The HafenCity is divided into several districts. One of them being the Überseequartier - or overseas quarter as it would be called in English. It is to become the commercial heart of the HafenCity, creating over 6,000 jobs, with restaurants, hotels, shops and leisure activities including a large cinema. The northern part is pretty much completed but the southern part is still under construction.

Part of the Überseequartier district is the Cruise Center HafenCity, Hamburg's gateway to the world. Here big cruise ships dock and trade fairs are held in the terminal buildings. The building dating from 2004 was only only a temporary solution and will be replaced by a significantly bigger construction with a hotel in 2022, as Hamburg reacts to the booming sea cruise market.

Construction work for the concert hall took nearly 10 years. Hamburg's new landmark, carried by over 1,700 reinforced concrete piles, majestically rises up into the sky. An old warehouse was gutted, re-designed and had a futuristic glass covered extension added. The Elbphilharmonie is Hamburg's foremost prestigious building project.

The Elbphilharmonie is part of Hamburg's newly developed HafenCity, Europe's largest urban regeneration projects. Since 2001, on an area of some 157 hectares, up to 7,000 apartments, promenades, squares, shops and offices have been created. The western part (green) is completed, the central part (blue) is still under construction and in the eastern part (red), building work is just beginning.

Another architectural masterpiece in the HafenCity is the Marco-Polo-Tower, an eye-catching feature on the waterfront next to the Elbphilharmonie concert hall. The 55-meter-high extravagant apartment tower can be seen from afar. The 17 floors have been differently sculpted to give it the appearance that they are being turned on their axis. Construction of the tower was completed in 2010.

For years, a customs fence prohibited direct access to the Spree harbor. In 2013, the free port agreement was lifted and the fence removed. The International Building Exhibition Hamburg, responsible for developing and regenerating the harbor area, had new foot and bicycle paths constructed. A stroll there allows you to see the biggest collection of house boats in Hamburg.

By now, Hamburg has a 10-kilometer (6.3-mile) stretch of "city coastline" with promenades along the waterfront. They begin at the Deichtorhallen art center, lead past the HafenCity to the landing bridges and beyond the Elbmeile restaurant and shopping area next to the fish market, all the way to Övelgönne.

Hamburg doesn't just focus on urban development. Some 1.6 billion euros were invested in cultural buildings until 2020. An outstanding example is the Elbphilharmonie. Others include the modernization of the Deichtorhallen art center and two newly constructed musical theater venues. The Bucerius Art Forum (pictured) is currently being extended and a harbor museum is also planned.

For years, the Elbe river islands were dominated by dreary high-rises and decaying factory buildings. Wilhelmsburg was seen as a troubled district. The International Building Exhibition Hamburg has also been active here: hotels and new apartments were constructed, old buildings redeveloped. Today the multi-cultural district is popular especially with young families and students.

A new district is also emerging in the Mitte Altona area. The Hamburg-Altona railway terminus is to be shut down and the rail tracks removed. The current local train station Diebteich is to be turned into a major rail station. Thousands of apartments are to be built on the area that will become available as there is a permanent demand for accommodation in popular Hamburg.

With a name that means "fragrant harbor" and a location on the Pearl River, Hong Kong just sounds like it belongs on top of the list. The densely-packed metropolis serves as one of the most important financial marketplaces in the world. Expatriates often work in the banking industry - and can therefore presumably afford life in the former British colony.

Luanda, the capital of Angola, dropped from first to second in the rankings. Behind the high-cost of living is the fact that Angola lives primarily off of exporting its resources - natural gas most of all. Everything else has to be imported, and the costs stack up.

Zürich, Switzerland's largest city, ranks also as Europe's most expensive. Like Hong Kong, Zürich is a global financial powerhouse, though its population is much smaller. Its 400,000 residents can surely find consolation in the fact that their city also appears often at the top of quality of life rankings.

The Japanese capital of Tokyo shot up in the rankings, due to a strengthening in the yen. A stronger currency means that ex-pats have to shell over more dollars, pounds and euros to pay for rent or a plate of sushi compared to the year before. But life in the metropolis of nine-million has never really been cheap.

While the yen rose, the Russian ruble sank over the past year, bringing Moscow's cost of living for foreigners along with it. The capital city dropped from 17 to 67 in the rankings. The cheap currency gives expatriates a rare chance to stretch their home currency farther in an otherwise expensive city.

The Namibian capital Windhoek came in as the 2016 ranking's cheapest city, placing as number 209. In its annual study, Mercer focuses its attention on housing, food, leisure and transportation costs.

Relatively speaking, German cities are neither too cheap nor too expensive. Munich came in as Germany's priciest city at number 77, with Frankfurt at 88 and Berlin at 100. The northern port-city of Hamburg sprang up 11 spots to 133. "Living costs pushed prices up. The strong demand in big cities resulted in higher prices," said Mercer's Juliane Gruethner.

This part of town was the scene of escalating violence. That did not come as a surprise: The quarter is traditionally the hub of Hamburg's leftist activists. It has been subject to gentrification, turning into a "hip" place to live and magnet for tourists.

Police regained control over the streets of Hamburg in the early hours of the morning.

Several shops were looted and damaged during the first day of protests.

Black block protesters were throwing flares at police from behind street baracades. It took several hours for police to really push back in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Fires were set in Hamburg streets and some cars were burned out.

Protesters lit barricades on Friday evening. Throughout the city cars had been set on fire.

Cars were burned and barricades set alight as a violent mob stepped up its actions, sidelining the majority of mainly peaceful protesters.

Police blamed anarchists with the so-called Black Bloc movement for much of the violence. Black Bloc protesters wear all black and cover their faces to avoid being identified.

Riot police disperse crowds with water cannon vehicles on Friday.

Police use water against a woman after she climbed on top of an armoured carrier on Friday.

Police chased protesters up a hill to gain control of the streets.

A picture published on social media shows smoke rising from the streets during protests on Friday.

Violent protests turned several neighborhoods where children usually play into scenes from a warzone.