There are many incoming freshmen students at Jacobs this year, and it is undoubtedly a very strange time for new students. Integrating into Jacobs’ social environment while also navigating a rather confusing campus, preparing for classes, and trying to figure out your way around Bremen? While your first few weeks at Jacobs involve a mountain of tasks to accomplish, I figured I’d help our new students by creating a guide to help you navigate important places around town! Do keep in mind, though, that most stores are closed on Sundays, including grocery stores.

Entrances and Exits on Campus

It’s important to know the different exits and entrances on Jacobs’ campus because knowing where the campus’ side gates are located would help you access different shortcuts and get to certain places faster. Here is a map of the campus, with all the entrances and exits marked in red:

Bremen Hauptbahnhof

(Central Station)

Getting over to the central station is probably the most important route to figure out when you arrive in Bremen and at Jacobs. I’m sure that by now many new students have already made it to campus and figured this out by themselves, but for those who are unaware of how to get to Hauptbahnhof, here’s a run-down of the stations, train lines, and a few helpful tips!

From Bremen HBF to Jacobs University:

1. When you’re at Bremen’s central station, head over and up the stairs to Platform 5. The trains from Platform 5 at the central station take you to the train stop near Jacobs University.

2. Make sure you take either the Bremen-Farge or the Bremen-Vegesack train!

3. Your final stop is Bremen Schönebeck.

There are 2 options from here, depending on whether you have your transponder on hand.

With a transponder (shortcut to campus):

4. When you exit the train, climb the stairs to your right and cross the road where you will see another flight of stairs

5. Head down the stairs and you will notice the other Bremen Schönebeck station (the one that takes you to the central station)

6. Noticing a path to the right of the train stop, walk down the path, heading only straight for about 3 minutes until you reach a back gate

7. Using your transponder on the gate, you will soon realise you’re at the back of the IRC (Jacobs’ library)! This is marked as Gate 2 on the map above.

Without a transponder:

4. When you exit the train, climb the stairs to your right

5. Turn right and keep walking along the pavement of the main road

6. Keep walking straight for about 5 minutes and on your left hand side you will notice you’re now at the main entrance of Jacobs!

Grocery Stores

Netto (nearest to campus, ideal for essential groceries):

To get to Netto, you have 3 options of bus stations to choose from depending on which college you live in or where you are leaving from. You can take the bus number 94 or 95 from either of these stops, and your final stop is Bremen Schönebecker Straße. Once you exit the bus you’ll be right outside Netto.

If you live in Nordmetall or Krupp:

Head over to Gate 3 (by the Ocean Lab) marked on the campus map you saw at the beginning. You’ll notice the Taunusstraße bus station immediately outside the gate and will need your transponder to open it.

If you live in Mercator or College 3:

Head over to Gate 4 (between Mercator and College 3) and exit through the gate using your transponder. From there, head straight and take the first right turn. Keep walking straight down the path until you get to the main road, where you will see the Finkenschlag bus station on your left.

If you’re leaving from the IRC (library), or anywhere close to the main entrance:

Head out the main entrance (Gate 1), turning left and heading straight for about 2 minutes until you hit the main road. From there, take a right and head straight for less than a minute, noticing the Seefahrtstraße bus station in front of you.

Kaufland (slight further than Netto, but has more options):

To get to Kaufland, you use the same abovementioned exits to get to the nearest bus station. From there, you also take either bus number 94 or 95, but your final stop is Grohn / Markt. From there:

1. Cross the road and head straight until you see a path on your left (tip: it’s the first path to your left and there’s a small playground next to it!)

2. Head down and along the path until you see a big red building to your left – that’s Kaufland!

Rossmann (in Bremen Hauptbahnhof, good for grabbing essentials on your way back to campus):

In Bremen’s central station, if you head towards the main entrance you’ll notice a big staircase leading up to a Rossmann. It’s perfect for when you’re coming back to campus from Bremen Hauptbahnhof and want to grab quick toiletries, cleaning supplies, drinks, or even snacks for the house.

PharmacieS

Kronen Apotheke:

This is the closest pharmacy, located right next to the Grohn / Markt bus station. In case you can’t find what you’re looking for here, pay a visit to Delfin Apotheke.

Delfin Apotheke:

This pharmacy is located inside Kaufland, right next to the main entrance on your left. Tip: you can get your digital vaccine certificate here, too!

Clinic

Dr Hagen Schmidtmann:

This is our closest clinic, and the one Jacobs students visit when in need of a medical excuse for missed exams or classes due to illness.

1. Exit Jacobs through Gate 4, making a turn on the first path to your right and heading straight until you reach the main road.

2. From there, turn left and keep walking straight for about 3 minutes until you see a road named Pumpenstraße on your right.

3. Head down the lane until you reach the building marked with Dr Hagen Schmidtmann’s placard – that’s the clinic!

ATMs and the Bank

Sparkasse (the bank most students get their German debit card from):

I recommend going to this specific Sparkasse branch in Lesum, as most Jacobs students go here. The staff at this branch are very helpful and aware of common concerns and services that Jacobs students need help with. Again, there are two options you can choose from to get to Sparkasse in Lesum.

By train:

1. Head over to the Bremen Schönebeck station.

2. Take the train to Bremen Lesum.

3. After exiting the train, head up the stairs on your left.

4. Turn left, and head straight for about a minute until you see Sparkasse in front of you.

By bus:

1. Leaving either from the Seefahrtstraße, Taunusstraße, or Finkenschlag bus stations mentioned under the ‘Grocery Stores’ section of this article, take the bus number 94 going in the opposite direction of Kaufland or Netto (that is, take the bus from the bus station on the opposite side of the road).

2. Exit the bus at the stop named Bremen-Lesum Kirche.

3. Once you’ve left the bus, you’ll see the Sparkasse building right in front of you.

ATMs:

There are so many ATMs scattered around town, but the two most accessible ones are the ones in Kaufland and in the central station.

I hope this has been useful for you. Navigating around Bremen seems a little daunting at first, especially if you aren’t used to public transport, but after a couple of weeks it’s a piece of cake! Even though there’s a lot of information to take in from this guide, you’ll soon realise how intuitive everything becomes. Public transport is fortunately very reliable here in Germany (minus the occasional delayed train) which makes it much easier for new students.

Your Practical Guide to Bremen!