Hamburg

Cosmopolitan, cultured and colourful, liberal-minded Hamburg seems well at ease with the world. Europe's greenest city is coursed by three rivers as well as a maze of pretty Fleete (canals), has more bridges than Venice, and a massive two-part lake in the centre.

It's also the commercial and cultural hub of northern Germany, home to a mix of media movers, trendy shakers and arty crowds. Whether you choose to explore its grand central zone, leafy districts, or slightly seedier - and funkiest - neighbourhoods, it's very hard to be bored in Hamburg.

Despite being ravaged by the Great Fire of 1842 and then World War II, the restored city centre is handsome, with stately old buildings, statues and modern eye-pleasers lining tranquil waterways.

It's arranged in an arc to the north of the river Elbe, with Altstadt (the old city) to the east of the Alsterfleet canal, and Neustadt (the new city) to the west.

In Altstadt, admire churches such as St Petri and St Nikolai as well as the opulence of the Rathaus (Town Hall) before heading to the Kunstmeile (Art Mile), a culture-lover's dream avenue of top-notch museums and galleries.

The centerpiece of Neustadt is the glorious 'Michel' or St Michaelis, whose soaring Baroque tower is the symbol of the city.

The notoriety of Hamburg, on the other hand, rests on Reeperbahn, the red-light district, which somehow manages to be hip at the same time. Just north, Schanzenviertel and Karoviertel thrive as alternative nightlife hot-spots.

You can't leave Hamburg without taking to the water, either the Alster Lakes to soak up the surrounding scenery, or a harbour trip to see the historic warehouse district of Speicherstadt. The Landungsbrücken (harbour piers) at St Pauli themselves offer great views of the city.