Böttcherstraße

Böttcherstraße in Bremen is a short lane of barely 100 yards that ranks among the most unusual streets in Germany. Rebuilt in the 1920s by a coffee magnate as a "city within the city," it is a rare piece of German Expressionist architecture in brick and gold, linking the Market Square with the Weser riverfront. A porcelain carillon, two art museums, craft workshops and cafés make it one of the essential things to do in Bremen.

The Story Behind the Street

The lane is named after the coopers (Böttcher) who made barrels here until the 18th century. In the early 1900s, coffee merchant Ludwig Roselius, founder of the coffee company Kaffee HAG, began buying up the houses. Between 1922 and 1931, sculptor Bernhard Hoetger and architects Eduard Scotland and Alfred Runge created the buildings you see today.

The Nazis disliked the street's style, and Hitler publicly attacked it in 1936. That same year the gilded relief "The Bringer of Light" was installed above the entrance. Much of the lane was destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt after the war; it has been a protected monument since 1973.

What to See

• The Bringer of Light, the golden relief at the Market Square entrance
• The Glockenspiel, porcelain bells hung between two gables; while it plays, ten carved wooden panels showing famous ocean crossers rotate in the tower
• Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum, home to the most important collection of this pioneering early modern painter
• Ludwig Roselius Museum, with art from the Middle Ages to the Baroque
• Haus Atlantis, known for its blue-and-white "Sky Hall," now part of a hotel

Opening Hours and Tickets

The street is open at all times and free to walk through. From April to December the Glockenspiel plays on the hour from noon to 6 p.m.; from January to March it plays at noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. The museums open Tuesday to Sunday (the Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Roselius Museum noon to 4 p.m.). A ticket costs €12, reduced €8, and visitors 17 and under get in free (as of October 2026). The Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum is closed November 2–13, 2026 for works. Note that the museums are not yet step-free.

How to Get There

Bremen is roughly an hour from Hamburg on Deutsche Bahn intercity trains, so it works well as a day trip. From Bremen Hauptbahnhof, walk about 15 minutes through the old town or take a tram to Domsheide or Obernstraße. Tram line 6 links Bremen Airport with the city center. Drivers should use one of the downtown parking garages.

Is it worth visiting? Absolutely, especially if you time your stop for the top of the hour. Allow 30 minutes for the street and two to three hours if you add the museums.

Nearby

• Market Square, Town Hall and Roland, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, right at the entrance
• Schnoor, Bremen's oldest quarter, about ten minutes on foot
• Schlachte, the riverside promenade just beyond Martinistraße