Bremen: one of the old Hanseatic cities

Foreign trade has defined Bremen for centuries, lying as it does on the Weser which flows into the North Sea and has been developed as far as Bremerhaven as a deep water shipping channel.
A modern airport, a railway hub and motorway links all connect the city to the world.

The Roland statue and the old Rathaus are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The "Bremer Stadtmusikanten" or Bremen Town Musicians are well-known to all lovers of fairytales. The German Fairytale Route ends in Bremen. The most famous district in the town is the old Schnoorviertel. The river bank promenade (the "Schlachte") invites you to take a stroll or to go shopping.

Bremen is rich in green spaces. There are 17 nature reserves.

Commercially, the space and aerospace industry are now playing an increasing role alongside foreign trade making Bremen a centre of service and high-tech industry. Over the past few years one of Germany's largest technology parks has been developed at the university. Companies belonging to the EADS and OHB Technology Groups produce modules and parts for space laboratories, propulsion rockets and satellite systems. Rheinmetall and Atlas Elektronik work on electronics for military and civilian uses.

There is a university with around 20,000 students, a college of the arts, the private Jacobs University, a Fraunhofer Institute and a Max Planck Institute.

Music and theatre do not get left behind and there are also several important museums in the city.