Hamelin, Germany

Capital City

This town of 57,916 on the Weser River has a lot going for it - if you can get past the bureaucratic headaches. Hamelin's claim to fame is the Pied Piper legend, but the reality is a heavily fortified former border town that saw its share of violence, from the Thirty Years' War to Nazi atrocities. While the nearby Bückeberg hill hosted grand Nazi harvest festivals, today Hamelin is better known for its historic buildings and tourist-friendly performances of the Piper tale. For those undeterred by the town's dark past and persistent paperwork, Hamelin could offer a quaint, if complex, German experience.