Breitenweg, Northern Germany, is as good a starting point as any to explore the free city state of Hanseatic Bremen by hire car. Bremen's maritime past, present and future are in good hands at the maritime training and education centre, the Berufsbuildingsstelle Schifffahrt e.V. based in Breitenweg. Here would-be seafarers will be trained to professional standard to become the maritime heroes of the future. Hiring a car from one of the car hire stations in Breitenweg you can follow the trail of Bremen's seafaring past all the way to Bremerhaven, where the Weser River and the North Sea meet and where one of the world's largest container shipping ports is located. Before you do so, you might consider parking your rental car in one of the free car parks in Breitenweg and simply walk to the ArtSlant exhibition at the old train station or explore the Overseas Museum right by the main train station (Hauptbahnhof) in the same street, both just a ten minute walk away. The Overseas Museum has exhibits from Germany's colonial past, mainly from 1890s onwards. It's an eclectic mix of giant palm trees, an entire artic science station, an Asiatic temple, bits of coral reef and many other treasures collected and shipped back to Germany by nineteenth and early 20th century overseas merchants. The museum is home to permanent and changing exhibitions, so it's worth visiting several times. If you're happy to leave your hire car in Breitenweg in the evening, you might like to go to a concert at Spedition, also located near the old train station, a short walk from Breitenweg. The live music venue stages events from international and home-grown artists, hosting jazz, experimental music, folk and rock concerts.
From Breitenweg it is easy to drive to Bremen's Old Town, the historic heart of the city, but you might first like to stop off at one of Bremen's most famous venues: Beck's Brewery situated at the south-bank of the Weser River. It's one of Germany's largest and most successful breweries and you can join a two hour tour through the brewery. Naturally, there's a beer tasting at the end of it, so it's important to remember Germany' strict drink-driving rules. There's a zero tolerance policy for drivers over the legal limit. If you intend to indulge in Beck's beer tasting, you might consider joining a walking tour, rather than driving your rented car to Bremen's Old Town and Beck's Brewery. The walking tour leaves from the tourist office just outside the main train station at 2pm every day during the summer months.