Bremen, also a city-state, with over half a million inhabitants, is the oldest German maritime city, having been a market town since AD 965. For all its history, though, it boasts two of the country’s most modern high-tech visitor attractions: the interactive Universum Science Center and the Space Travel Visitor Center.
Historic Bremen clusters around the marketplace, featuring the Gothic Town Hall (1405-1410), in front of which stands the Roland, the statue of a medieval knight and symbol of the city. The extensive pedestrian zone includes a sculpture of the Bremer Stadtmusikanten (Musicians of Bremen), made famous in the fairy tale by Grimm. Also part of this is the Schnoorviertel, a district full of medieval charm, with narrow cobbled streets now housing art galleries and exclusive shops. The nearby port of Bremerhaven is home to the German Maritime Museum.