Landmark of Bremen

We had been having a great time to snap a picture of the real landmark in Bremen, the Stadtmusikanten or City Musicians. The image of a rooster, perched upon a cat, balanced on a dog, resting on the back of a donkey had popped up a few times in the city, but there is a small bronze statue near the centre of town which has become a bit of an icon for the city. There is of course, a story behind the statue. In the story, the four animals pile on each others backs to reach the window of a house and play their music to frighten away a group of robbers inside the house in order to get inside and get some food.

We shuffled along from the centre of the city into one of the grand old building that litter this part of the world, the St. Petri. When we emerged from its dimly lit grandeur we were greeted by a flame juggling street performer on our way to one of the oldest parts of the town, the Schnoor quarter. The Schnoor quarter was described in the guide book simply as the ‘touristy part’ with shopping, and it wasn’t kidding. The small streets are filled with tiny shops and homes, all build out of brick and stone and nearly all older more than 500 year. Many of the shops reflect the many different lands that have been using Bremen as a trading post for centuries, with handicrafts and clothing from around the world on display.