Thousands of sea vessels call at Europe's second-largest harbour every year via the Elbe River, which links the port of Hamburg with the North Sea. Harbour tours depart from the pier (Landungsbrücke) and take you through the historic Speicherstadt warehouse district, the largest warehouse complex in the world, or to nearby Blankenese. Near the Speicherstadt you can visit the Hafen City, Europe's largest urban development project for 20.000 people working and living. You can also check out the museum cum windjammer "Rickmer Rickmers" and the museum freighter "Cap San Diego". Canal tours of the Alster Lake and the Elbe are an ideal way to see major portions of the city. Early each Sunday morning, the legendary fish market (Fischmarkt) is held, which winds up with a jazz breakfast in the old fish auction hall. The Harbour Birthday takes place every May.
Visitors to Bremen can submerge themselves, so to speak, in a maritime world at the edge of the Weser River. Downstream, south of the mediaeval town centre, Sunday mornings in the summer months see the Weser waterfront Schlachte Promenade transformed into the bustling "Kajenmarkt". The area is also home to the Martini-Anleger quay, from where excursion boats embark on their daily tours. A whole different perspective is offered by a peat-boat tour of the Torfkanal along the green Bürgerpark. Accommodation is available in Bremen-Vegesack on the research vessel "Deutschland", the only remaining ship of its kind in Germany. Bremerhaven is the setting for more than 500 types of boats and ships. The German Maritime Museum (DSM) between Columbus Centre and the Weserdeich Promenade includes an open-air museum and historic harbour. The Sail Bremerhaven event takes place every 5 years and features windjammers from around the world. And, the Schaufenster Fischereihafen is a market experience you won't want to miss - with food, entertainment and maritime shops right on the harbour front.