Did you know that the semester ticket not only allows you to travel by public transport, but also gives you free admission to numerous cultural institutions in the city? up2date. shows you how to discover Bremen’s art and cultural scene over the course of a weekend:

Friday: Theater and Dance Performances

On Friday afternoon, you can kick off the weekend by visiting one of the many cozy cafés in Bremen’s districts of Neustadt or Viertel (Ostertor and Steintor districts) before heading to one of the city’s many theaters. If you are in the Neustadt district, you can pay a visit to Schwankhalle, the bremer shakespeare company, or the Schnürschuh Theater. The three venues are just a few hundred meters apart and can be reached easily by tram number 4. With current dance, music theater, and performance pieces, Schwankhalle showcases the whole range of performing arts, among them the steptext dance project. Your Kultursemesterticket gives you access to these events. The Schnürschuh Theater stages plays for children and young people during the day, while the evening program is aimed at a wider audience. The plays are characterized by poetic simplicity and an intimate relationship with their audience. As the name of the bremer shakespeare company suggests, it focuses on the works of William Shakespeare.

But there are also several venues in the Viertel distict. The Theater am Goetheplatz is home to musical theater, dance, drama, and children’s and youth theater. The Literaturkeller has a very special atmosphere: Located in a 150-year-old wine cellar, it seats no more than ten people to see the plays performed by just two actors.

If you are more interested in puppetry, it is worth visiting the “Mensch, Puppe!” theater in the Viertel district or the Bühne Cipolla located in Woltmershausen. “Mensch, Puppe!” has an extensive program of plays, musicals, readings, and concerts. The Bühne Cipolla also offers live music.

If you are a fan of crime, you should definitely visit a performance at the bremer kriminal theater in Walle. This is where crime and theater come together. The productions include classic and modern investigators, as well as thrillers and crime comedies. You are bound to have a truly unique experience when visiting the AMS! Theater in the Neustadt district. The plays are performed in the style of long-form improv and are inspired by the audience – no two plays are the same.

After the performance, you can wind down the evening with friends in one of the many bars. You are already in the right place for this in the districts of Neustadt or Viertel. Alternatively, you can continue discovering the local nightlife and move on to one of Bremen’s many clubs.

Saturday: Art and Culture

If you opted for an activity in Neustadt last night, today you can take a walk through the Viertel district, well-known for its cultural diversity and creative scene. If you start from the eastern suburbs, you can walk through the Viertel as far as the Kunsthalle museum. Alternatively, you can take a walk along the park-like Wallanlagen and end at the Kunsthalle. At the Kunsthalle, you will encounter changing exhibitions and numerous works of art from eight centuries of art history.

If you are more interested in modern art, you can take advantage of the free admission to the Weserburg. Its exhibitions and events offer insights into both international and regional art. The location of the Weserburg is also special: It is located in the middle of the Weser on a river island, on a place known as Teerhof.

Another extraordinary experience awaits you in Bremen’s Walle district: The Blaumeier Atelier is an inclusive art and culture project and presents results of projects from the fields of theater, mask making and mask play, music, painting, photography, and literature. Given the range of creative activities, their presentations take many different forms, including performances, concerts, exhibitions, and readings.

You can prepare ahead for Sunday by borrowing a book from the city library, which in addition to the central library has seven more branches, including Vahr, Vegesack, Gröpelingen, Osterholz, Huchting, Lesum, and the mobile library buses, which stop at different parts of the city. All students of Bremen State will receive a free library card.

Sunday: Go for a Walk in the Schnoor District

After two fun-filled days, you can take it slow on Sunday. One way to relax is to go for a walk to the Schnoor district to enjoy a leisurely brunch and a cup of tea. Afterwards, you might want to stroll through Bremen’s oldest district and browse through the small art boutiques, galleries, and souvenir stores, many of which are open on Sundays. When night falls, you could make your way home and cozy up with the book you borrowed from the library.

Alternatively, if you have withdrawn a movie in the old-fashioned way from the city library, you could end the week by having a relaxing movie night with some friends before you start into the new week the next morning.

Further Information:

Students of the University of Bremen, Bremen City University of Applied Sciences, the University of the Arts Bremen, and University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Ottersberg are entitled to the offer. All you need is a valid semester ticket or student ID from your university.

You can find further information on the Kultursemesterticket website (in German only).