I am considering studying German with the Goethe Institute in Bremen this Fall. Does anyone have high opinions of this city? I've spent time in Southern Germany but never the north. Any info would be great.

quebec,

I have not personally explored Bremen or its sister sea port Bremerhaven. However, my German relatives have told me that Bremen is a beautiful, authentic German city, with a very nice ambience.

Like many German cities it was bombed heavily in the war but has managed to be lovingly rebuilt and maintains its historical relevance. Bremerhaven was a major port for emigration to America in the 1800's and is supposed to have a fascinating genealogy center.

Also, it is close to the beautiful Hanseatic city of Lubeck, and of course the big Hollywood town of Hamburg. It sounds like a great place to learn German to me.

I was there in 2001. I thought it was a pleasant, low-key kind of place with some interesting areas, especially the Böttcherstrasse and Schnoor. I think you'd enjoy it.

I've been to three Goethe Institutes, though unfortunately two of them are closed--those at Staufen and Prien am Chiemsee. I'd consider Bremen for my next institute, but I also liked Bonn.

I'd suggest that you visit the Goethe Institute website. When you click on the "locations" icon, it eventually will lead you to a description of some of the city's attractions--but perhaps you already know that.

We liked Bremen, although we were only there once, in early 2003. Near Bremen is the artists and writers town of Worpswede which also has an interesting museum dedicated to Jugendstil.
Bremen is an attractive town, lively enough although it's not the first place that comes to mind when looking for nightlife.
It's a great base for traveling around this interesting part of Germany, with Lubeck and Muensterland within easy reach. It's an under-rated and under-visited region.

We lived in Bremerhaven but it was about 20 years ago. We only visited Bremen once and I have no clear memories. I did love that part of Germany but it is quite unlike other places that we were stationed in the south.

Bremerhaven was the largest fishing port in Europe at the time. Forget schnitzels, think lobsters (Hummer), Halibut (Heilbutt) and lemon sole (Limandes Filet).

Like Dutch paintings, the landscape is flat with clouds being a dominate feature. Just north of Bremerhaven were dikes and polder land that would be flooded without them. There were also windmills.

You can walk the coast of Bremerhaven north towards Cuxhaven, watching the seabirds and listening to the skylarks. It might be the same between Bremerhaven and Bremen. The Weser River mouth becomes wide enough at Bremerhaven, that it is difficult to see across it on many days.

Weather fronts come into the Northsea Coast by the hour rather than by the day. Carry an umbrella or a clothing that dries out easily. I liked bike riding there but you had to accept getting wet.

I really liked Bremerhaven. I would say that it is a better place to live than to visit. Life there does not focus on the tourist trade.

Regards, Gary

I've been to Bremen twice in this century and really enjoyed it. I think it's a good size city for an extended stay. It has everything for daily life as well as great tourism. I especially like the underground Ratskeller serving 300 kinds of German wines along with traditional local dishes. IMHO it's better to learn German in the north than in the south for proper accent purposes.