Hamburg
Paralleling the Elbe River’s splintering of tributaries, this northern German city champions the intellect in all its fields, from science to law, finance to the arts. Emerging from the destruction of WW2, Hamburg’s skyline features styles from Neo-Renaissance to the Gothic and Expressionist, best enjoyed from its many rivers, or along its many bridges. Alongside academia, Hamburg embraces in sensuous merriment, from the Elbphilharmonie’s ecstasy to the Reeperbahn’s salaciousness.