream, including Lehe, later therefore called Bremerlehe. Early in 1653 Swedish Bremen-Verden's troops captured Bremerlehe by violence.
The Kingdom of Hanover founded a rival town next to Bremerhaven and called it Geestemünde (1845). Both towns grew and established the three economic pillars of trade, shipbuilding and fishing. Following inter-state negotiations at different times Bremerhaven's boundary was several times extended on the expense of Hanoveran territory. In 1924 Geestemünde and the neighbouring municipality of Lehe were united to become the new city of Wesermünde, and in 1939 Bremerhaven was removed from the jurisdiction of Bremen and made a part of Wesermünde, then a part of the Prussian Province of Hanover. Bremerhaven was one of the important harbours of emigration in Europe.
Today, Bremerhaven is part of the city-state of Bremen, practically being a state of two cities, while also a city in its own right. This is complicated somewhat by the fact the city of Bremen has owned the "overseas port" within Bremerhaven since 1927. Further complicating matters, a treaty between the two cities (as mentioned in Section 8 of Bremerhaven's municipal constitution) makes Bremerhaven responsible for the municipal administration of those parts owned directly by Bremen
What makes this Live Like a German Bremerhaven Travel Guide special...
This Bremerhaven travel guide provides you with an overview of Bremerhaven, Bremerhaven pictures, and a local travel guide that suggests many special trips, unique activities, and vacation ideas, that you can't find in a typical Germany travel guide.
Some of this information is compiled from popular and well-known sources (e.g., such as Wikipedia, Wikitravel, and great pictures from Flickr). However, what makes this Germany travel guide special is that most of the travel suggestions and insider tips are provided by local residents, property owners, and our readers, who share and submit their travel tips with us. All submissions are then editorially reviewed to ensure high quality. All this information is logically organized within this destination guide to make it easy for you to find things quickly.
In addition, the Bremerhaven destination guide features restaurant recommendations, restaurant reviews, where to go for grocery shopping, sports activities, getting around, cultural events and highlights, entertainment, and health related information - so you are informed for your travel to Germany, and you can learn about all the cool things you can do during your Germany vacation!
