As Germanys gateway to the world, Hamburg is a cosmopolitan city, whose culture has been shaped by those passing through as much as by those who stayed. Matthew Jefferies explores a city-state boasting the highest per capita GDP in Germany, but where ostentatious displays of wealth are shunned; a place synonymous with fast food and beer, in which fine dining and luxury shopping abound; a city without palaces, castles or cathedrals, yet bursting with monuments and memorials. With nearly eight million visitors each year, Hamburg is fast becoming one of Europes most popular city-break destinations: it is a city well worth getting to know.

Matthew Jefferies is Professor of German History at the University of Manchester. His books include Imperial Culture in Germany (2003) and Contesting the German Empire (2007).