exploring Bremen & its surrounding areas
You are here: worth seeing in the surroundings
Stade - on the banks of the Schwinge (5/6)
From Hansehafen (Hanseatic harbor) to Stadthafen (city harbor)
The old Hansehafen on one side and the Stadthafen on the other, with heavy traffic rushing along Hansestraße in between. The Stadthafen used to be noisy as well, but it has largely become quiet. Why? Because it is no longer profitable.
Part of the sculpture group "Stader Seezeichen" made of granite, steel, and gold by Thomas Werner, this artwork at the harbor dates back to 2013/2018. In the background flows the Schwinge River.
From a shipping perspective, the problem is that both the Elbe and Weser rivers are tide-dependent. With every change in tides, sediments - sand or silt - are carried by the flowing water and deposited. This is exactly what happened to Stade’s city harbor. Material brought in by the Elbe flows 4.5 kilometers from the Schwinge’s mouth into the harbor and settles there at its endpoint. The only solution is dredging. Ultimately, the cost-benefit analysis led to the closure of the harbor for commercial shipping, unlike in Bremen and Hamburg.
This motor-driven slip winch system (restored, 1913) was used to pull smaller ships ashore for repairs
As early as 1758, ships were built here in Salztorvorstadt, long before the actual construction of the city harbor in 1880/81. However, the later shipping of bulk goods was also discontinued, as was the construction of coastal motor ships in the final years of the shipyard’s history, which ended in 1976. The oil and steel crises of the 1970s likely accelerated the decline of Stade’s shipyards, as they did elsewhere.
Harbor crane from 1927
What remains is a harbor with relics of the past, such as a slip winch system restored in 2007 (dating back to 1913), which was used to pull smaller ships ashore for repairs using motor power. There is also a restored harbor crane from 1927, now a monument.
The cargo barge "DORA von Stade," with the marina in the background
Traditional ships are always tourist attractions in a harbor, and since 2002, visitors have been able to admire the 1902-built cargo barge "DORA von Stade" (launched in Itzehoe) as well as the coastal motor ship "Greundiek," built in 1950. Both ships required restoration work to reach their current condition, as is always necessary for vessels that remain in the water.
The coastal motor ship is now a museum ship
Of course, this alone is not enough to make the city harbor a "nice place." Additional ingredients include gastronomy, residential buildings for those with well-filled wallets, and a marina for visitors arriving by boat.
Locks are no longer used here, so art has taken over the lock house. In front of it, a model of a cog reminds us of the Hanseatic era
But there is also culture in the form of the Kunstverein Stade e.V. in the lock house at the Salztor (salt gate). Regular art exhibitions take place in the rooms next to the massive lock gates.
Lock gates on the side of the art association; today, the waters beyond are used for water sports or simply leisure time on the water
And with that, we’ve already arrived at the topic of locks, which also makes Stade’s inner city more attractive. What exactly is the Schwinge River here, and what is a moat? And why is there even a moat?
Map
Further information
STADE Marketing and Tourism GmbH
Hansestraße 16
D-21682 Stade
Email: info@stade-tourismus.de
Website: www.stade-tourismus.de
Phone: +049 (0) 4141 77698-0
Tourist Information at the Harbor
Opening Hours: April to October: Mon–Fri 10 AM – 6 PM; Sat, Sun & Holidays 10 AM – 3 PM, November to March: Mon–Fri 10 AM – 5 PM, Sat 10 AM – 3 PM, Sun & Holidays closed
Schwedenspeicher
Wasser West 39
D-21682 Stade
Phone: +49 (0) 4141 79 773 0
Email: info@museen-stade.de
Website: www.museen-stade.de
Opening Hours: Tue–Fri 10 AM – 5 PM, Sat & Sun 10 AM – 6 PM
Kunsthaus
Wasser West 7
D-21682 Stade
Phone: +49 (0) 4141 79 773 20
Email: info@museen-stade.de
Website: www.museen-stade.de
Opening Hours: Tue, Thu, Fri 10 AM – 5 PM, Wed 10 AM – 7 PM, Sat & Sun 10 AM – 6 PM, closed during exhibition changes!
Verein Alter Hafen Stade e.V.
Phone: Gerd Becker +49 (0) 4141 4123255 or +49 (0)151 10974508
Email: becker1959@gmail.com
Website: www.greundiek.de
Kunstverein Stade e. V.
Website: www.kunstvereinstade.de
Heimatmuseum
Inselstraße 12
D-21682 Stade
Phone: +49 (0) 4141 79 773 40
Email:
info@museen-stade.de
Website:
www.museen-stade.de/heimatmuseum
Opening Hours: closed for renovation
SUP CLUB Stade: Rentals, courses, canoe, kayak, pedal boat, BBQ
Salztorswall 8
D-21682 Stade
Phone: +49 (0)1514 2898283
Arrival
The advantages of traveling by car from Bremen are limited. While there are several parking garages to park your vehicle near the city center, the train station is also just a five-minute walk from the city center. At the station, you need to change trains in Hamburg. The regional trains run more frequently, so you don't have to rely on specific connections. With a Niedersachsenticket (valid from 9 AM until 3 AM the next day), you can freely choose your connections for an entire day (round trip excluded IC and ICE). Buses and trams operated by Bremer Straßenbahn AG (BSAG) are also freely usable with the Niedersachsenticket.
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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Bremerhaven Havenwelten
Since early 2008, Bremerhaven has not only had a new tallest building but also a new landmark in its Weser-side skyline with the ATLANTIC Hotel SAIL City, which rises 147 meters directly behind the Weserdeich. Architecturally, the structure perfectly embodies a maritime city - it stands like a powerful, rounded ship's superstructure. On the 20th floor, at a height of 77 meters, there is an observation deck (SAIL City) that is also accessible to non-guests.
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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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Walsrode World Bird Park
The name "Weltvogelpark" (World Bird Park) sounds ambitious, but in fact, the park in the Lüneburg Heath is the largest of its kind worldwide and has only carried the addition "Welt" ("World") since 2010. Over 4,000 birds, including many rare species, live on the 24-hectare site, representing around 650 different bird species from all continents. The bird park was founded in 1962 as a private breeding station and later expanded into a full-fledged park. It is highly recommended as a family-friendly day trip.
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