Bremen's 550,000 residents look back on a long history; references to the port city are found as early as the 8th century. Shipping and membership in the Hanseatic League made the city on the Weser rich. This is apparent in the architectural splendor of the inner city, like the Bremen Cathedral, the magnificent City Hall in the style of the Weser Renaissance, and the more than 800-year-old statue of Roland on the historical marketplace. In 2004, the statue and the square were both declared UNESCO world cultural sites. And of course there is the sculpture of the world-famous Bremen Town Musicians, the city's emblem.

World War Two left scars in the city, but some districts are still much as they were centuries ago. The Schnoor, a medieval tangle of alleyways once the home of poor river fishermen and mariners, is an especially popular tourist destination. Today it is full of crafts shops and romantic restaurants and pubs.

The city has many theaters and museums. Most recently added is the Universum Bremen, an interactive science museum in the form of a whale.