Sustainable Activities in Bremen

Going on a discovery tour by bike saves CO2 and helps you keep fit! The benefits are the same, whether you take a guided bicycle tour or explore Bremen on two wheels by yourself. If you'd rather take things at a slower pace, we have suggestions for walking tours and small hikes. You can also discover Bremen's delights as a green space from the water. Rent one of the beautiful wooden boats from the rowing boat rental by the Emmasee (Lake Emma) and explore the Bürgerpark from the water.

When shopping, you can still keep a number of issues in mind to ensure your purchases are sustainable. For example, Bremen has a number of second-hand boutiques and shops that sell fairtrade products. There's even the entire "Fair mile" in the Viertel district. And you'll surely unearth that really special something at one of Bremen's flea markets. If you're looking for really typical regional souvenirs, you'll find them at Made in Bremen. Handicrafts, artworks, gourmet treats, books and poems from in and around Bremen can all be found in these historic surroundings in the heart of the city centre. The Martinshof City Shop is also right in the middle of the city. Its product range includes hand-made items from the Martinshof, one of the oldest and largest workshops for people with disabilities in Germany. Here you'll find children's toys, Bremen Senat branded products and ceramic articles.

Explore the city in a relaxed and environmentally friendly way – aboard the Town Musicians Express! The little red and white ‘"road train", powered by an electric motor, takes you to Bremen's beautiful city centre. However the tours are not yet available in other languages than German.

If you'd rather explore Bremen on two wheels, you can sign up to join a group for a guided bicycle tour. Is there anything better than a boat tour through the countryside? Go on an excursion, or charter a peat barge from Findorff to discover more about the history of this particular type of vessel and experience the wonders of nature as the boat glides through the picturesque regional waterways. Excursions are run by a not-for-profit foundation which supports the inclusion of people with disabilities.

If you want to find out more about various aspects of sustainability such as climate protection and biodiversity, or if you want to immerse yourself in world cultures, the Hanseatic city of Bremen is the right place for you. Environmental protection and biodiversity are two of the topics showcased in a very approachable way at Bremen's botanika botanic garden. Come and investigate Bremen's green land of adventure and make your own discoveries. Yet another highlight: you can wander through Asiatic landscapes without having to buy a plane ticket or create an enormous CO2 footprint.

In Universum Bremen, you go on an extraordinary journey of discovery into the world of science. Experience and understand scientific phenomena up close and with all your senses through the 300 exhibits, in three subject areas (Technology, Humans and Nature). As an associate centre of the BildungKlima-plus-56 German government project, Universum has committed to reducing its own CO2 footprint and also to optimising and expanding its climate protection education program. The permanent exhibition has video interviews with experts that explore the topic of sustainability and also an enormous three-dimensional data globe that visitors can use to create their own overview of climatic events.

The exhibition spaces of the Übersee-Museum (Overseas Museum) are also home to exhibits from different cultures and natural environments, all with their own fascinating stories to tell. For example, visitors can find out more about how food supply chains are interconnected, about the CO2 footprint generated by growing and transporting them and the consequences of climate change for humanity and the environment.

At Bremer Geschichtenhaus (History House), the performers will take you back on a journey back in time. Wearing historical costumes, they relay events from three centuries of Bremen history with individual stories that bring Bremen's historic past back to life.

In the Vegesacker Geschichtenhaus (History House), you'll find out more about the history of the northern part of the city and its dockyards and hear lively stories from the harbour-side bars. The project: Both the History houses (in Vegesack and Bremen itself) are social integration projects for the long-term unemployed. The aim is to give the performers the skills to encourage them to return to work and provide professional support to help them into professional careers.

The Bunker Valentin Memorial in Bremen's Farge district was built as a factory for submarines (U-boats) in World War 2. It is the location for innovative educational approaches to how history is taught and how a sense of historical awareness can be created. A range of different formats and themed tours of the site provide information about the National Socialist era in which slave labour was used to build the Bunker Valentin factory. An information trail with 25 stations tells the history of the site. You can borrow a multimedia guide when you tour this site. It is also available as an audio guide for people with an visual impairment. The entire site is fully accessible. Guided tours must be booked in advance.