This 1,200-year-old town has an amazing and abstruse history which is reflected in its customs and unique character. In the 8th Century, when the troops of Charlemagne advanced to the Weser River seeking to Christianize the tribes who had settled there, Bremen was given the status of bishopric. During the 11th Century, it was known as the Rome of the North under the influence of Archbishop Adalbert. Starting from the Medieval period, the site was among the strongest members of the Hanseatic League, though in 1646 it became a free Imperial city. More recently, following World War II Bremen became part of the U.S. occupation zone due to its favourable location. However, this prevented its inclusion into the newly established Land of Lower Saxony, formed around the city within the British zone, thus securing Bremen's independence as a Federal State in the new West German federation. 

Among the notable landmarks, the Cathedral of St. Peter's, set back from the Market Square, majestically towers over the Altstadt buildings. Originally designed in 1043 as an archbishop's church, the site was successively rebuilt in the 13th, 16th, and 19th Centuries. The 12th-Century bronze baptismal font set in one of the Romanesque crypts and the collection of the mummified bodies of workers who fell off the roof during construction are world famous. You might even be lucky enough to observe the custom of the sweeping of the cathedral steps by young bachelors who have just turned 30, or the polishing of door handles by maids of the same age, all of whom can only be released from these activities by a kiss.   

Bremen is also known as an artistic hub, with its Kusnhalle, being home to 19th- and 20th-Century French and German art, and also featuring valuable pieces by Rubens, Rembrandt, Delacroix, Courbet and Picasso. The museum’s star work, Dürer's 'The Women's Bathhouse', shows a scene of six nude women. The site also holds the important Rembrandt work, 'Woman Standing with Raised Hands.' Moreover, the 560-year-old Rathaus, or Town Hall, is a further emblematic venue, which over numerous periods has been a subject to transformation. Its west end includes the sculpture of a pyramid-style stacked donkey, dog, cat and rooster. The halls of the Rathaus hold a valuable mural of 'The Judgment of Solomon' (1537), evocative of the building’s former function as a council chamber and courtroom.

If you happen to be in Bremen during October, don’t miss the main seasonal attraction, namely the Freimark, which, dating back to 1035, is the oldest and the largest traditional fair in northern Germany. What's more, should you be interested in German cuisine, you’re welcome to try its local dish, Kohl und Pinkel, a specially prepared pig's intestine with curly kale, and believe it or not, it’s the favourite meal of the locals. Finally, when you begin your journey home or first arrive at the Bremen Airport, we recommend a visit to the space shop, the only store outside the USA where you can buy fragments of meteorite and astronaut suits, along with special accessories to be used at home for serving your family some astronaut food.