The Schnoor is Bremen's oldest surviving quarter: a tight knot of narrow, car-free lanes between the cathedral and the river Weser, lined with more than 100 tiny houses. It was once home to fishermen, boatmen and craftsmen, and it is now full of small shops, galleries and cafés. Its name is Low German for string, and the houses do stand in rows like beads on a cord.
The Schnoor at a glance
- Where: in Bremen's old town, south-east of the cathedral and the market square, between the Weser and the Domsheide tram stop.
- Built: settled since the Middle Ages; the oldest houses date from the 15th century, most from the 17th and 18th.
- What it is today: a protected historic quarter of small listed houses, with craft shops, galleries, cafés, a small theatre and a museum.
- Time needed: 45–60 minutes to wander the lanes, longer with a coffee or a museum visit.
From fishermen's island to listed quarter
In the Middle Ages this was a low island between the Weser and the Balge, a side arm of the river, and fishermen and boatmen built their cottages here. Franciscan friars settled in the 13th century and built St John's Church, which still stands at the edge of the quarter. The Balge was later filled in, but street names such as Hinter der Balge and Balgebrückstraße recall it. The name Schnoor goes back to the old crafts of rope and cable making for ships; a neighbouring lane, Wieren, was named after the wire cables made there. The other popular explanation is simply the way the houses line up along the lanes like beads on a string.
In the 19th century the narrow lanes could not cope with growing traffic, and the Schnoor became one of the poorest parts of the city. It came through the Second World War with only light damage, but by the 1950s many houses were falling apart. In 1959 the Bremen Senate decided to restore the quarter and offered owners financial help to repair their houses. In 1973 the whole Schnoor was placed under protection as a historic ensemble, and it has been one of Bremen's main sights ever since.
What to look for
- Heini Holtenbeen: a bronze statue of a man in a hat, made by Claus Homfeld in 1990 and standing near the Concordenhaus. It honours Jürgen Heinrich Keberle (1835–1909), one of Bremen's best-known local characters.
- The Katzengang, the cats' alley: a passage so narrow you have to walk through it in single file.
- The Schifferhaus on Stavendamm, a boatman's house that is one of the best-preserved in the quarter.
- The tiny plots: most houses stand on a plot of only around 55 square metres, which is why they are so small.
- The Landherrnamt from 1856 and the black concrete memorial in front of it, set up in 1982 for the Jewish citizens of Bremen murdered during the November pogrom of 1938.
Heini Holtenbeen, Bremen's cigar-stub collector
Keberle was born in Bremen in 1835 and, as an apprentice, fell through a skylight. The fall left him with a stiff leg, hence the nickname Holtenbeen, Low German for wooden leg, although he never had one. He spent his days on the market square outside the stock exchange, where smoking was not allowed: merchants handed him their half-smoked cigars on the way in, and he rolled new cigars from the stubs and sold them. In hard times he would politely ask passers-by for a little loan. He lived in the Schnoor for several years and died in 1909 in a home for the poor.
Tips for your visit
- Come in the morning before the shops open or in the early evening, when the lanes are quieter and the light is soft on the old façades.
- Wear shoes with good grip: the cobblestones are uneven and slippery when wet.
- Get lost on purpose. The quarter is small, and the side lanes and courtyards away from the main Schnoor street are where it is most peaceful.
Nearby
- Schlachte: Bremen's riverside promenade along the Weser, with beer gardens and moored ships, a few minutes' walk away.
- Böttcherstraße: a short street rebuilt in the 1920s and 1930s in brick Expressionist style, with a carillon of porcelain bells.
- Market Square: the Town Hall and the Roland statue, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004, and the bronze Town Musicians of Bremen.
- St Petri Cathedral: Bremen's cathedral with its two towers, at the edge of the market square.
See Bremen with World City Trail
Our Bremen scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 34 minutes of walking. It includes places such as the Schlachte promenade and Böttcherstraße. You can play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Bremen.
Play the Bremen scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Bremen →
Play the outdoor escape game in Bremen →
Facts checked in October 2026.