In the city-State of Bremen, in northwestern Germany, Bremen

 Bremen, one of Germany’s three city-states (along with Berlin and Hamburg), is known for being among the country’s most outward-looking and hospitable places, with a vibe that strikes a good balance between style, earthiness, and good living.

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(in the City-State of Bremen) In northwestern Germany, Bremen -- an enclave within the state of Lower Saxony that comprises the cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven -- is found on the Weser River some 43 miles (~70 km) from the North Sea. It is one of the largest ports of Germany and also one of the major industrial cities of northern Europe. Together with the port of Bremerhaven, situated 37 miles (~60 km) to the north, it forms the smallest of the states of Germany but is of vital economic importance.

+ Located at the first ford above the river estuary, the Old Town of Bremen grew on a sand dune, sited above flood level on the Weser spillway (the glacially widened river channel).

+ Bremerhaven handles about one-fourth of the total tonnage of goods in the two ports, just over half of which is mixed cargo, the remainder being composed of such bulk goods as grain, coal, ore, and oil. The merchant fleet of Bremen consists of several hundred seagoing vessels and many barges. The city of Bremerhaven, which covers 31 square miles (~80 square km), was founded as an outer port for Bremen because of the silting up of the lower Weser. (Today the port of Bremerhaven is the home of a large fishing fleet).

+ Nature is never far away here, but Bremen is better known for its fairy-tale character, and unique Expressionist quarter. It is also one of Europe's leaders in science and technology, home to the Airbus Defense and Space headquarters and a major Mercedes Benz plant. Bremen offers a relaxed, unhurried lifestyle. Closer inspection reveals some vibrant districts with fine restaurants busy bars, a lively entertainment calendar, a bunch of great museums and a lovely Altstadt (Old Town).

+ Bremen is now one of Europe's leaders in science and technology, home to the Airbus Defense and Space headquarters and the Mercedes Benz plant. It brings the high-tech, science, and space industries together beneath a truly metropolitan backdrop. In a city where innovation, beauty, and sophistication meet, it is hardly possible to avoid feeling the life force here.

+ In this 1,200-year-old Hanseatic city, visit the Schlachte Promenade on the River Weser, the full-sized Columbus Space Module of the International Space Station, and the Universum Science center.

+ The bronze statue on the western side of the Town Hall is the most famous representation of Die Stadtmusikanten (The Town Musicians), which portrays the donkey, dog, cat and rooster of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale. Local artist Gerhard Marcks cast this 1951 statute of the famous quartet in their most famous pose -- scaring the robbers who invaded their house, with the rooster atop the cat, perched on the dog, on the shoulders of the donkey.