Join me on on a fun-filled day walking in the footsteps of your emigrating German ancestors! On this guided day tour, we cover both a walking tour in the city of Bremen and a visit to the emigration museum in Bremerhaven.
With over 7 million people leaving from here between 1830 and 1974, Bremerhaven was once one of the busiest emigration ports in Europe. Bremerhaven is located directly at the seafront of the North Sea.
But before the emigrants got to Bremerhaven, they most often spend several days in the city of Bremen. So on this 2 hour tour, you will see all sightseeing highlights of the 1,200-year-old Hanseatic town of Bremen and hear stories related to emigrants and immigrants. Ask any questions you may have to your professional tour guide Sonja Irani.
Tour price
Tour price: 145 € (EURO) for one person
+ 32 € (EURO) for every additional person (up to a maximum of 10 people per group)
(Price includes museum entry ticket, train ticket and VAT)
How to book
This private tour is available all-year-round and on request only.
Simply contact us by filling in the short “Request now” contact form on this page to discuss a date.
REQUEST NOW
Part One: 2-hour walking tour in Bremen (10 am – 12 pm)
1. The old port of Bremen
We will see the river bank of the river Weser in Bremen, which was the very first harbor of Bremen. The first emigrants left from here before Bremerhaven was founded in 1827.
Later on, the emigrants started from here by tender boats, which took them to the Atlantic ships in Bremerhaven.
2. The Böttcherstraße
We will visit the street where decaffeinated coffee was invented by a Bremen merchant. Here, we will also learn more about trade from and to Bremen, which has a long tradition in the city.
The “Glockenspiel” at the Böttcherstraße (street of the barrel makers) in Bremen.
3. The Roland statue and medieval market square
This statue from the year 1404 depicts a knight called Roland and is one of Bremen’s two UNESCO World Heritage sights. I will explain why the Roland is also known as Bremen’s “Statue of Liberty”.
The “Schütting” trading house on the left, was a contact point for emigrants in the 19th century, as an emigrant office was located here to help people with the emigration process.
4. Saint Peter Cathedral
Next to the Roland, we will see the Bremen Cathedral, the medieval market square and the equally old Town Hall. If it’s open at the time of visiting, we can also take a look inside the cathedral.
Most emigrants payed a visit to this church to pray for a save journey. On the marketplace there used to be merchants selling the emigrants necessities for the journey, e.g. straw mats, eating utensils or durable food.
The cathedral and town hall of Bremen
5. The Bremen Town Musicians
We will of course make a stop at Bremen’s most famous statue: the four animals from the fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm (the donkey, the dog, the cat and the rooster).
Here you will learn what the old fairy tale had to do with the emigrants of the 19th century.
6. The Schnoor quarter
The oldest quarter of the city of Bremen features houses that sometimes date back to the 1400s. We can also find the smallest hotel in Bremen here.
Before the railroad took the emigrants directly to the port of Bremerhaven, they had to stay in Bremen in one of these small houses, until the riverboats were ready to take them to the harbor.
This is where our walking tour ends. If you like, you can spend some more time in the Schnoor quarter and perhaps enjoy some coffee and cake at one of the several cute cafés here.
Part Two: Train ride and included visit to the Emigration Museum in Bremerhaven (12 pm – 7 pm)
1. Train ride from Bremen to Bremerhaven
After the guided tour in Bremen, you will head to the train station with your tour guide.
We will travel just as many German ancestors would have traveled from Bremen to Bremerhaven – by train!
Our included train ticket also covers the tram from Bremen’s city center to Bremen’s main train station (Hauptbahnhof). Here, we catch one of the hourly running trains to Bremerhaven. They take about 1 hour until they arrive in the harbor town of Bremerhaven.
2. Visit the Emigration Museum in Bremerhaven
Once we have arrived in Bremerhaven, your personal guide will catch the short bus with you that will bring us to the harbor front.
Here, we enjoy a short guided tour along the harbor front.
Then, we will head inside the “German Emigration Center”. Here, we will re-live the interactive museum experience of what an emigrant’s journey from Bremerhaven to America would have been like.
After an eventful half-day visit to the north German coastline in Bremerhaven, you will catch the train back to Bremen and arrive there around 6 to 7 pm.
Tour price
Tour price: 145 € (EURO) for one person
+ 32 € (EURO) for every additional person (up to a maximum of 10 people per group)
(Price includes museum entry ticket, train ticket and VAT)
How to book
This private tour is available all-year-round and on request only.
Simply contact us by filling in the short “Request now” contact form on this page to discuss a date.
REQUEST NOW
More time available?
Take a look at our in-depth 3-day guided group tour in Bremen and surroundings:
3-day emigration-themed group tour in Bremen and northern Germany
Explore the emigration history of northern Germany on a guided group tour from your hotel base in Bremen.