San Francisco

Fisherman's Wharf is a classic San Francisco tourist attraction. Once a few hundred fishermen, mostly... Italian, used to moor their boats here; now there is a daily flood of tourists over the wooden piers and along the harbour side, The Embarcadero. Fisherman's Wharf along piers 45 to 39 is now the preserve of the idle and curious. Countless souvenir shops, bric-a-brac shops, restaurants, bars, small carousels, street acrobats and jugglers - there is a scene of lively bustle and happy jostling throughout the day. You can find the odd curio for a party or children's room, and eat fish or shellfish. The fresh sea breeze, the mewing of the seagulls, and a colony of sea lions at the end of pier 39 create a real seaside feel. You can also admire the flora and fauna of the Pacific in Underwater World, one of the most modern aquariums in the world (http://www.aquariumofthebay.com). more

The SFMOMA - a rusty brown brick building with a zebra-striped dome and slanting glass roof which is... both post-modern and photogenic - is at the front of the city's skyline to the east. The Swiss architect Mario Borra added this spectacular building to San Francisco's premier sights for around 60 million dollars in 1995. The museum has four floors housing extensive collections and contemporary exhibitions. An impressive open-plan staircase leads visitors to the art of the 20th century, a spectrum ranging from architecture and design through painting to multi-media and photography. Alongside works by Rauschenberg, Rothko, Koons, Kiefer and others, a particular highlight is considered to be the large collection of photos from the 1920s and 30s. more

The Museum is in the Washington/Mason Cable Car Barn and Powerhouse, built in 1887. This is also the... place where the cables of the cars are driven to keep the famous cable cars in motion. The story of the transport, so typical of the city, is shown in a vivid way. The drive station, the workshop, the depot and historic wagons, partly deriving from the 1870s, can be seen here. One can watch, from a gallery, how the round about 4.6 mi (7.5 km) long and 1.3 in (3,3 cm) thick cables are sent electronically to the streets via a system consisting of wheels, rolls and guide channels. Furthermore, pictures, models and a film educate on the operation and history of the Cable Cars. more