The port of Bremerhaven is located at the junction of two rivers – Weser and Geeste – near the exit towards the North Sea and ~ 60 km North of the city of Bremen. It is one of the major ports of Germany and a port of call for many passenger vessels travelling across the North and Baltic Seas. The port includes berths for container vessels, bulk and car carriers, tankers and cruisers and it is situated ~ 5 km away from the city.

Going out of the port is quite an easy task which requires no more than 5 minutes on board the port shuttle busses (walking inside the terminal is not allowed). These buses can be called upon using a local phone (agent’s or stevedores’ phone), but they sometimes need 20-25 minutes to arrive alongside your vessel due to the largeness of the port and the number of vessels requiring their service.

Just in front of the gate there is a Seamen’s Club – Deutsche Seemannsmission – where you can enjoy a few hours of relaxing time – using the internet and socializing with fellow seafarers.

If you have a few hours to spend outside the routine of working hours, you can have a walk in the town of Bremerhaven. To arrive into the centre, you can pick up a taxi from the port gate and the ride to the centre will take ~ 10 minutes and will cost no more than 15 euros. The drop off point can be Columbus Centre – on Burgermeister-Smidt Street – from where you can start your visit around the centre, passing by some of the most famous landmarks of the city:

– the Cathedral (die Große Kirche);

– the Columbus Shopping Centre;

– the German Maritime Museum (Museumshafen);

– the Mediterraneo Centre;

– the Museum of Immigration (Deutches Auswanderer Haus);

– the Technology Museum (Submarine Wilhelm Bauer);

– Zoo (Zoo am Mer);

– the Old Light House;

– the TV Tower.

All of these tourist landmarks are located close to the centre and most of them are scattered along the Weser River banks.  From Burgermeister-Smidt Street, you can reach the water front area walking through a glass tunnel which connects Columbus with Mediterraneo Shopping Centres.

From there you can have a stroll along the river, admiring different types of boats – old and new – which are docked in the Marina.

If you are lucky you can witness some of these boats passing through from one basin to another, using the existing locks, moment in which the bridges are closed for traffic and the gates are opened to allow the transit.

From the River banks you can walk your way back to the port, following the upper road (close to the water) until you reach the first gate. After that, you can continue your walk inside the port, pass by the Passenger Terminal and you will arrive at the Seamen’s Club in ~ 20 minutes.

Useful Info:

– The Seamen’s Club is open daily between 3 pm and 10 pm. It belongs to the Lutheran Church, but it welcomes seafarers belonging to all nationalities, races and religions. It offers a wide range of services including post service, international phones, phone cards, international newspapers, magazines and books, internet, pool, table tennis, rent a bike, a shop with soft drinks, beers and wines, chapel, basketball/football/ volleyball court. Sometimes the club organizes sport competitions and musical evenings with professional performances, piano/guitar players or karaoke. After 6:30 pm the club’s shuttle bus can be called upon at this number – 0471/42444.

– The port shuttle bus can be called upon using this number – 0471/14254620. The driver will leave you in front of the gate – opposite the Seamen’s club building. To return to the vessel, you will have to call the port shuttle bus, using the special buzzer located at the gate;

– On Sundays, all the shops and supermarkets are closed in town, except a small souvenir shop inside the Mediterraneo Centre;

– The best places for shopping are the Columbus and Mediterraneo Centres. Both are closed on Sundays, but inside Mediterraneo some cafes and restaurants remain open until late afternoon. A stroll along the ‘streets’ of this shopping centre can be a wonderful experience due to its Italian like architecture;

– The best supermarket in town is Lidl – located at the end of Burgermeister- Smidt Street (closed on Sundays);

– The city hosts sailing competitions and boats exhibitions during the summer.