At 9:00 am there is hardly anything to see because of the heavy fog. But we hope that this fog will soon clear. According to the weather forecast, it should be really nice.
Transformation of a cruise ship
In front of us lies the "Deutschland". It will be transformed into “World Odyssey - Semester at sea”.
Columbuskaje Bremerhaven - World Odyssey - Semester at sea
Colorado State University offers courses at sea twice a year. The curriculum is related to the countries to be visited. After the theory on board, it is then about practical experience in the countries. All external signs that this ship is the Germany are just being unscrewed and painted over here in Bremerhaven.
There is a free shuttle bus from Columbuskaje to the emigration center. From there it is not far to all Sights of Bremerhaven.
Hanseatic cog, whalers and tugs
We start with the German Maritime Museum. The building is to be completely renovated so that only a few exhibition rooms are open. Nevertheless, there is still enough to see, e.g. the old Hanse cog from 1380.
Three ships can be viewed outside: a whaler and two tugs. The barque “Seute Deern”, an almost 100 year old sailor, now a museum and restaurant ship, is also located in the old harbor. The submarine "Wilhelm Bauer", which is considered a technology museum, can also be visited.
Three-masted barque Seute Deern
The German Emigration Center
We are very excited about the emigration center. It is the largest European experience museum on the subject of emigration and immigration. Every visitor takes on the identity of an emigrant for the tour. You learn the prehistory, experience the individual stations of the emigration intensively and learn the details about later life. All fates are extensively researched. This is impressive. I don't find the area of immigration so interesting. Maybe only the limits of my receptivity were reached.
Bremerhaven seen from above and from the water
Next, we drive to the observation deck on the 20th floor of the Atlantic Sail City Hotel. The fog has meanwhile disappeared, the sky is bright blue, and we have the ultimate panoramic view.
We take a break in the Mediterraneo shopping mall. We walk along the promenade along the Weser to the historic water level indicator and on to the car ferry pier. It commutes on the Weser between Bremerhaven and Nordenham-Blexen. We would like to see the Bremerhaven panorama from the water. This trip is not really worth it, but the view of Bremerhaven is still nice.
Bremerhaven's panorama
Back we walk along the promenade again, pass the museum harbor and look at the small harbor where the excursion boats leave. Then we take the shuttle bus to the Azamara Journey. At Columbuskaje we are still looking for the spot where Elvis Presley, then a US Army recruit, went ashore in 1958. A bronze plaque on the quay commemorates this event. Unfortunately, we cannot see the board because a crane is covering it.
Bremerhaven is an attractive destination: the well-tended promenades on the Weser, the inviting cafes and restaurants, plus top museums such as the Emigration Center and the Maritime Museum. We liked all of this very much.
Bremerhaven's semaphore
Continue reading: Day 6 - Amsterdam