exploring Bremen & its surrounding areas
You are here: worth seeing in the surroundings
Wilhelmshaven, seaside city on the North Sea bay Jadebusen (4/4)
Above the Old Harbor. In the former signal station of the 1st Entrance from 1886, among other things, the Weser/Jade Pilot Brotherhood is housed
If you pass by the aquarium and head toward the South Beach Promenade, a bridge crosses over the Old Harbor, which was originally connected to the harbors behind it but is now permanently separated. However, the Nassau Harbor behind the intervening parking lot is more interesting. Since 1910, the Nassau Bridge has been located here.
On the Nassau Bridge
The five-meter-wide steel structure rests on a pontoon on the water side because the harbor is subject to tides, allowing it to rise and fall effortlessly. The bridge was used to transport supplies to warships and served sailors for shore leave, including the crew of the first battleship of the Imperial Navy, "SMS Nassau," built a year earlier in Wilhelmshaven, which first crossed the bridge and gave it its name.
The "Windsbraut" was a gift from Sparkasse Wilhelmshaven to the citizens on the occasion of the city’s 125th anniversary on June 17, 1994.
A naming ceremony also took place at one of the pier heads of the former 2nd Entrance (curiously, the first originally built to the harbors). There, an inscription commemorates June 17, 1869 - the day Prussian War Minister Albrecht Graf von Roon issued "the Highest Decree," by which Wilhelmshaven received its name. The naming king was naturally also present. Yes, there it was again - the Navy ...
On the Pier Head
Although the ensemble of South Beach Promenade, Marine Museum, Wadden Sea Visitor Center, beach, and Kaiser-Wilhelm Bridge is likely the most touristically interesting area of the city, a slightly larger tour around part of the harbor and the Ems-Jade Canal reveals even more.
The three-meter-tall Wilhelmshaven Water Carrier was created in 1985 by apprentices of the local Stadtwerke. It stands on Ahrstraße next to the bridge.
Next to Bridge House No. 2 of the Kaiser-Wilhelm Bridge on the South City side, a staircase leads down to the water. Following the car-free riverside path, you soon reach the Coastal Museum. How was life earlier along the coast? And what about the Sibetsburg, that medieval pirate fortress whose foundation remains can still be seen in Wilhelmshaven? Questions for which answers are found there.
The Coastal Museum, in front of which stands the bronze sculpture "Sisyphos," also created by artist Hartmut Wiesner.
Depending on the performance, new questions arise at TheOs, the studio theater of Landesbühne Niedersachsen Nord, right next door ... "To be or not to be...". However, this question need not be asked upon arriving at the Deich Bridge on Jadeallee. For the steel structure has been massively existent since 1908 and was necessary due to the third harbor expansion. The heavily trafficked connection over the Ems-Jade Canal, completed in 1888, once linked the Navy’s shipyard facilities.
Former pumping station, today cultural center
It was the Imperial Shipyard that, a year before the bridge construction, had built the South Pumping Station only a few meters from the canal to ensure tide-independent city drainage. In 1975, it was replaced by a new building with more modern technology and converted into a cultural center the following year.
Banter Ruin
After a roundabout, you pass by the Banter Ruin on Banter Kirchwarf. The small ruin is fake and was built in 1889 as a memorial site, specifically on the foundations of that church which had survived the sinking of Bant parish during the Anthony Flood - a severe storm surge with ice floes - that struck the East Frisian coast on January 16, 1511 (the day after Anthony’s Day), only to later decay.
Seating Bench at Banter Lake with the stylized Kaiser-Wilhelm Bridge as a backrest
The Banter Lake behind the ruin is a body of water frequently used by watersports enthusiasts, and for swimming there is the open-air bath "Klein Wangerooge" near Banter Fisherdorf. The lake was formerly the West and Intermediate Harbor and was separated from it in 1945 by the dam of rubble with Jadeallee running atop, becoming today’s Banter Lake, around which a circular path now exists.
Holiday accommodation with sea view and unusual staircase
Jadeallee ends at Südstrand Street, which leads back to the Kaiser-Wilhelm Bridge and onward to the aquarium. Here it becomes clear that you are in Wilhelmshaven’s tourist heart, for holiday apartments and hotels line the street. No surprise - depending on the accommodation’s orientation, you look out over Großer Hafen and Ems-Jade Canal or, on the other side, over or directly from the dike onto the vast open water of Jadebusen. Better than walking along the street is strolling car-free right by the great bay’s water, sometimes with a brisk breeze in your face - then you feel that you are at the North Sea. After all, the rough Atlantic isn’t far, and since 2012, the opened JadeWeserPort next to the Oil Pier offers even the world’s largest container freighters a place to dock and unload their cargo.
"Bad weather doesn’t exist, only the wrong clothing," if you keep this motto in mind and prepare, you can enjoy beautiful days by the sea at any time of year.
Was that all? No, of course not! Anyone who walks through the city with open eyes can discover more, like the old town hall, the Störtebeker Park, much art in public spaces, the medieval Wurten churches of Heppens, Neuende, Fedderwarden, and Sengwarden ... and ah, see for yourself and perhaps take a harbor tour, though it no longer takes place in autumn.
Beach in Schillig
If you are not traveling by your own car, you can take the Weser-Ems Bus from ZOB to Hooksiel with its protected-harbor monument or to the coastal town of Schillig with its great sandy beach, or to the city of Jever, where not only the namesake beer is brewed but where you can also visit the local castle with its castle museum and distinctive tower.
Castle in Jever
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Map
Further information
Tourist Information
Ebertstraße 110
26382 Wilhelmshaven
Phone: +49 (0) 4421 913000
Open: Monday – Friday 10 AM – 6 PM, Saturday 10 AM – 4 PM
Email: tourist-info@wilhelmshaven-touristik.de
www.wilhelmshaven-touristik.de
Stiftung Deutsches Marinemuseum
Südstrand 125
26382 Wilhelmshaven
Phone: +49 (0) 4421 400840
Open: April 1 – October 31 daily 10 AM – 6 PM, November 1 – March 31 daily 10 AM – 5 PM, Closed December 24
Email: info@marinemuseum.de
www.marinemuseum.de
UNESCO World Heritage Wadden Sea Visitor Center
Südstrand 110 b
26382 Wilhelmshaven
Phone: +49 (0) 4421 910733
Open: January – March: Tuesday – Sunday 10 AM – 5 PM, April – June: Daily 10 AM – 5 PM, July – August: Daily 10 AM – 6 PM, September – October: Daily 10 AM – 5 PM, November – December: Tuesday – Sunday 10 AM – 5 PM
Closed: December 23–25, 31
Email: info@wattenmeer-besucherzentrum.de
www.wattenmeer-besucherzentrum.de
Küstenmuseum Wilhelmshaven
Weserstraße 58
26382 Wilhelmshaven
Phone: +49 (0) 4421 400940
Open: February – November: Tuesday – Sunday 11 AM – 5 PM
Closed in December
www.kuestenmuseum.de
Kunsthalle Wilhelmshaven
Adalbertstraße 28
26382 Wilhelmshaven
Phone: +49 (0) 4421 41448
Open: Tuesday 2 PM – 8 PM, Wednesday – Sunday 11 AM – 5 PM
Closed: Monday, December 24–26, 31, January 1
Email: kunsthalle@wilhelmshaven-touristik.de
www.kunsthalle-wilhelmshaven.de
Kulturzentrum Pumpwerk
Banter Deich 1a
26382 Wilhelmshaven
Email: pumpwerk@wilhelmshaven-touristik.de
www.pumpwerk.de
Aquarium Wilhelmshaven Bullermeck GmbH
Südstrand 123
26382 Wilhelmshaven
Phone: +49 (0) 4421 5066444
Open: Daily 10 AM – 6 PM
Closed: Christmas Eve
Email: info@aquarium-wilhelmshaven.de
www.aquarium-wilhelmshaven.de
Dangast
Dangast is located on the Jadebusen, a 190 km² sea bay at the North Sea created by storm surges. The town, which belongs to Varel, is a popular holiday and excursion destination. Campers will find two campsites right by the water here, and cyclists have excellent conditions for tours in the surrounding area. The rhubarb cake in the picture is a classic with a rich tradition at the old spa house, which has been run by a family business for several generations.
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The East Frisian Island Wangerooge
Among the inhabited East Frisian Islands, Wangerooge is the second smallest (7.94 km²) after Baltrum and car-free, making a stroll through town much more pleasant compared to other islands, especially since distances can easily be covered on foot. From the small train station, you're just a few steps away from the heart of the village, quickly finding yourself in front of the unmistakable Old Lighthouse, which now houses the island museum. From 1856 to 1969, this lighthouse served as a maritime navigation aid, guiding ships safely along their routes. Just how far its light could be seen becomes clear when you climb the 149 steps to the lantern room—from there, you can step out onto the surrounding gallery and enjoy a sweeping view of the island and the North Sea.
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Heligoland - a day trip
Germany's only supposed high-seas island is a destination for thousands of visitors each year, most of whom are day-trippers during the warmer months. And yes, admittedly, Heligoland isn't immediately in Bremen's surrounding area. However, it can be reached as a day trip from Bremerhaven and Cuxhaven - which is why we decided to visit.
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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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Weser cruise from Bremen to Bremerhaven
Of course, you can take a car for a visit to Bremerhaven from Bremen or board the regional train at the main station. However, with suitable weather and enough time, it is more interesting to cover the route on the Weser by ship. The shipping company "Hal över" operates the connection from May to September. The ship departs from the Martinianleger near the city center along the Schlachte. Those who wish can even take their bicycle with them; additionally, you can pre-book a breakfast onboard.
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Brake & the River Island of Harriersand
As soon as spring arrives and the temperatures reach around 20 degrees, many Northern Germans are drawn to the North Sea coast. The main attraction? A beach to lie in the sun and sand for children to dig and build castles. This also draws many people from Bremen to the highways heading north on warm weekends, equipped with bags packed and picnic baskets ready for a day of seaside relaxation. But why travel far when the nearest beach is just around the corner? A visit to Brake and Harriersand proves that.
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Oldenburg
The third-largest city in Lower Saxony today was once the seat and capital of ruling counts, dukes, and grand dukes, later a Free State and state capital. Remnants of the time when nobles ruled the city include the palace and numerous primarily neoclassical buildings in the city center. But even beyond that, there is much to discover in the expansive, largely car-free inner city. And again and again, one comes across water during a stroll, such as the Old City Harbor.
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Artists' colony & peasant village: Fischerhude
Signposts make it clear to every previously unaware visitor that this place differs significantly from many other traditionally agricultural villages. Fischerhude is hip. Numerous cafés and restaurants, ceramics studios, art galleries, a local history museum, the Modersohn Museum, and more vie for the favor of an audience that is sometimes more and sometimes less interested in art but regularly strolls through Fischerhude in large numbers.
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Worpswede
In 1889, the painters Fritz Mackensen, Otto Modersohn, and Hans am Ende laid the foundation for this art center with their decision to work and live in the small, previously unknown village. They were quickly followed by other artists such as the painter Paula Becker, the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, Clara Rilke-Westhoff, Fritz Overbeck, Heinrich Vogeler, and later the sculptor, painter, and craftsman Bernhard Hoetger, after whose designs, among others, the Paula-Becker-Modersohn-House in Bremen's Böttcherstraße was built.
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