Bremen, Germany and its Iconic Flour Windmills

The Hanseatic city of Bremen is the vibrant heart of north-west Germany and home of the famous Bremen Town Musicians (made famous by the tales of the Grimm Brothers).  The city’s proper name is the Free Hanseatic City-State of Bremen (in German, Frie Hansestadt Bremen).  With a population over 550,000, Bremen is situated on the Weser River 43 miles [70 kilometers] inland of the North Sea.

After our time touring and shopping in the Schnoor quarter (the historic 14^th – 15^th century old district) of Bremen, we walked north to Wallanlagen Park, alongside the Stadtgraben River in the heart of the city. The Stadtgraben River was originally fed from Bremen’s main river, the Weser River, and formed a moat protecting the old city, along with what was originally a wooden wall surrounding the city, that was later replaced by a stonework wall.

“Bremen, the cosmopolitan city on the river Weser, is steeped in history.  The locals are proud of their Hanseatic heritage, but it’s not something they would ever boast about.  They enjoy having a coffee on the market square outside the magnificent UNESCO-listed town hall, or a refreshing beer on the bustling Schlachte Embankment.  Here, it’s easy to imagine days gone by when ships from all over the world were docked in the harbour.  Even today, you can still see traditional sailing ships here, such as the Alexander von Humboldt.  If you walk through the Schnoor quarter, Bremen’s oldest district, or the elegant Böttcherstrasse with its distinctive architecture, you experience history at every turn.” — www.bremen.eu/tourism/this-is-bremen 

Photos taken by Rich E.