Cologne
The eponymous birthplace of olfactory luxury, this German seat of culture and academia along the Rhine looks just as good. Cologne's cityscape is dotted with Romanesque churches, including the tapered spires of Cologne Cathedral, that is breathtaking inside and out. Its museums contain treasures ancient and contemporary, complementing inquisitive strolls with hearty meals of Himmel un Ääd. Never forgetting the rules of Kölsches Grundgesetz, Cologne never forgets to let loose.