Architecture in Bremen

Fallturm

Experiments with weightlessness are conducted here. The top of the tower serves as a function room. The Fallturm (drop tower) at Bremen University is 146 metres high, with a 110-metre tube that allows experiments to be carried out in zero-gravity conditions. It can produce up to ten seconds of free fall, making Bremen's drop tower a unique scientific facility and an important part of aerospace research. There are spectacular views across Bremen from the top of the drop tower, and the rooms can be hired for functions and meetings. The Guardian newspaper described the Panorama Room as a 'James Bond lounge' due to its location and furnishings.

Haus der Bürgerschaft

Bremen's parliament building was designed in 1966 by internationally acclaimed architect Wassili Luckhardt. Ever since, it has been the home of Bremen's regional assembly – right in the heart of the city, on the market square. The sculpture garden is part of the State Parliament. It features six works by Gerhard Marcks and was opened in 2005. You are able to visit it during the normal opening hours of the State Parliament. The EU info point Bremen is on the same side of the State Parliament as the cathedral. The information point is a forum for all things European and EU-related, right at the heart of Bremen. It offers information, advice and a varied programme of events.

Kaffee HAG

The Café HAG factory is made out of reinforced concrete and was built for Ludwig Roselius in 1906-07 by Bremen architect Hugo Wagner. Its products, such as Café HAG decaffeinated coffee and Kaba instant chocolate, were exported across the world. Later on, Ludwig Roselius funded the rebuilding of Böttcherstrasse, which shapes the image of Bremen's city centre to this day. Coffee is still being produced at the old factory in Überseestadt. As part of a guided tour of Lloyd Coffee, you can discover the secrets of the art of roasting and see the magnificent marble hall. A cup of coffee is, of course, also available on site.

Mühle am Wall

Mill dating back over a century in Wallanlagen Park. Open to visitors, also houses a restaurant. If you are strolling from the main station to the city centre, the first notable feature you come across is the windmill in Wallanlagen Park. This is a great place for a walk, or simply to wind down and relax.

Speicher XI

This listed warehouse is an impressive 400 metres or so in length and was built between 1908 and 1912. Today, there are no more dockers toiling in the former warehouse. They have been replaced by the creative minds that thrive in the workshops and lecture rooms of Bremen's University of the Arts and in the new offices based in the old docks. The harbour museum and the Port restaurant have also found homes here.

Umgedrehte Kommode

Near the historical water tower, known by the locals as the 'upside-down dresser', a new district is taking shape. The water tower on the Stadtwerder peninsula was completed in 1873. Its affectionate nickname is 'the upside-down dresser', as its four towers are thought to resemble the feet of a chest of drawers. At the moment, the building is occasionally used for exhibitions and theatre performances, but soon the former water tower will form the centrepiece of a new city quarter, as 220 residential units are being built in this highly desirable location on the grounds of the former waterworks. The city centre, Lake Werdersee and Café Sand are all located just a stone's throw, or a boat's length, from the water tower.

Denkort Bunker Valentin

The Valentin U-boat pen was one of the largest military projects in Nazi Germany. The remaining ruins near Farge district of Bremen now serve as a place of rembembrance. The former Valentin U-boat pen is the most visible reminder of three large-scale Nazi armament projects that completely transformed this rural region in the mid-1930s.

In 1938, a front company for the Reich's ministry of economics, Wifo, began to build an underground fuel store between Farge and Neuenkirchen. From 1939, the German Navy built additional fuel bunkers in the immediate vicinity. Both sites were part of the preparations for war. From the middle of 1943 onwards, the existing infrastructure was used in the building project of the Valentin U-boat pen. At the end of March 1945, an air raid by the British RAF destroyed the unfinished part of the U-boat pen. Building work ceased shortly afterwards. No U-boats were ever built at the Valentin pen. After the war, the allies initially used the U-boat pen to test bombs. Various plans to demolish it failed, and for a while it became a kind of adventure playground for local children. In the 1960s, the German Navy took over the U-boat pen and used parts of it as a storage depot until the end of 2010. The surrounding premises were taken over by the German Army at the end of the 1950s and used as a military training area.

Today, the Valentin pen is a memorial site and is open to the public. A circular trail, which runs through and around the pen, has 25 waypoints that reveal the history of that particular location. Historical photos, first-hand accounts and brief explanations provide you with insights into the pen's past. A multimedia guide is available from the information centre that offers additional information on each of the waypoints. The information centre also has a media console showing the geographical development of the armaments complex – of which the Valentin pen was only a part – from the early 1930s to the present day, as well as an exhibition that goes into greater detail. Here you will also find a supplementary exhibition to the circular trail that provides further details on the history of the bunker. Objects from the period when the pen was built and from the post-war years can be viewed across six themed islands.

Weser-Stadion

'Green and white forever' – the home of Werder Bremen!

This footballing temple with its four iconic floodlight masts can accommodate 42,100 fans. To get to Werder Bremen's Weser-Stadion (riverside stadium) in the heart of the city, you can walk, cycle, get the tram or even travel by boat.

The Weser Stadium, home of Werder Bremen football club, is located right on the banks of the river Weser, surrounded by green spaces.

The first stadium on this site was built back in 1909. Since then, there have been numerous rebuilds, conversions and extensions. The last major reconstruction project took place between 2008 and 2011, when the entire stadium was modernised and additional seating created. As part of those renovations, the stadium also became energy self-sufficient, thanks to newly installed solar panels.

It's possible to explore the stadium as part of a guided tour. Another attraction is the Wuseum, the Werder Bremen museum. Here, you can learn all about the development of the stadium over the years, along with the history of the club itself. Most locals follow their team's exploits closely every weekend.

Home games offer an additional attraction in the form of the Weser Stadium's own landing stage. So why not travel by boat on matchday? Take the ferry from Pier 2 via Martini-Anleger (St. Martin's quay) directly to the stadium.
Alternatively, take the Sielwall ferry from the Park+Ride site on the Stadtwerder peninsula to Osterdeich. The stadium is also well within walking distance of the city centre, and can be reached with a short, pleasant stroll along the Weser.

Bremer Haus

Another architectural highlight is the Bremer Haus, a historical terrace which has undergone seemingly endless modifications down the years.

Aalto-Hochhaus

Bremen has a rich architectural heritage. You don't have to look far to discover some eye-catching examples from the 20th century: the Aalto-Hochhaus, a high-rise apartment block in Neue Vahr, and the regional government building are among the most striking post-war buildings. The impressive residences at numbers 108-126 Bismarckstrasse date back to the 1930s and are built in the Neues Bauen style.