Hamburg

At a glance

It's easy to see why the youthful Beatles fell in love with Hamburg. Germany's second largest city has a magnificent harbour right in its centre and, so the locals like to say, has more in common with canal cities like Amsterdam or Venice. Indeed, Hamburgers will proudly point out that their city has even more bridges than Venice.

But, unlike its maritime counterparts, Hamburg remains a hard-working port that is among Europe's busiest. Add to this the independence of a place that has been invaded only once in its history (by Napoleon, no less) and you too will be inspired to serenade the city.

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