exploring Bremen & its surrounding areas
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Bremerhaven - "Schaufenster Fischereihafen" (Fishing Harbor Showcase)
View of the old fishing harbor with the museum ship "GERA" and pontoon. The sea rescuers are often present at events, providing information and promoting their work
Away from the Havenwelten and older than the Emigration Museum and Climate House is the "Schaufenster Fischereihafen" (Fishing Harbor Showcase). In fact, the fishing harbor is the old deep-sea fishing harbor of Geestemünde, which was built between 1891 and 1896. At that time, up to 15 fishing vessels could unload simultaneously at the quay facilities, from where the fish was taken to the auction hall and Packhalle I. In 1897, the Tecklenborg shipyard, which later launched the long-standing "Schulschiff Deutschland" (once located at the Lesum estuary in Vegesack and now in Bremerhaven’s New Harbor) erected a slipway at the head of the harbor basin. This allowed fishing vessels to be pulled ashore for repairs, saving time and effort. However, neither the shipyard nor the facility exists today.
As the fish industry grew, the fishing harbor was further expanded. In 1906/07, Packhalle IV was built, followed by the Bremerhaven Ice Works in 1911, which still produce ice for various purposes in the city today. With the increasing amount of landed fish, transport capacities were required that only rail transport could provide. The Fischbahnhof (Fish Station) was completed by 1920, connecting the deep-sea fishing harbor to inland areas.
Today, the beautifully restored Packhalle IV houses shops and restaurants. Thanks to its roofing, visitors stay mostly dry even in rainy weather
Just a few years later, the decline of the harbor area began. Why? The harbor expansion had reached its capacity limits. Since further expansion was not possible, another fishing harbor was built, gradually shifting the fish trade there, including the fish auction by 1929.
The end for this site meant vacant buildings, decay, and partial demolitions until the idea arose to transform the area into a maritime experience world. In 1990, restoration began on Packhalle IV, the oldest surviving hall, which was beautifully preserved. The last German side trawler "GERA" was also restored and now serves as a fully equipped museum ship themed around deep-sea fishing. Built in Wolgast at the Peene River in former East Germany (1959/60) and based in Rostock, the ship faced scrapping in Portugal before the Historical Museum Bremerhaven took it over in 1990 and has operated it as a floating deep-sea fishing museum since 1993.
From the upper deck of the saloon steamer "MS Hansa," visitors enjoy views over the harbor while dining or having a drink
Infrastructure improvements were also made for tourism, ensuring good connectivity to the showcase—including public transportation. Between the Forum Fischbahnhof and the restored Packhalle, a market square for events was created where ships were once repaired. However, a harbor without boats is not a real harbor, so a pontoon dock and moorings for recreational boats were also installed.
Where the slipway once stood, visitors now sit on wooden steps during events, eating, drinking, and watching the sunset
Numerous events take place annually in the "Schaufenster Fischereihafen" including theater performances by Theater im Fischereihafen (TiF), concerts, farmers' markets, beer festivals, and since 2009, free concerts every Thursday from June to mid-September as part of the "Bremerhavener Musiksommer." Since 2015, the Expedition Nordmeere exhibition has also been held in the Fischbahnhof. Even when no events are scheduled and the weather is bad (Schietwetter), visitors can enjoy shopping and dining, including, of course, fish.
The Toto cover band Intotos performs at the Bremerhavener Musiksommer
Since April 6, 2019, Bremerhaven Bus has offered a new route with the "Hafen-Liner" (HL), connecting the New Harbor via the city center and main station to the fishing harbor.
Also since 2019, there has been a water connection between the two harbors. Members of the Lottjen e.V. association, founded the same year, restored an original oak "Börteboot" built in 1965 over three years. These boats are used on Heligoland to ferry island visitors from excursion ships and are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Since the open "Lottjen" boat (capacity: 20 people) travels via the Weser, it cannot operate in all weather conditions, and schedules are limited. However, interested parties can check the website or contact directly for details. It is certainly a unique experience, as the tour involves passing through two locks.
Not the "Lottjen," but one of the Börteboats on Heligoland Island
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Further information
www.schaufenster-fischereihafen.de
Museum ship FMS „GERA“
Fischereihafen I („Schaufenster Fischereihafen“)
Fischkai
27572 Bremerhaven
www.museumsschiff-gera.de
www.Bremerhavener-musiksommer.de/
www.fischbahnhof.eu
https://Bremerhavenbus.de
https://lottjen.com/
Bremerhaven in general
Bremerhaven was founded only in 1827. To secure its importance as a port city amid the threat of silting up of the Weser River - the lifeline of Bremen - Bremen acquired 342 morgen (approximately 850 acres) of land at the mouth of the Weser from the Kingdom of Hanover for 74,000 talers in 1827 under then-mayor Johann Smidt. About 60 km downstream from Bremen, the first urgently needed seaport for Bremen, known as the Alte Hafen (Old Harbor), was established there by 1830.
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Bremerhaven - Deutsches Auswandererhaus® (German Emigration Center)
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. The emotionally compelling exhibition, backed by historically accurate research, earned the museum the European Museum Award in 2007.
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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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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 - 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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Heligoland - a day trip
Germany's only supposed high-seas island is visited each year by thousands of tourists, most of them day-trippers in the warmer months. And yes, admittedly, Heligoland isn't located right in the vicinity of Bremen. However, it can be reached as a day trip from Bremerhaven and Cuxhaven - which is why we decided to visit.
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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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