Bremerhaven is a medium-sized town in the state of Bremen, on the outer Weser in northwestern Germany. It is famous for its large harbour, one of the biggest in Germany for passenger traffic, apart from Hamburg. A political part of Bremen, Bremerhaven is geographically separated and surrounded by the federal-state of Lower Saxony.

lighthouse entrance to Old harbour

Understand

Bremerhaven is about 50 km north of Bremen. It was founded in the 19th century as a new port of the hanseatic city. Bremerhaven means in English literally "Bremener Harbour".

Bremerhaven retains its function as an important international harbour covering large area north of the city, but Bremerhaven is also a city of modern science: several scientific institutions lead by Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research are based in Bremerhaven.

It has a fine selection of museums, galleries, family activities, events and shopping making it an increasingly attractive tourist spot at German North Sea coast.

Local information

• Bremerhaven city council website

Get in

Bremerhaven can be reached from Bremen and Hamburg.

By plane

You might find reference in older works to an 1 airport which was shut down in 2016. The nearest bigger airport is in Bremen. A big international airport is in Hamburg and if you are flying across the Atlantic, you will most likely arrive there or have a layover in Frankfurt airport.

By train

The 1 train station is located in central Bremerhaven. Trains arrive from throughout Germany via Bremen with Deutsche Bahn as well as withEVB from Hamburg via Buxtehude.

By car

Bremerhaven can easily reached by car from Bremen, via the A27 northbound, if you take exit 10 from the A27 you can follow the road directly to the Fishdock (Fischereihafen).

By boat

A ferry Weserfähre serves the port from Nordenham.

Additionally, in summer season, numerous cruise ships dock their passengers taking local tours of the city, or of further Bremen and Hamburg.

By camper

From the A27 take exit 10. There are two special parking areas for mobile homes in the town, both are very good, one at the Fischkai (fish wharf) and the other at the Doppelschleuse (double ship lock) a 10-min walk from the town centre. Both places are signposted.

Get around

By bus

Bremerhaven was one of the last German cities to lose its tramway and there are no plans of building one again, so for the most part you're limited to buses.

See

Some of the ships displayed in the outdoor section of the museum.

• Overseas Harbour with its big ships and the huge container and car storages.
• Schifffahrtsmuseum (Museum of sea travel). Includes entry into some ships and even a submarine. This must be one of the best ship museums around, not all models, they have examples of real ships including some pioneering designs. Well worth a visit. 
• Zoo am Meer. Is the smallest public zoo in Germany 
• Deutsches Auswandererhaus (German Emigration Center). Dedicated to the history of German emigration, especially to the United States. 

Do

• Take a harbour tour.
• Visit the Weser Lido which is located in the city center.
• 1 Climate House (Klimahaus), Am Längengrad 8 (Just head for the Atlantic Sail hotel, next to the Ship museum.). 10:00-18:00, closed on Christmas and New Year. Visitors can travel the virtual line of 8 degrees longitude in a single day and experience a wide variety of climate zones along the way. Be prepared to queue as this attraction is very popular once inside it can take you all day to see everything. Well worth a visit. (updated Oct 2024)
• A trip with the Weser-ferry Bremerhaven-Nordenham, enjoy the city-panorama.

Buy

• Mediterraneo (next to the ship museum and Climate House). The newest shopping centre in Bremerhaven some nice shops to browse in, a nice setting. 
• High Street, The main shopping area of Bremerhaven is a wide pedestrian area with all the named shops you would expect to find in a German town C&A, Saturn, H&M, and some lesser-known shops. Never crowded it has a very relaxed atmosphere. You can also access the Columbus shopping centre from here, a little like a small American shopping mall complete with a food court. 

Eat

• Schaufenster Fischereihafen. For the excellent local seafood. 
• Paprika. Balkan, Verdener Straße 21, ☏ +49 471 200016. Good Balkan food: don't try the platter unless you are really hungry. 
• Natusch (Natusch Fischereihafen-Restaurant), Am Fischbahnhof 1. 

Drink

A lot of small bars are located at the Alte Bürger.

Sleep

• 1 Reisemobil-Parkplatz Doppelschleuse (Special parking area for mobile homes), An der Neuen Schleuse 15 (take exit 10 from the A27 and follow signs for the airport, about 2 km past the airport the site is on your right immediately after a set of lights (the parking area is in a hollow so is hard to spot until you have gone past the turning)). 10-min walk into town. 30-min walk to the Fishdock. Power on most plots, Toilets, showers and water all available. 51 pitches (5 x 8 m); 12 pitches (6 x 9 m), power connection, service house with toilets, showers, unloading and supply station, waste disposal, daily bread delivery service by the Court Service, tourist Info terminal. No bookings, may be full on afternoon. (updated Oct 2024)
• 2 Reisemobil-Parkplatz Fischkai (Special parking area for mobile homes), Hoebelstraße 52 (take exit 10 from the A27 and follow signs), ☏ +49 471 80936 153. About a 30-min walk into the city centre. 47 pitches (5 x 8 m); power connection, service station with WC, showers, fresh water, disposal, holding separator (floor drain), waste disposal, daily bread delivery service. No bookings. (updated Oct 2024)
• 3 Atlantic Sail City Hotel, Am Strom 1, ☏ +49 471 30990-0. Next to the Climate House & Ship Museum. 
• 4 Comfort Hotel, Am Schaufenster 7 (A27 exit 10 then follow the signs for the Fishdock), ☏ +49 471 9320-0. In the Fishdock area, a 2-min walk away from some really good seafood restaurants. About a 20-min walk into the city centre. 
• 5 Havenhostel Bremerhaven, Bürgermeister-Smidt-Straße 209 (situated opposite the port-entrance), ☏ +49 471 309669-0. 

Go next

• The numerous beaches around the town are worth a visit, especially the ones in Dorum Neufeld, or Wremen.
• Go further north to Cuxhaven or explore the North Sea.
• Bremen, the metropolis of the state consisting of Bremerhaven and itself, up the Weser river

Routes through Bremerhaven

Cuxhaven ← Nordholz ←

N  S

→ Osterholz-Scharmbeck → Walsrode