Most people have heard about Oktoberfest in Munich, but it’s not Germany’s only big Fall Festival. The Freimarkt in Bremen, which starts the second week of October, attracts over 4 million people yearly over its 17 days! What is the Bremen Freimarkt? This 1000-year-old festival is the largest in Northern Germany. Although it started as a “Free Market“, meaning that merchants were free to sell any of their wares. Today, the Freimarkt is more of a carnival or funfair with hundreds of rides, attractions, and parades. Many booths and stalls will still sell everything from crafts to treats to food. And, of course, there are Beer Tents.…
ISCHA FREIMARKT!!
In 2024, the Freimarkt in Bremen takes place Oct. 18 through Nov. 3
What is the Bremen Freimarkt?
We should to start with a history lesson to understand why the Freimarkt has such a significant history. (Don’t worry, it will be short).
In the Middle Ages, royalty and local Guilds controlled Village and Town Markets. They took place on specific days, and only those in the area could sell at the Markets unless they had special permission. A FREI Markt (or Free Market) meant that anyone could come and sell at the Market.
This was big deal! There was serious money to be made in trade. And if you were a leather worker or craftsman who didn’t belong to the local Guild, you were out of luck. In Germany, everything was strictly controlled. People couldn’t just move or sell things when they wanted to.
In 1035 Conrad II officially granted the city of Bremen the right to hold a Free Market or Freimarkt twice a year, once starting on October 16 and the second during the week before Pfingsten (in English, Pentecost, which happens 5 weeks after Easter). The Market would take place in the Marktplatz in front of the Bremen Cathedral. (The Pfingsten Markt faded away over the years, but the October market remained.)
Think about it, for the first time, locals and travelers could sell whatever they wanted at the Market… no restrictions and no interference.
From Market to Fair
At first, the Freimarkt in Bremen was primarily a regular Markt (or Market Place) with merchants selling wares that people would need. Cloth, Salt, Spices, Food, Tools. Blacksmiths showed off their work, as did Glass Blowers and Leather Workers. Time passed, and traveling performers began showing up. Jugglers, Fortune Tellers, and Minstrels earned a little money with their song and dance routines. As the Freimarkt grew (and the world shrunk because of exploration), traveling performers put “exotic” beasts” on display… Lions and Camels, a dancing Bear, and Monkeys. People came from around the region to take participate in the Market and its amusements.
Still, until the 1800s, it was mainly a consumer marketplace. Then, in 1809, the first carousel appeared in Bremen (“Human Powered), and the Freimarkt went in a new direction. NOW, it was more about the amusements than buying and selling goods. Before too long, there was a Schiff Schaukel (Ship Swing), and then Organ Grinders showed up to entertain the crowds. Today, Freimarkt is BOOMING. Over 350 Carnival Workers show up with more than 50 rides, including a 150-foot tall Ferris Wheel, and you’ll find booths and stands with games and other amusements.

Allie_Caulfield, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Where is the Freimarkt
The Freimarkt outgrew its original location in front of the Cathedral and spread to over 24 acres. Today, you will find part of it in the City Center in front of the Liebfraukirche, but the bigger part of the Freimarkt is near the Haubtbahnhof.
There are Parades (the largest is on the second Saturday of the Market), a Miss Freimarkt show, and nightly Fireworks!!
As a nod to its roots, the “Kleinen Freimarkt” or “Marktdöflein” in the city center recreates a Market from the Middle Ages with Smithies, Stone Masons, wood workers… and of course, Jesters.
What to Eat at the Freimarkt in Bremen
There are plenty of food booths offering Festival Foods like Gebrannte Mandeln (Sugar Roasted Almonds), Bratwurst, and Lebkuchen Herze (Gingerbread Hearts). You will also find Pizza and Cotton Candy. You will find cafes, a Western Saloon, Wine and Prosecco Stands, and even a Feuerzangenbowle stand. To really get a feel for the local favorites, you must try the smoked Eel… and of course, the Schmalzkuchen. These little donuts have been sold at the Freimarkt for over 150 years!
And of course… the Beer Tents!
There are several Beer Tents on the site, including Halle 7, the Königsalm, and the Bayernzelt. The party goes late into the evening! Beer flows, and live music keeps the Gemütlichkeit going for two weeks.
And then it’s done…
The Freimarkt ends in a Funeral Parade with pallbearers carrying a coffin full of carnival prizes signals the end of the fun… and then it packs up for another year. But don’t worry! On October 18, 2024, the Freimarkt will be back in Bremen!
Learn more about the Freimarkt in Bremen… and see the program HERE–> Bremen Freimarkt