Hamburg, with a population of around 1.8 million, is Germany's second largest city. The official name of the Bundesland is Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg (Free and Hanseatic city of Hamburg), paying homage to its Hanseatic League roots. The city is centered at the mouth of the Elbe river, where Elbe's tributaries Alster and Bille come together. The Alster forms two lakes that are landmarks of the inner city, called the Außenalster (outer Alster) and Binnen Alster (inner Alster). Out of 10 the city received 7.27 points, just behind neighbouring state Schleswig-Holstein (which snagged the top spot) and Hesse.

Source: The Local December 19, 2019 08:37 UTC