There’s something for everyone at Domsheide, the city centre and one of the three main traffic junctions of Bremen in Germany. Two stations by tram—one of the main and well-networked modes of transport in Bremen—from Hauptbahnhof, the central train station, and you reach Domsheide. Housing the courthouse, the town hall, the market square, the tall and enchanting St. Peter’s Cathedral, the Schooner and St Johann, Roman Catholic priority church of Bremen, Domsheide is an eclectic area where people come to shop, spend time at the exotic cafe joints, go on walking tours to decipher the historical past of Bremen or just sit in the salubrious weather with a bottle of Becks, the famous beer brand which comes from this very Hanseatic city.
To the east of Domsheide is the ‘market’. From the local street food, which consists of pommes frites, German sausages, cakes and pretzels, to high-end fashion boutiques and beer joints, it is the place to spend your time in. Shopping in Bremen is a sheer delight; the city centre is compact yet manages to have countless boutiques, fashion stores, department stores, restaurants besides a strong sense of culture. Want to enjoy a good browse? Head for the malls or wander around the picturesque squares. One of the main areas to check out is Domshof Passage. The passage is a part of a glass-roofed walkway linking Sögestrasse—the main shopping street in Domsheide—to the cathedral. Domshof Passage houses over 50 stores with sophisticated fashion ranges that also come with great offers.
Further down the Domshof Passage, the streets of Obernstrasse and Sögestrasse should be on the list of ‘must visit’. With a first-rate selection of retail outlets, cafés and bars, if you look up, you’ll also see a multitude of impressive gables, some of which are from Bremen’s old merchants’ houses. The streets open to Lloyd Passage or Lloydhof which is home to Bremen’s two leading department stores, Karstadt and Galeria Kaufhof. Roland Kleidung is a popular stop for women’s fashions. Other than these, exclusive stores of Chanel, Givenchy, Rolex, H&M, Escada, Cartier, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, etc are lined up here.
To the south of Domsheide is the Schnoor quarter that accommodates medieval ancient houses and passages of the 17th and 18th century closely huddled together. This is one of Bremen’s oldest districts and was known to be a poor man’s home. Today it boasts of some of the finest galleries, art and craft shops, handicraft stores, antique shops and restaurants which serve some of the most expensive wines of the city. Other than weekdays, the Schnoor quarter is open on Sundays between 11 am and 4 pm (1 April 1 to December 31).
At the very centre of Domsheide is the Town Hall of Bremen—the seat of the President of the Senate and of the Mayor of Bremen. It houses the cellar known as the Ratskeller. Since it was erected in the year 1405, German wines were stored and sold there. With its history of over 600 years, the Ratskeller of Bremen is the oldest wine cellar of Germany, furthermore the oldest wine barrel of the country. Traditionally, the cellar has been a tavern and today a large part of it is a gourmet restaurant. With old brick and wood architecture, the restaurant is home to the rich and famous of Germany. Needless to say, the wines served in the cellar are one of the most expensive and exquisite ones.
Fact File
When to visit: March to July is ideal. Spring starts in March, and the weather is salubrious till July.
Where to stay: Hochzeitshaus hotel in Schnoor; Hilton and Swissôtel Bremen at the main square. Tariffs range between €250 and €350 per day.
Where and what to eat: Ratskeller at Town Hall (finest wines and gourmet cuisine); Beck’s in’n Snoor at the Schnoor square; Schüttinger at the market square (a brewery house and the best pretzels available in town). Also, one must try the most popular German snack Bratwurst, of grilled sausages, served almost everywhere in the country.
what to take home: Kluten, a traditional sweet. Hachez, a traditional Bremen-based chocolate brand; their store is well worth a visit to buy Kluten.