Bremen, Bremen, Deutschland

Immediately, the above headline should catch your eye. Similar to Hamburg, Bremen is not only a city, but also a province. Funny enough, Hamburg and Bremen have a tiny feud (similar to Ohio versus Michigan kind of thing). When Hamburg added the gate to their coat of arms, they said that they were the gate to Europe. Bremen, in turn, added a key to their coat of arms and basically said, “You may be the gate to Europe, but we hold the key.”

In the north lies Bremerhaven (translated into “Bremen’s harbor”), which opens up into the north sea. Bremerhaven is part of the province of Bremen, although they don’t touch. Bremerhaven wasn’t a technical city until 1827, but people lived in that area since the 12 century. Again, think about medieval era — you’re a kingdom and you need access to the sea for trade.

People settled Bremen itself basically since the dawn of time tracing history through the Roman era, wars between Saxons and the Franks (middle ages), through Charles the Great (Charlemagne) adding it to his empire (the First Reich/Holy Roman Empire), up until Napoleon Bonaparte invading. After Napoleon, Bremen returned to a republic only to later be incorporated into the united Germany of the Second Reich (late 1800’s). Bremen also has rich history in the reformation as it officially converted to Lutheranism. The Bremen Cathedral (St. Peter’s Cathedral/St. Petri Dom) reportedly held a mass in 1532 where a mob demanded a Lutheran service. Today, the church belongs to the Bremen Evangelical Church.

This is the city I flew into. This was because it was the closest city to Oldenburg (where my family come from) with an airport and as far as bigger cities go, it was rated as one of the cheapest in Germany, while still having its own airport and a central train station. The region is quite flat with a huge amount of fields surrounding it. I almost questioned whether I was still in Ohio — oh wait, that is until you see gorgeous, ancient architecture beautifully interwoven with modern technology. The Bremen Cathedral is in Bremen’s “Altstadt,” and if you remember what I taught you, “Altstadt” means “old city.” Standing in the city square, you can do a full 360 spin and see the most gorgeous architecture and historical sites. Turning to the left of the above picture is the Bremen City Hall (Bremer Rathaus).

From where I stood (above photo), turning to face left is Roland, Paladin of Charles the Great and knight in the Holy Roman Empire.

There’s a legend that goes “as long as Roland stands, the city will not fall.” That legend is so strong that there’s a rumor that a second statue of Roland was placed underneath their city hall. Roland was paladin meaning “top knight” of Charles the Great and is a symbol of city defense with his famous sword Durendal (or Durandal) and his shield with the two-headed eagle of the Holy Roman Empire. From the picture, if you want forward and turn right, you’ll see the famous statue of the Bremen Town Musicians that references the Brothers Grimm Fairytales story, “The Town Musicians of Bremen.” As with many statues in Germany, rubbing a particular area is supposed to bring good luck. And, yes, I rubbed its hooves for good luck.

You’ll notice glass bottles lying around. This is because people leave them for the homeless to collect and turn in for money. I wish the U.S had the same incentive with glass and plastic and not simply aluminum cans. Regardless, if you return to the town square, I recommend walking down any side street because each little street leads to a different, unique area. In one area, there’s a place to grab a bratwurst with a bread roll for €3.20. And nearby is the local, Bremen chocolate shop called HACHEZ. Their prices were surprisingly reasonable and I found a few, amazing and cheap options including my family’s favorite — orange chocolate (in taste, not color). YUM.

I love hearing the music as I walk around these alleyways and then seeing stunning engravings, statues, fountains, you name it.

Which leads us to Ehron’s Takeaways

• A Must-See: The “Bremen Markplatz” or Marketplace is where the statue of Roland and Bremen Cathedral are as well as the Musicians’ statue. This is an easy way to spin around 360 degrees and snap enough pictures to show that you were there.

• What I Recommend: Go to the HACHEZ chocolate shop and experience how amazing their chocolate is. They have one package I recommend that has two pieces of six different kinds of chocolate. These chocolates aren’t crazy flavors, but they’re ranges from darker to sweeter chocolates and show you each types specific flavor scale, e.g., how creamy, how much cocoa, how sweet, etc., is it.

• My Favorite Place: Now, my new favorite place is about a ten-minute bike ride north of Bremen’s Altstadt and is called “Schwarzer Hermann.” When I first arrived, I knew I wanted a Biergarten and I also wanted a bar. This has both! I was also lucky to find out that it’s LGBT+ friendly. Not just friendly, but from going several times, I can safely say that more than half their guests appear to be in the LGBT+ community and that, personally, made me feel safer to find a little group of “my people.” Also, it was my first experience having drinks bought for me — not like in the Oregon District of Dayton, Ohio, which is hetero-central (no offense). The lighting is soft and warm, which matches the music. If you ever wondered what German, hipster, indie music sounded like — go here. The food is fantastic, the drinks well-priced, and the staff are lovely which is why it easily became my favorite spot.

Thanks for reading.

Until next time, lovelies,

Ehron