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Kiel

Some locals admit that Kiel, the capital of Schleswig-Holstein, has a city centre that's grottenhässlich (ugly as sin). And unfortunately it is true; it was obliterated during WWII by bombing raids on its U-boat pens and then rapidly rebuilt. Today, it is a series of charmless indoor malls linked by pedestrian bridges.

Traditional wooden sailing ships moored in Kiel harbour, Germany, before modern blue and orange glass office blocks

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