Day 1: GIRONA - BREMEN
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Today we started the day early. Our flight to Bremen It leaves at 9.15 in the morning and we arrive at the Girona airport with the right time to have breakfast and go to the boarding gate that will be the place where our getaway to Bremen and Hamburg and let's start today with a fairly broad planning of what to see Bremen in one day.
The flight to Bremen lasts about 2 hours and little, that we spend sleeping for the most part, so like the one who does not want the thing, when we look out the window, we are already in Germany.
We have not checked in so we have a quick departure from the airport and we are going to look for the tram number 6, which is the one that takes you from the airport to the city of Bremen.
To take the tram you have to leave the airport on the right hand side and about 300m, we will find the stop.
Once inside we made the mistake of not looking at the indicative plane before and we got off at the downtown station, when our hotel is located near the station, 3 more stops.
After asking in a store, we have returned to take the tram, to make the section that we had left, that loaded with the suitcases we did not feel like walking a lot and apart from that, start a little with our planning with all the things what to see in Bremen.
We arrive at our hotel, the Best Western Schaper-Siedenburg, around 12 and after checking that the room is very good, both for space and cleaning, we take our camera and our guide and we will go around the city and to be able to count later on the blog what to see in Bremen in one day.
As we said before, we have the hotel next to the Bremen central station and at the moment we verify that we have nearby, both bars and restaurants, something that will be great for us to choose the places to eat by consulting the opinions on Tripadvisor and that Both serve us on all our trips.
We started walking and after a few meters we saw a group of people taking pictures from a bridge, and looking we saw that we are in front of the famous Bremen Mill.
Bremen Windmill
Here we begin our visit to the area, as always, without stopping to take photos, following a planning that we have prepared and that will more or less take us to tour the most important places to see in Bremen.
A good option to save money is to book the Bremen Card that includes transportation and discounts on monuments, shops and museums.
Bremen Windmill
We follow the Bremen Mill Street until we reach the famous "Street of the Sows" of Bremen, Sögestrasse, where in the middle ages, pigs were led to the central station, hence the name.
Bremen's Sogestrasse Street
We take a few pictures of the sculpture that represents the name of the famous street and we go to the center of Bremen.
At this moment we see that the distances in Bremen are quite short and we decide that today we will dedicate it to make a general tour, without stopping much, to have a good vision.
Down the street we find several food stalls, coffee ... and we are surprised to see that most shops are closed. It is good Friday and in Germany it is also festive.
So we make a quick change of plans and decide that tomorrow we will also stay in Bremen, to enjoy the city with some more atmosphere and on Sunday we will do the getaway from Bremen to Hamburg We have in mind.
In a few minutes we reach the famous Markplatz, but before arriving, we turn our eyes and there appear the Bremen musicians. That symbol of the city that we all know thanks to the children's story of the same name.
Bremen musicians
We no longer look at the square and go there to take the photos and admire the sculpture, which as we had read, the donkey has bright front legs, why they say, whoever comes to Bremen, has to hold on to them and make a secret wish.
From the sculpture of the Musicians of Bremen we just have to turn and we are already at Marktplatz, one of the most impressive squares we have ever seen. It is a spectacle with incredible architectural beauty.
Bremen Marktplatz
We can't stop looking back and forth, admiring each building trying not to overlook any detail.
We see some terraces in the same square and we have decided that after lunch, the coffee will touch in one of them, taking advantage of the sun that seems not to want to hide.
In Marktplatz also found the St Pietri Cathedral, the Town Hall and the Parliament, other places you can't miss in Bremen.
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After this brief walk through the best-known square in Bremen, we suddenly see behind us the famous Roland sculpture from Bremen (which by the way we expected bigger), perhaps because of that, it was the last thing we have seen.
Bremen Roland
After taking lots of pictures in Marktplatz and look at it from all angles, we understand that being declared a World Heritage SiteIt has not been casual.
From here we go to the also famous Böttchestrasse street, in which you have to cross a small corridor, which leads directly to it. Coopers lived on this street in the Middle Ages.
Bottchestrasse street in Bremen
We admire all the buildings and begin to notice that our neck begins to suffer: we do not stop looking up.
This is beautiful. Bremen is making us fall in love with every step we take and despite not being perhaps the best known German city, it certainly deserves a few days away to enjoy it.
We stopped before the golden relief of the entrance of the street, to take some photos and then we find the patio that has a monument dedicated to the painter Paula Modersohn-Becker. We follow theBöttchestrasse street admiring the towers, balconies and all the details that come our way.
And suddenly we run into him Bremen Carrillon Courtyard.
The Bremen Chime
Here we see the 30 porcelain bells, which in winter ring at 12h, 15h and 18h, while a tower opens on the left side, showing marine reliefs.
Our stomach at this time begins to sound and we decided to go to eat, to return at 3 in the afternoon to listen to the carillon.
Leaving the street, we arrive at Schlachte waterfront and there we see an Italian restaurant (despite our idea of trying local food), we go directly to eat there.
After lunch and a desktop that allows us to relax after the early morning we have given ourselves, we continue with our tour to know all places what to see in Bremen in one day and we go straight to listen to the carillon.
The square has been filled with people and after 5 minutes of show, we decided to go for our second afternoon coffee to Markplatz. We are there for an hour, with a spectacular view of the square and warming up with the few sun rays we have at this time of year.
After resting, we decided to go towards Schnoor Bremen's oldest neighborhood and where we were delighted walking its streets.
Narrow streets, beautiful houses and a very special atmosphere.
A great option to know the history of the city and not miss anything is to book this free tour of Bremen Free! With guide in Spanish.
Bremen's Schnoor neighborhood
We see that there are many craft stores, but today they are all closed, so we have a new reason to come back tomorrow.
Bremen's Schnoor neighborhood
After touring many of the streets of Schnoor neighborhood, we find the famous Cat Coffee and there we are going to take the picture of rigor.
We see that there are several Spanish restaurants in the area, something that could not hurt us if we took some more time in German lands.
In the middle of the afternoon we go down to the promenade and cross it until we reach the water tower, where we stop, we take some photos and we go to cross it in the opposite direction.
Bremen
We pass in front of the Martini Church, which gives a special "touch" to the set.
Bremen
From here we reach the area of the restaurants, bars and cafes of Bremen and we see that there is no soul in the street, with a most festive atmosphere, which makes us add this corner of Bremen to our morning walk through the city .
And we see in the corner a bar that catches our attention: Bar Celona, a most creative name.
It's 6 in the afternoon and we've traveled almost the entire center of Bremen, so we decided to go to the hotel for a while to rest, then go for a walk when it's dark and have dinner.
It's 8 in the afternoon when we get back on our way looking for somewhere to have dinner.
A good option to know the history and curiosities of the city is to book a guided tour in Spanish
In the end, after a few laps, we have finished at the Celona Bar where we enjoy a huge wratwurst that we have put between chest and back. Great !!
It is 10 p.m. when we go back to the streets of Bremen, this time in the direction of the Best Western Schaper-Siedenburg. It is time to rest after a full day in Bremen.
Day 2BREMEN
