The old Hanseatic port city of Hamburg lies in Northern Germany near the border of Denmark. A free city-state for much of its existence, Hamburg was once one of the largest ports in the world, but eventually struggled during the cold war because of its proximity to East Germany.

In the center of town is the old warehouse district, which is a free zone and exempt from customs and duties. It is now being redeveloped into modern complexes which intermingle with the refurbished old brick warehouses that line the canals. A short distance away is the center of downtown Hamburg proper. In front of City Hall, there is a square that leads down some stairs to the water, which connects to the ‘Alster’, two artificial lakes that were created from the damming of the Elbe river.

It is said that Hamburg has more bridges than Amsterdam or Venice, with canals intersecting the city through stately brick buildings, shopping malls, and a metro that weaves throughout the city. On the main banks of the Elbe river is the cities passenger docks, where cruise liners and tourist boats arrive to pick up and drop people off.

The other side of the river is lined with shipping cranes, which handle containers all day long. There are a few parks looking over the river, where you can take part in one of the cities favorite pass times of having a nice cold German beer while watching the goods roll in and out.