A little guide to the green city by the sea

80. 000 people, located by the German northern sea, known as the green city by the sea. That's the city I grew up in: Wilhelmshaven. A city that attracts quite a few tourists during the summer months each year and also students! Some of the greatest advantages of this city is not just the location, but also the cheap living prices. Especially as student, you can treat yourself to great apartments here. Let me tell you a bit more about this little town.

Rain rain go away

Since it is way up north and by the sea, it gets super windy here. Also, you willl have a lot of the very typical grey days with lots of rain. However, you have to learn to make the best of it! There's this great saying, there's no bad weather, just bad clothing. So definitely pack you rain jaket before you come and be prepared. There is a really cute cafe right by the sea that I always love to go to on rainy days. It's called 'Teehäuschen' which means little little tea house if you translate it. Here you can expect the best tea in town and alsways a delicious piece of cake! It is really small and only seats like twenty people but the atmosphere is really cozy.

If the sun does come out, Wilhemshaven has quite a lot to offer as you will read in the going out section of this article. You can enjoy nice strolls by the beach or head over to Hooksiel for a daytrip (they have super nice sandbeaches there! )

In the winter when it gets dark early and freezing cold outside, the Christmas market season starts. Built up at Valois Place you can heat up on some glühwein and enjoy some delicious German Christmas treats such as Lebkuchen, Gebrannte Mandeln and many more things.

Shopping

Okay on this point, I'll be quite honest with you. Wilhelmshaven does not have the greates shopping possibilites. In the city centre you will find some nice stores including H&M, a huge TK Maxx, Only and a few others. Also, it has been said that there is an outlet centre planned for the near future. However, they have been building for quite a while and I honestly don't know if or when it will become reality. I'll definitely update this post when there are any news about it though. What you will find at every corner are bakeries: the perfect spot for a little coffee break! If you are here in Wilhelmshaven for a while and are craving a nice shopping day, head over to Oldenburg or Bremen by train. It is not far at all and definitely worth the trip. Oldenburg is a bit smaller but has an adorable city centre with a great variety of stores. You should also head over to Schlosshöfe which is a bit hidden. When you go to Bremen, check out all the Outlet stores. You can be sure to find some amazing deals. In the Waterfront mall you can find a Primark (if you wanna get many things for little money).

Going out

Short information: agai, Wlhelmshaven does not have the greatest options. I tried to list four very different places so everyone could find a place of interest for them. If you're up for a big night out, head down to Hamburg. Read more about that here.

Kling Klang

This is a very alternative kinda place. You will find many students but generally, all types of people and age groups here, enjoying beer and dancing. Since it is a rather alternative place, there is no need to dress up or anything, just go as you are - everyone fits in. You should definitely check out their events before hand because they have different types of music on certain days. That way you can be sure to enjoy your night out.

Pumpwerk



Pumpwerk is the place for music, concerts, events and partys. Especially in summer, this place is packed. Generally, they have live music outside every wednesday during the summer months. In addition to that, they have a great list of other events! In the past there have been outdoor cinema nights, holi festivals, and numerous concerts. At the moment, they have a five beerfest going on where you get the opportunity to buy beers from all over the world. Check out their webpages to get updates on all the things going on during summer. So grab some friends and you'll have an amazing night here for sure!

Saxophon

This is just a really really smal little bar, perfect for a get together with friends for some vino. It is a smoker bar though so be prepared. Non smokers (like myself) find it a bit to stuffy in there sometimes but other nights, they open up all windows and doors and it's fine. The audience here again varies from young students to older people, all just haveing a chilled night out.

Twister

Firstly, this club is not right in Wilhelmshaven. It's about a twenty minute drive to a little town called Sande. This is a real club though. But be warned - going out in Germany is legal when you're sixteen years old. So be prepared of an average age of sixteen or seventeen. This place is quite cool for going out though because they have five different floors - Downstairs you will find the big area with a turning dancefloor called mainhall (music is mostly mainstream and then towards the end of the night, techno). Also downstairs is the TClub where you can expect hip hop and rnb music all night long. Then there is also a smoking area where they also play some kind of music. Upstairs, is the Schlagerclub where you will hear real German party music. Absolutely not my thing but you should go check it out at least. So I'm sure you get the point - there's something for everyone. Again, check out the events before you head over there. Some nights they have a great selection of drinks for only 99cents and you can be sure to have a great night.

Food and Cafes

Fine Dining

Believe it or not, but Wilhelmshaven has quite some fancy restaurants to offer. The food is quite pricey but you often also pay for a beautiful location, and sometimes, you just have to treat yourself. There is a number of places but my top ones are Laarnis, Pier24 and Le Patron. Be sure to make a reservation beforehand! Especially Laarnis is often fully booked. If you do decide to treat yourself to a fancy dinner, go for the some nice seafood. Especially in this area you can expect great, fresh fish! Also, some of the places offer breakfast and lunch so check out their offers.

Casual

There is a very new Japanese restaurant with great sushi called Hakura. Of course you can also order other things. The principle of the restaurant is simple: you pay a certain price (around 20 euros) and then order as much as you want over the tablet. If you wanna go to my little secret gem, head over to Bistro. It is a very small, cozy restaurant with absolutely amazing french cuisine! Not many people know about it and often it is rather empty.

Cheap Eats

When it comes to cheap eats, Wilhelmshaven has a lot to offer. The thing you absolutely have to try, was invented by a Turkish man in Germany and has since become popular all over the country (even world, but you will definitely find the best ones in germany. ) I'm talking about Döner! If you wanna go out for dinner and not pay much, head over to Böll. It is a very small bar type of place where many people go to watch soccer. Here's the thing though: each day, they will have one special dish. Thursdays is my absolute favourite when they offer casserole. You get a little sheet of paper and just tick all the things you want to have in it (my personal favourite: noodles, broccoli, minced meat, cheese, more cheese, and some cheese on top) for no more than five euros! There is another day when you can order pancakes, savoury or sweet, and again have it filled with what ever your heart is craving.

Cafes

For the best venue, head over to Fährhaus, located by the lake called Bantersee. They have made the place look incredible and it will feel like you are on holiday (if the weather is nice). There is a little fake sand beach and even palm trees! For a bit more 'fancy' venue, go to Laarnis. They have a gorgeous outside area with a little lake and beanbags all over the place (also they have amazing cake). In the city centre, I recommend going to Montys. It is a bit down the street but offers such a cozy atmosphere, especially for rainy days. It is decorated with so much love and feels like you were taken to England the second you enter. They also serve breakfast here and you have to try their homemade marmalades! They have really exotic flavours that are al worth trying. One of the most visited cafes in the city centre is probably cafe and bar Celona. Here you can also enjoy some nice food.

Other stuff to do

If you're not just here for going out or eating, there are of course also other things to do. Since it is a port city, we have many museums that are all about live by the sea and the marine. To mention just a few: Küstenmuseum, Marinemuseum and even a pirate museum! Also, there is an aquarium right by the sea which is a nice option for rainy days. If you have some time, you should definitely go visit one of the close by islands. If you don't feel like you have enough time, maybe go on a boat trip instead. it's always great fun and who knows what you'll discover. For the little visitors of Wilhelmshaven, there is an adventure playground called Störtebecker park which will keep them busy a whole day. Oh and also, we have a great indoor swimming pool that also offers an amazing sauna area! This is probably the best place to relax and just chill out. Lastly, there is a new concept store called soulshine fabrik that offers workshops once in a while - check out their website to see if there is anything that would interest you!

So that's it for now. If you ever do find yourself way up by the northern sea, in the little town I grew up in, I hope this little guide will help you to find your way around. Feel free to leave comments about your experience or further things to do!

And Wilhelmshaven might not be the most exciting city but I must say, I always enjoy coming back for a few days to just chill out and enjoy the nice air by the water.

Safe travels everyone xx