The Hanseatic City on the river Weser is a compact city. Bicycles are not just a means of transport here, they are a way of life. There are twice as many cyclists on Bremen’s streets as there are motorists. And the city is hosting a top cycling event in 2024, the UCI Indoor World Cycling Championship.
Best placed in the rankings
Bremen scores really well in a number of important rankings. It is number 9 of the world’s best cycling cities in the Global Bicycle Cities Index 2022 and number 11 in the world in the 2019 Copenhagenize Index. Bremen’s success story as a cycling city began way back in the 1970s, when the Hanseatic city suddenly invented the cycle lane. Today’s network of cycle paths extends to more than 1,000 kilometres through the city, along the river Weser and through parks and gardens.
Project: BIKE IT! and the year of the bike
BIKE IT! is a local project to promote cycling culture which aims to give the people of Bremen and beyond an understanding of the value of cycling and how much fun it can be. Twelve varied cycle circuits leading through urban and rural areas in Bremen, Bremerhaven and the surrounding area have been developed. They are perfect for holiday-makers wishing to combine a city break with outdoor fun.
The year 2024 is all about bikes, with the motto ‘FAHRRADja! 2024. Bremen bewegt Dich.’, which loosely translates as ‘Say yes to the bike in 2024. Bremen gets you moving.’ Various events are scheduled throughout the year to help you discover Bremen by bike. For example, Poetry on the Road becomes Poetry on the Bike from 6 to 9 June. Since this festival of international poetry began 24 years ago, it has attracted more than 750 famous authors from 65 countries. The Breminale, a major culture festival between 3 and 7 July, will this year be joined by the Bikinale.
The two-city state by bike
The city centre tour in Bremen and the Bremerhaven tour cover all the important sights in the two sister cities. It is the perfect way to discover the state by bike. A 91-kilometre section of Germany’s most popular long-distance cycle trail, the Weser-Radweg, also connects the two cities. The advantage: The routes are flat and thus suitable for various age groups and easily manageable even without an electric bike.
Interactive exploring with the app
The free interactive Bike Citizens app for smartphones helps cyclists navigate their way around the city of Bremen. The app not only knows the quickest, loveliest and safest routes through the Hanseatic city, it also points out attractions along selected routes and suggests further interesting cycle routes in Bremen and Bremerhaven.
UCI Indoor Cycling World Championship, 25 to 27 October 2024
More than 300 athletes from more than 20 countries and up to 7,000 fans expected every day: this is the Indoor Cycling World Championship in Bremen. Fans have three days to enjoy watching the athletes competing in two unique events: artistic cycling and cycle ball. It will be held at the ÖVB Arena, the heart of MESSE BREMEN, the Bremen Exhibition Centre, right next to the main railway station.
