Flying over to Germany for the weekend is almost as easy as taking a bus to a nearby city. Despite our Ryan Air flight being late, we only had to spend 1,5 hours in the air. Thanks to the great flight schedule, this Germany weekend trip was easily possible without missing at work: Friday evening flight to Bremen and back in Tallinn on Monday morning!
Tallinn Airport has changed
Before boarding our delayed flight, we had a chance to explore the renewed Tallinn Airport building. I had no idea it changed so much! Although it is still small compared to most international Airports, it’s kind of cute and authentic. We loved exploring free gym, too. It’s such a great idea – to work out a little before all the sitting you have ahead of you. If you are tired, there are 4 sleeping capsules, also free of charge.
Flying with Ryanair
I have flown with RyanAir multiple times. Somehow, they keep getting more and more greedy. You need to pay for almost anything extra – like sitting next to your travel companion, taking your cabin luggage with you, priority boarding etc. The seats are getting thinner, too. On the positive side – they still deliver great and mostly on-time service, so short flight are bearable – definitely OK for a short Germany Weekend trip.
Bremen Airport
I love coming to Bremen airport. Even though this time we had our friends pick us up, it’s really easy to reach the town with either public transport. Local transport (tram) departs very frequently and you can buy tickets from the machine inside (costs 2,80€). The ride to main train station takes approx. 11 minutes.
Hanging out in Osnabrück
The next day we spent exploring Osnabrück – small German town with a nice history. The old town is quite typical for this part of the country. There are lot’s of shops and outdoor cafes, as well as boutiques and souvenir shops.
Osnabrück is also known as the city of peace – Peace of Westphalia was negotiated in Osnabrück at the end of the Thirty Years’ War. The city is also known as the birthplace of anti-war novelist Erich-Maria Remarque.
Today, the city is very peaceful and quiet, with lots of parks and fountains. There is also a huge university, attracting many local and international students.
Relaxing in Bad Rothenfelde
After a long, hot day in Osnabrück we went to Bad Rothenfelde – a health resort 20km south of Osnabrück. The main attraction of this place is Graduation Tower – wall-like structure, stuffed with bundles of brushwood, used in the production of salt which removes water from a saline solution by evaporation. The “stuffing” needs to be changed about every 5 to 10 years as they become encrusted with mineral deposits over time. As the water runs down the walls, it partly evaporates and has good health benefits (similar to those created by breathing sea air).
No wonder this place has many SPA hotels, clinics and resorts. It reminded me of Karlsbad in Czech Republic – small resort town with its laid back atmosphere. It’s a good place to be on a hot summer day!
Traveling from Osnabrück to Bremerhaven
The next morning we took a local train from Osnabrück to Bremerhaven – the town I spent 3 years of my life in. The easiest and my personal favorite way to travel in Germany is by train. If you travel in a group, Deutsche Bahn has great offers, such as Niedersachsen Ticket deal. All in all, we paid 35€ for a day group ticket, allowing us unlimited train journeys within Niedersachsen area for one day.
Visiting Bremerhaven
The day we visited Bremerhaven turned out to be a huge celebration day. So, instead of sleepy small town, it usually is on Sundays, it was busy and crazy. In fact, it was so crowded, that I almost wish we came in another time.
So, what can you do on your visit in Bremerhaven? The town has some incredible museums:
Klimahaus – interactive climate and weather center,
Auswandererhaus – German Emigration center and museum,
Schifffahrtsmuseum – German Maritime Museum
U-Boot Wilhelm- Bauer – submarine & museum
Zoo am Meer – small Zoo with marine animals
One great thing about Bremerhaven is actually not the town itself, but its huge port. In fact, it is one of the largest ports in Germany, which is exporting automobiles and containers. I highly recommend seeing it for yourself and taking the harbor tour of Bremerhaven. The ticket costs 11,50€ and the bus depart from the Shop Window Fishery Harbor, passing all tourist attractions on the way.
Just like Osnabrück, Bremerhaven has been a university town with the big international campus. You can even study Cruise Tourism Management, taught 100% in English here!
Overnight in Bremen
Bremen is a lovely town, but this time we didn’t have much time to explore it in depth. If this is your first time, I recommend at least taking a walk in the old part, taking a photo with Bremen Street Musicians, exploring Schnoor and touring their famous Becks brewery.
Once again, thanks to its great location, Bremen airport is one of the best ones for Ryan Air flights – even if departure time is 06:30 in the morning. Trams are operating every 30 mins, so don’t sleep in! Just as in Bremen, Tallinn Airport also has tram connection, so I was back at work with a very slight delay from normal timing. It was still a difficult day due to lack of sleep, but the weekend was nothing less than perfect.
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