exploring Bremen & its surrounding areas
You are here: worth seeing in Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven - Havenwelten (1/2)
Behind the Old Harbor with the museum ship "Elbe 3" stands the Columbus-Center
For more than thirty years, the Columbus-Center, built in 1975/76, dominated the skyline of the port city as seen from the water. Although the building complex designed by Bremen architect Peter Weber with its three high-rises is still unmistakable even from a distance, it has since been pushed into the background, both spatially and architecturally, after the redesign of the area in front of the Columbus-Center between the Old Harbor and New Harbor.
There he stands now, unable to do otherwise - for he is made of bronze: Christopher Columbus gazing toward America on a platform of the center facing the Old Harbor.
Since early 2008, Bremerhaven has had not only its tallest building but also a new landmark in the Weser-side skyline with the ATLANTIC Hotel SAIL City, which rises 147 meters high directly behind the Weser dike. However, the tip alone makes up about a third of the total height. Architecturally, the structure perfectly embodies a maritime city, presenting itself like a powerful, rounded ship superstructure. On the 20th floor at 77 meters above ground level is an observation platform (SAIL City) that is also accessible to non-guests.
Not for those afraid of heights: View from 77 meters up
From there, especially on clear days, one has a fantastic panoramic view over the city. Those who are not deterred by the height can climb stairs to reach an even higher platform, nine meters above that, located on the wings protruding beyond the building’s footprint. However, this view is not free of charge, and there is no guarantee that visitors will be able to enjoy the heights immediately during opening hours. The maximum number of people allowed on the platform is restricted by authorities to 199, so waiting may be necessary. Additionally, the operator reserves the right to close the platform in adverse weather conditions, though in such cases, staying indoors might be preferable, perhaps as a conference participant at the Conference Center Bremerhaven directly connected to the hotel.
Futuristic architecture for a contemporary issue: Klimahaus® Bremerhaven 8° Ost
From the dike side, behind the ATLANTIC Hotel stands the Klimahaus® Bremerhaven 8° Ost. This comparatively flat, futuristic-looking building houses an extensive learning and experience world that scientifically explores Earth’s climate. Along the 8th meridian, visitors pass through climate zones from dry cold to tropical heat, learning about the prevailing flora and fauna as well as the daily life of people shaped by these climates.
In another exhibition focus, more than 100 interactive exhibits aim to explain complex climate phenomena in an understandable way. Finally, the importance of climate for humanity’s future is addressed, the consequences of climate change are illustrated, and opportunities for climate-friendly actions for each individual are highlighted.
Shopping and strolling along the circular path at Mein Outlet & Shopping-Center Bremerhaven
Adjacent to the Klimahaus® is Mein Outlet & Shopping-Center Bremerhaven, a 9,000 sqm shopping center with Mediterranean flair and upscale offerings. Visitors stroll through this fully covered center designed as a circular path, past around 30 shops on either side, beneath facades modeled after a Mediterranean city in bright, friendly colors.
The massive segment of the Havenwelten rotating bridge, including its thickened underside, is rotatable to allow ships to enter and exit the Old Harbor
By the way: For those who find Mein Outlet & Shopping-Center Bremerhaven too small for extensive shopping, the so-called Havenwelten rotating bridge provides dry access from between Mein Outlet & Shopping-Center Bremerhaven and Klimahaus® to the shopping arcades in Columbus-Center and into the inner city with its shops, cafés, restaurants, fast-food outlets, and the Seafarers' Church.
Café/Restaurant under the glass dome of Mein Outlet & Shopping-Center Bremerhaven
A highlight of Mein Outlet & Shopping-Center Bremerhaven is the piazza located beneath a glass dome. Here, a restaurant/café invites visitors to linger with tables arranged around a fountain. However, on nice days, it’s better to sit outside at tables overlooking the Old Harbor with its historic ships and the German Maritime Museum.
Like a spiked helmet, the glass dome of Mein Outlet & Shopping-Center Bremerhaven juts into the sky of the maritime city
The present-day Old Harbor is only a part of the original harbor constructed nearly by hand between 1828 and 1830. Of its former length of 750 meters and width of 57.5 meters, after partial infilling between 1960 and ’75, only this comparatively small basin remains today, forming the museum harbor. Various goods, and especially fish from 1891 to 1935, were once transshipped here where museum ships are now moored. These include vessels belonging to the German Maritime Museum, such as the whaling steamer "RAU IX," the ocean tugboat "Falke," and until 2020 the three-masted bark "Seute Deern," launched in Mississippi in 1919.
Museum ships in the Old Harbor; in the background until 2020, the "Seute Deern"
The 76-meter-long cargo sailing vessel, which had passed through many hands and sailed under many names across the seas, owed its later name to a large figurehead added during a refit in 1938/39. Translated into standard German, "Seute Deern" means "Sweet Girl."
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Map
Further information
Hotel with Observation Deck SAIL City
Am Strom 1
27568 Bremerhaven
Phone: +49 (0)471 309900
Email: sailcity@
atlantic-hotels.de
www.atlantic-hotels.de/hotel-sail-city-Bremerhaven/
Klimahaus® Bremerhaven 8° Ost
Am Längengrad 8
27568 Bremerhaven
Phone: +49 (0)471 90 20 30 0
Open: April – August: Monday – Friday 9 AM – 7 PM, Saturday & Sunday 10 AM – 7 PM, Holidays 10 AM – 7 PM. September – March: Monday – Friday 9 AM – 6 PM, Saturday & Sunday 10 AM – 6 PM, Holidays 10 AM – 6 PM
Closed:
December 24th, 25th, and 31st.
Email: info@klimahaus-bremerhaven.de
www.klimahaus-bremerhaven.de
Mein Outet & Shopping-Center Bremerhaven
Am Längengrad 12
27568 Bremerhaven
Phone: +49 (0)471 92 69 07 90
Shopping hours: Monday – Saturday 10 AM – 7 PM, extended shopping Sundays
Email: moin@mein-outlet-bremerhaven.de
www.mein-outlet-shopping.de
Technikmuseum U-Boot "Wilhelm Bauer"
Van-Ronzelen-Str.
27568 Bremerhaven
Phone: +49 (0)471 4192443
Open: April – May daily 10 AM – 6 PM, May – September daily 10 AM – 7 PM, September – November daily 10 AM – 6 PM
www.u-boot-wilhelm-bauer.de
Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum
Hans-Scharoun-Platz 1
27568 Bremerhaven
Phone: +49 (0)471 48207-0
Open: April – November daily 10 AM – 6 PM, November – March Tuesday – Sunday 10 AM – 6 PM. Closed December 24th and 31st
Email: info@dsm.museum
www.dsm.museum
Deutsches Auswandererhaus® (German Emigration Center)
Columbusstraße 65
27568 Bremerhaven
Phone: +49 (0)471 90220-0
Open: March – October daily 10 AM – 6 PM, November – February daily 10 AM – 5 PM
Email: info@dah-bremerhaven.de
dah-bremerhaven.de
Zoo am Meer Bremerhaven GmbH
H.-H.-Meier-Straße 7
27568 Bremerhaven
Phone: +49 (0)471 308 41-0
Open: April – September 9 AM – 7 PM, March & October 9 AM – 6 PM, November – February 9 AM – 4:30 PM
Email: info@zoo-am-meer-bremerhaven.de
www.zoo-am-meer-bremerhaven.de
Bremerhaven in general
Bremerhaven was only founded in 1827. To secure Bremen's status as a port city amid the threat of the Weser - Bremens lifeline - silting up, Bremen acquired 342 acres (morgen) of land from the Kingdom of Hanover for 74,000 talers under then-mayor Johann Smidt. About 60 km downstream from Bremen, this land became home to the first urgently needed seaport built by Bremen: the so-called Old Harbor, completed by 1830.
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Bremerhaven - Zoo am Meer (Zoo by the Sea)
In addition to the 19th-century harbor facilities, the Zoo am Meer is the oldest attraction on the site between the Weser River and the pedestrian zone. It opened in 1928 under the name "Tiergrotten." The enclosures house polar bears, seals, penguins, various bird species such as gannets and keas, reptiles like turtles, raccoons, Arctic foxes, pumas, monkeys, and others - almost 50 animal species in total.
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German Emigration Center Bremerhaven (Deutsches Auswandererhaus®)
Opened in 2005, the German Emigration Center® vividly and engagingly presents the history of emigration to America across five eras, spanning from 1830 to 1974. In total, 7.2 million people departed from Bremerhaven to seek a new home and build a new life beyond the Atlantic. For its emotionally compelling and historically grounded exhibition, the museum received the European Museum Award in 2007.
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Klimahaus® Bremerhaven 8° Ost
In this futuristic building, visitors embark on a journey along the 8th meridian east, traveling around the globe through all climate zones. Across multiple levels, there is plenty to read, see, hear, and experience sensorially and tactilely about climate and its impact on local nature and human life. Visitors are not limited to being passive observers but are invited to actively engage with numerous exhibits.
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Bremerhaven - Überseehafen (Overseas Port)
In addition to the Old Harbor (now the Museum Harbor), which was the first to be built, other ports were later added. Adjacent to the New Harbor lies Kaiserhafen I, the first in a series of additional harbor basins. Even a glance into this initial section of the expansive port area reveals a different world of maritime activity - one of large ships. And we will see even larger ones along the five-kilometer-long quay on the Weser.
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Cuxhaven - a day trip
Many people from Bremen consider the seaside resorts of Cuxhaven to be "their home beach." The coastal city at the mouth of the Elbe is easily accessible from Bremen by car via the A27, which passes by Bremen and Bremerhaven before ending in Cuxhaven. By train, the journey takes a bit longer with a transfer in Bremerhaven. However, even in the off-season, Cuxhaven with its seaside resorts is a great destination for an outing - for example, by bicycle.
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SAiL Bremerhaven
When SAiL Bremerhaven takes place, the port city becomes an even more international stage than it already is, both in terms of participants and visitors, who exceed ten million over the five days of the event. Unlike the usual focus on cargo ships at the container terminal and cruise ships at the cruise terminal, this time - true to its name - the spotlight shifts primarily to sailing ships. In total, 250 vessels were attracted or involved in the SAiL, which returned for the first time in ten years in 2025.
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