Hamburg
There's water everywhere here in Germany's principal port - from the Alster Lake to a web of canals and waterways spanned by 1,000 bridges.
On the River Elbe, 70 miles from the North Sea, Hamburg was founded by Charlemagne, and boasts a Hanseatic League heritage harking back 700 years. Cherishing its long historic and cultural traditions, today's spacious and leafy city is a flourishing commercial dynamo of stylish shops, excellent restaurants, and legendary nightlife.