Cuxhaven

Cuxhaven sits where the Elbe meets the North Sea — and you feel it in every corner. At the "Alte Liebe" pier, container ships from Hamburg roll past; at Sahlenburger Strand, mudflat tours run all the way to Neuwerk island; in the Duhnen district, the tide brings shrimp cutters back to harbour twice a day. The town blends harbour romance with family holidays and is one of the few places where you can see ocean-going ships, beach chairs and lugworms on the same day. A visit to Cuxhaven means the Kugelbake — the northernmost point of Lower Saxony and the city's landmark. From there you see the Elbe estuary in its full width. Families ride a horse-drawn cart across the mudflat to Neuwerk, nature lovers head to the Wernerwald forest, gourmets visit the fish market in the old harbour. In winter, Cuxhaven is raw and magnificent: empty beaches, westerly wind, fresh shrimp straight off the boat.