As Germany's '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 Europe's most popular city-break destinations: it is a city well worth getting to know.