Böttcherstrasse

Off the south side of the Markplatz, the Böttcherstrasse was transformed in the 1920s by the Bremen coffee Magnate Ludwig Roselius, who commissioned local artists to convert the alleyway into a Gothic-cum-Art Nouveau fantasy. The street, today a 110-metre pedestrian walkway area, was at one time inhabited by the town's coopers and barrel makers.

The traditional red-brick architecture and more modern expressionist constructions, for which Böttcherstrasse has become well known, offer contrasting yet interesting sights. The street was transformed between 1923 and 1931. The gilt Bringer of Light relief over the entrance to the Market Square was forged by artist Bernhard Hoetger. Besides its tiny stores, crafts workshops and Bremen's Casino, the Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum, the Roselius Haus as well as a fine carillon make rewarding sights. A walk down the alleyway towards the River Weser takes you to St Martini's, a Gothic hall church with three naves.