5 days in Bremen for a conference
 

Hi,
I will be visiting Bremen for 5days starting from 14th september to attend a conference. Now, I might not have much time to roam around but still will be able to get some time out everyday.
I would like to know about Bremen and its places worth visiting. Is there anything special that should be particularly taken into consideration? Thanks in advance.

Bremen has a compact old town - the main street of it is called the Schnoor, which is lined with interesting shops and cafés. In the market square, the Rathaus is very old (15th cent.) and you can do tours of it. Together with the statue of the 600 yr old Roland it is UNESCO heritage. There is also the statue of the four Bremen Town Musicians (a donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster) (read the Brother Grimm story before you go, it's very famous). If you grasp both the front hooves of the donkey it is said you will return. There is also an art gallery elsewhere in the city, and other districts such as the Böttcherstrasse and the Ostertorviertel (cafes, restaurants, interesting shops). You can also stroll along the Weser, which is quite nice.

I have to dash now but if you have more questions I can come back later...

Lavandula

You can learn a whole lot through Google search!

Are you perhaps casting aspersions on my advice? I spent two weeks in Bremen in 2010 - click on my name for a TR. Yes, I checked dates for my post above, but I've been to those places too. I have friends who live in Syke and Weyhe and have grasped the hooves of the donkey many times over the last 20 years. And yes, I will go back. It's a nice city. Have you been there?

Lavandula

Well this explains why the donkey had very shiny front hooves when we visited :) I was wondering about that :D The Schnoor area is cute, but quite small.

You can rent an audioguide from the Tourist Info and do self-guided walking tour around the Rathaus/Scnoor area - just check that the guide works because we out of three machines we were given two had problems. :)

There is a nice chocolate shop (try the hot chocolate, it was very good) and toy shop just next to the Rathaus Square, almost opposite to the Tourist Info if my I remember correctly. :)

Oops, sorry about all the spelling mistakes. I should have previewed the post before submitting.

We like Bremen a lot -- my husband has relatives living in Lilienthal, a city suburb.

Worpswede is worth a visit if you have a strong interest in art.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worpswede

Lübeck is an easy train ride away if you find time to venture outside Bremen. It's a beautiful little town and is considered the origin of the Hanseatic League, which also included Brugge, Belgium. Definitely worth a day trip IMO.

Great help guys.
@WelsserTee I am in need of this kind of information. Thank you.
I really want to see some country-side city with greenery/mountains/sea. Is there any city nearby Bremen or even towards Amsterdam which can cater to such needs?

LOL about the mountains. A hill of 20 metres would be considered a mountain in that region. It's a common saying in the area that you can already see on Wednesday who is coming to visit on Sunday, because it is so flat.

Worpswede and nearby Fischerhude are located in the moors, a landscape that has attracted many painters for its special light and atmosphere.

For the sea, my favourite place is Cuxhaven. You may want to have a look at my (quite substantial) Cuxhaven page over on Virtualtourist: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/111eb/

Lüneburg and Celle are two old towns with a lot of historical architecture which are worth considering. Also Stade: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/43ca/

Well, Lubeck seems pretty to me. If I were to pick between worpswede and Lubeck, which one I should go for?

Also to add: My flight lands in Hamburg where I have one whole day and second day I have to leave for Bremen but I can wait till evening . So yes, that is also an important pointer to keep in mind.

So you could dedicate one day to Hamburg and use the second day for a trip to Lübeck, which is more convenent from Hamburg than from Bremen, and move on to Bremen in the evening.

Worpswede is just outside Bremen and does not IMO take a whole day for a visit. It's an artist's colony, or at least, a former one. The big drawcard in Worpswede is the old farmhouses, which are the north German Fachwerk style (different to other parts of Germany). It is a green setting, but as Quokka says, not near the sea. I would probably pick Lübeck though, as you could spend a whole day there. Make sure you visit Café Niederegger, which is famous as the marzipan manufacturers (any Karstadt department store carries it). Have a marzipan coffee, which is unique.

Lavandula

As it turns out, my conference had planned a trip to worpswede. And truly what a good place to visit. Gave me those european suburban feel. Visited the place overlooking the moor. And then there were huge farms and not to forget all that history of art and stuff. Loved the place!