The city’s oldest district, The Schnoor was first mentioned in the 13th century, housing mainly fishermen and craftsmen. Many trades were associated with shipping – including rope-making (giving the area its name- Schnoor means string). Thatched cottages were built in a maze of alleys between the rivers Weser and Balge and, while the Balge eventually silted up and was finally filled in the 19th century, those early inhabitants were very susceptible to high floods.
The tiny plots in Schnoor did not appeal to the rich merchant class who moved and built their villas on larger tracts, away from the river. Nor did the narrow twisting streets suit the increase in road traffic from the late 19th century and so, by the beginning of the 20th century, the area was one of the poorest in the city.
Ironically, these apparently insurmountable impediments – lack of space and inability of cars to pass through its streets – along with the blessing of having suffered only slight damage during WW2, have made The Schnoor the quaint district it is today. By the mid-1950’s, the area was in a pitiable state but, in 1959, the town Senate decided to rebuild and home owners were offered financial support for restoration. Today, over a hundred listed buildings – dating from the 15th to the 19th century – are under monument protection. Construction work in the quarter is strictly monitored and balance is maintained between business and residential use.
In 2018, The New York Post ranked Schnoor among The Coolest Streets around the World!
What a quaint area, and an interesting history! The way in which merchants abandoned the area and move to larger plots higher and away from the river echoes what happened in Newcastle as it spread up and away from the Quayside. Like there, Bremen has clearly done a great job in restoring and reinventing these old streets 🙂
It’s a lovely little spot…. and still feels authentic enough despite what must have been extensive restoration in parts..
I spent a lovely 3 days in Bremer some years ago despite torrential rain during most of the time. I remember the marvellous meals we had there, especially a fish restaurant we were taken to where they brought around second helpings! I didn’t see the Schnoor district in dry weather but it still looked attractive and I did buy a lovely umbrella there! Are you going on to Bremerhaven?
We’d only 2 nights so didn’t go to Bremerhaven… did you? Is it worth a visit?
I’m heading to Bremen next year and can’t wait to visit The Schnoor 🙂
Ah it’s a lovely town Hannah – and the centre is very compact
What a cute city! I’d have a hard time putting my camera away.
The whole centre is gorgeous – not just this quarter – The town is also very accessible from hamburg – a little over an hour by train so it even works as a day trip option..
We visited Bremen for Christmas markets a few years ago, and didn’t discover Schnoor until our last day, too late for an evening meal visit. Lovely little area though.
We were there 2 years ago and almost missed it also! We spent a bit more time on this occasion and had lunch and a coffee break. We missed the markets this time (but knew in advance) – they opened on the Monday at 10.00am and we were leaving at 11.00!! We managed to visit a few stalls but would have liked another hour or two..
These streets look very picturesque – I wonder if “real” people live in them or they are holiday lets?
Good point Emma – while I suspect that there must be a fair share of lets, there certainly seems to be plenty of permanent residents also