Attraction · Bremen · Updated on 1 November 2026.

Roland in Bremen

Roland is an attraction in Bremen, Germany. This place has an audio tour of about 2 minutes, in English or Dutch. 35 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km. Within 270 m you'll find a bench, a public toilet, a bike pump and a water point.

Directions in Google Maps

The story

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Audio tour · Roland

2:04

You're standing in the market square of Bremen, in front of the Roland. This stone knight has stood here since 1404, between the town hall and the Schütting, the merchants' guild house. He looks straight at the cathedral, and that's no accident. Roland stands for the freedom of the city, set against the power of the archbishop.

Read and hear the whole story in the Outdoor Pitstop app: check in at this place and it is yours (with Pro; new users are Pro for the first 4 weeks).

Opening hours and admission

Wheelchair: Accessible

Source: OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.

Photos

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons. In the app you add your own photo when you are there.

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Photo: Jürgen Howaldt · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 deView the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Roland in Bremen: stone knight on the Marktplatz

The Roland in Bremen is a large stone statue of a knight, standing on the Marktplatz in the city centre, next to the town hall. It has stood here since 1404 and symbolises the city's freedom. It is the oldest surviving Roland and the largest freestanding medieval statue in the country. The Bremer Loch lies 30 metres away, and the Herold, a memorial, stands 40 metres off. Visitors to the Roland in Bremen can also walk to Museum Kunsthalle Bremen and Saint Peter's Cathedral in Bremen, both within easy reach of the square.

What you can see at the Roland

Roland himself is 5.47 metres tall. He stands with his back against a column with a canopy on top, and together they measure 10.21 metres. The statue is made of limestone from the Elm. Roland holds his sword drawn, and on his shield you can see the double-headed imperial eagle. There is also an old inscription, which in short says: I proclaim to you the freedom that the emperor and many princes have granted this city, thank God for it. He looks straight at the Cathedral. Have a look at the knees as well. The distance between them is exactly one Bremen ell, an old measure. Between his feet you can see a small figure. This is said to be a crippled man. According to the legend, he crawled around a piece of land, which the city then received as a meadow. Before you walk on, rub his knee for a moment. Whoever does so, they say in Bremen, will one day return here.

Roland in Bremen: history of the statue

The Roland stands on this spot, but the first one here was made of wood. It went up in flames in 1366, at the instigation of the archbishop. The city then had a new statue made of stone, which was finished in 1404. In this way the Roland remained a symbol of the freedom of Bremen, even against the power of the archbishop. Later, Napoleon wanted to take the statue to the Louvre. The people of Bremen talked him out of it, so the Roland stayed where it was. In 2004, the statue and the town hall were recognised by UNESCO as part of the world heritage. In Bremen there is also a story that the city remains free as long as the Roland stands. For that reason, a replacement statue is said to be kept in the cellars of the town hall.

Toilets, drinking water and benches nearby

The Roland statue in Bremen has plenty of benches nearby. The closest bench is 15 metres away, at Am Markt, and there are 216 within 500 metres. The nearest public toilet is 67 metres from the Roland statue, at Unser Lieben Frauen Kirchhof, and there are 15 public toilets within 500 metres. For drinking water, the nearest tap is 274 metres away, at Hohe Straße, and there are 2 taps within 500 metres, so it is worth bringing an empty bottle. If you have a bike with you, you can pump up your tyres at the free bike pump on Sandstraße, 212 metres away. It is the only bike pump within 500 metres.

Walk and see more nearby

Several other places around the Roland statue can be visited on foot. At 48 metres stands the town hall, an attraction where you can also listen to an audio story. At 128 metres lies Saint Peter's Cathedral in Bremen. If you would like to visit a museum, the Museum Kunsthalle Bremen is a 542-metre walk away. Before you go on, you can first hear something about the Roland statue itself. Open the Outdoor Pitstop app and listen to the 2-minute audio story on the spot. That way you hear the story while looking at the statue. Then continue on to the next place.