Hamburg

Hamburg is a city that feels alive with movement. Enormous cargo ships glide along the Elbe River, heading to and from one of Europe’s busiest ports, while ferries and tugboats weave between them on the sparkling water. With thousands of bridges crossing its many canals and waterways, getting around Hamburg often means crossing over water — more so than in any other city on the planet.

But Hamburg is far more than a working port. The old Speicherstadt warehouse district, with its red-brick buildings rising straight out of the canals, is so beautifully preserved that the whole area is recognised as a World Heritage Site. Nearby, the breathtaking Elbphilharmonie concert hall curves skyward like a frozen wave of glass above a century-old warehouse roof.

When the sun sets in summer, locals and visitors head to the city’s parks to watch coloured fountains dance and shimmer to music. Hamburg has a bold, energetic character — and plenty of surprises waiting around every corner.