Category: 2018 Travel

The fourth and final leg of the trip was to Rotterdam, Netherlands, 310 miles from Hamburg. Country Manufacturing Value-Added (% of GDP): 12% (World Bank)  Rotterdam is a progressive, multicultural city whose mayor is the first in the country to be an immigrant (a Muslim, no less).  New Economy (2016) noted that “Rotterdam has embraced innovation and experimental [...]

The third leg of the trip was to Hamburg, Germany, which is 305 miles from Prague. Country Manufacturing Value-Added (% of GDP): 23% (World Bank)  Hamburg has often been considered the most international of all German cities.  It has a notable history in trade dating back to the Middle Ages and is credited with helping [...]

The second leg of the trip was to Prague, Czech Republic, 250 miles from Munich. Country Manufacturing Value-Added (% of GDP) 27% (World Bank)  The Czech Republic is the longtime industrial center of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.  According to EuroStat (2018), "The most important sector for Czech SMEs is manufacturing, which generates almost 30% of SME value [...]

Country Manufacturing Value-Added (% of GDP): 23% (World Bank)  Munich is both a cultural hub, as the center of Oktoberfest, and the economic engine/high-tech center of Germany.  Not only does Germany have the strongest economy in the EU, but Bavaria, the Southern region of Germany of which Munich is the largest city, has the strongest economy [...]