The Nightwatchman tour

Take a tour of the old city in Bremen at night, guided by a nightwatchman.

In days of old, cities like Bremen were protected by organized groups of watchmen who would take shifts patrolling the streets at night calling out the hour and sounding the alarm at the sight of attack, criminal activity or fire.  A tour company in Bremen has organized evening tours around this theme, with the guide taking the role of a nightwatchman who takes you along on his rounds.  Guiding you by lantern, he shares tales of Bremen in this entertaining and educational tour.

 Why go?

• Bremen’s old city is safe to wander alone in the late evening, but this tour adds the education and entertainment to your stroll.
• If your days are filled with activities, this is another way to get a “Alt Stadt” (old city) tour in without disrupting your activities.
• This activity is suited for the whole family.

 What you need to know!

• There are several similar tours.  The information which follows is based on the one I took.
• The tour’s website.
• The tour cost 10 Euros per person
• The meeting point is the Bremer Stadt Musikanten (Statue of the town musicians).
• The tour takes about 1.5 – 2 hours.
• The tour is listed as being given in German, but when I took the tour, the Watchman asked everyone for their prime language, and then gave the tour in both German and English.
• You can book the tour online ahead of time, or you can just show up; although I assume you might run a risk that too many people show up and they restrict participation.
• The hours for the tour I took are:
  • January, February March:
    • Friday & Saturday at 8:30pm
  • April, May, June, July, August, September, October:
    • Wednesday(9pm); Thursday(9pm); Friday & Saturday at 8:30pm
  • November, December:
    • Wednesday(8:30pm); Thursday(8:30pm); Friday & Saturday at 8:30pm
• There are other tours available, starting at other landmarks around the Bremer Rathaus (City hall), with prices ranging from 10-12 Euros per person.  If you book ahead, make sure you locate the correct starting point for your tour.

The Bremer Stadt Musikanten statue.  This is the meeting location for the tour I took.

The story behind the statue.