Day 5: Bremen

Bremen definitely isn't the biggest or most well-known of cities in Germany but it's a quaint place with plenty of things to see and do.

Situated in the northern part of the country, it's only around an hour or so away from both Hamburg and Hannover, but the great infrastructure throughout Germany means it's straightforward to reach by either road or rail. The Flixbus stop is adjacent to Bremen Hauptbahnhof; from where pretty much everything is within walking distance. If the weather is crap, there's an extensive tram service which covers most parts of the city.

The Weserstadion is roughly an half-hour stroll from the station/centre and is situated on the banks of the River Weser - hence the stadium name. The place has undergone extensive redevelopment since it missed out on being included as a host venue for the FIFA World Cup in 2006. Despite this (and as well as hosting the national team in the past), it's again been rejected in the stadium selection process for the Euro 2024 tournament. To throw in a random fact, during the Second World War, the Weserstadion was also home to anti-aircraft guns!

Bremen was bombed heavily during that conflict and one landmark which was suffered significant damage was the cathedral (St Petri Dom) - so much so it was feared it may collapse for several years afterwards. It wasn't actually restored to it's former glory until the 1970s!

Nowadays, the Gothic structure towers above everything else in the city and it's a brilliant piece of engineering steeped in history. The fact there's less tourists around compared to other cities also means that you're able to properly appreciate the time and effort which has gone into constructing the place. Bremen's Town Hall is also located just a stones-throw away, too.

There's also an array of bars, pubs and restaurants in the city and if Werder Bremen have a home game you'll no doubt find them packed to the rafters several hours before kick-off.

All in all, Bremen is a place I enjoyed visiting - it's just a shame that the football match was absolutely shocking to watch but you can read more on that later.