| Hamburg, Germany's second city, 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the mouth of the River Elbe, is one of the great ports of Europe and one of the country's foremost commercial and cultural centres, with a strong and distinctive personality reflecting its liberal, mercantile traditions. As well as the Elbe, there are canals and the vast Lake Alster in the very heart of the city of Hamburg. Rebuilt after wartime devastation, Hamburg has few office towers to mar its skyline of restored churches and civic buildings. Although Hamburg is notorious for its nightlife around the Reeperbahn, the city also has many fine museums and galleries, an important media centre, wonderful parks and gardens, and an excellent zoo. Down the Elbe is the charming riverside village of Blankenese.
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