You are now at the Weser-River, which connects Bremen with the Northern German lowlands and the North Sea. Take a break by sitting on one of the benches on the riverbank and observe the cyclists, pedestrians and the hustle and bustle on the water.Bremen’s first harbour was located at a Weser-River’s sidearm named “Balge“, which was still deep enough then to accommodate the ships of the 12th century. The Old Town stretched to the Islands between the Balge and the Weser-River. The Weser-River banks were not utilized as a docks until the 13th century, when wooden embankment enforcements, the Schlachte, were built. The waters of the “Unterweser” (lower Weser) are still navigated today up to the “Neustädter Häfen” (harbours), but with consideration of the tides and by ships with a maximum draught of 7.5 m. You can take a harbour tour later on, if you wish.Here is another interesting story: Until 1890, the Lower Weser-River in Bremen during majority of winters was frozen solid, under a thick layer of ice. In 1828, a group of native bachelors made a bet that on New Year’s Day of the following year the frozen Weser could be crossed with the aid of a heavy cutter and a hot iron without getting wet feet. The Bremen ice-bet emerged, whereby the loser had to host a celebration dinner with a main course of “Kohl und Pinkel“ (kale and sausage) for 600 guests. Since the Lower Weser-River rarely freezes now due to its alignment and excavation, a chance drawing is used: the losing party is determined by choosing “frozen” via a draw. The so-called “kale and sausage tours” are a popular past-time for the natives during the cold season, often accompanied by a good warming drink.
Photo Weserhb2 by Philipp Hertzog is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0