Germany is a land of great cities. The tapestry of towns that covers the entire country is a legacy of the rich history of once independent regions that formed modern Germany in the 19th century. Three of Germany's 16 federal states, moreover,
are actually cities - Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen. This is also a function of history, dating back to medieval times, when cities across Europe emerged as thriving centers of commerce.
Among Germany's myriad other major cities are Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Hanover, Kiel, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, Leipzig and Dresden. Regional charms, moreover, abound in northern maritime centers like Schleswig, Lübeck and Stralsund, southern fairytale towns such as Freiburg, Tübingen and Regensburg, and eastern German gems like Weimar, Erfurt and Wittenberg. The western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia - Germany's most populous state and one of the most densely populated regions in the world - is meanwhile home to a vast network of cities including Wuppertal, Essen and Dortmund.
Around 89 percent of Germany's 82.3 million inhabitants live in cities and urban conurbations. In Germany there are more than 81 big cities with over 100,000 inhabitants.
The German capital attracts movers and shakers from the fields of politics, media and science, as well as young people and artists embracing a liberal lifestyle and a modern zeitgeist.
Frankfurt is a European financial powerhouse, an international trade fair and travel hub, and a multicultural metropolitan melting pot people from all over the world have come to call home.
Imagine a progressive place full of fresh blasts of blustery marine air, all manner of mercantile and creative folk, lush parks, lovely promenades, and water, water, everywhere.
Munich is more than Oktoberfest - the Bavarian metropolis is oft cited in international surveys as one of the best cities to call home in the entire world.
Heidelberg is one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. Mark Twain visited it more than once in the 19th century, and it remains a popular destination for tourists from all over the world.
Heidelberg
Det är som beundrare av vitaliteten i Europas stormakt som jag publicerar detta . Det kommer alltså från "The week in Germany" som egentligen vänder sig mot USA, men lika intressant för oss (iaf mig). Nyhetsbrevet rekommenderas.
