For those of us growing up in Germany, Hannover was the mythical source of High German, the German that most of our teachers used, that all of the newscasters spoke, and that somehow always sounded condescending to me. In my mind's eye, Hannover was a clean, sleek, orderly city that had the business acumen of my hometown of Frankfurt, but lacked the gritty character. Lacked character of any kind, ... Read Full Article

Germans have a special place in their hearts for Hamburg, because every other major city in the nation is landlocked. When you visit Hamburg, it's harbor can conjure up the mysteries of the unknown, the excitement of foreign traders and the thrill of adventure abroad. From the very beginning, when Charlemagne built a fort between the River Elbe and Alster, Hamburg was different: whereas cities ... Read Full Article