Los Angeles - The City of Dreams

Los Angeles (short "LA" or "L.A."), which is also called the "City of Angels", has an area of 1,290.6 km² and almost 4 million inhabitants, which makes it the second biggest city in the USA after New York. The city, which lies in the south of the state of California, borders on mountain ranges in the north and east and on the Pacific Ocean in the south and west. The city's north-south-expansion is about 71 kilometres, its east-west-expansion about 47 kilometres. Los Angeles is divided into 15 districts, which are again divided into a number of smaller districts. There is a clear distinction between residential and commercial districts. The climate is very hot and dry almost all year. It only gets a little colder in winter due to increased precipitation. It hardly ever rains from April to October.

Los Angeles is one of the most popular cities in the USA. Reasons for that are its great beaches but most of all its film and television industry. The Hollywood Boulevard with the Walk of Fame, Grauman's Chinese Theatre (also called "TCL Chinese Theatre") and the Dolby Theatre (formerly "Kodak Theatre"), the Hollywood Sign, the Warner Brothers Studios and the Universal Studios are the city's most popular attractions. In Downtown Los Angeles, you find the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Union Station, the Los Angeles Public Library and the Staples Center. Above the district of Brentwood, you see the world-famous Getty Center, which has been accommodating the J. Paul Getty Museum since 1997. Another equally popular sight which is located above the city is the Griffith Observatory, from which you have a wonderful view of the city. At the Port of Long Beach, you can marvel at the former passenger ship of the RMS Queen Mary (1936-1967), which was transformed into the Hotel The Queen Mary in 1867. Another highlight is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Interesting museums in Los Angeles are the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Madame Tussauds Hollywood, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the Grammy Museum, the Hollywood Erotic Museum and the Travel Town Museum.

The City of Angels offers numerous opportunities for long shopping trips. The countless "malls" and shopping streets cater for every budget. In the districts of West LA and Beverly Hills, you find many noble boutiques, for example on the world-famous Rodeo Drive. The Beverly Center with its over 200 shops is equally popular. Downtown Los Angeles offers the LA Fashion District, the Cooper Design Space, the Grand Central Market and Olvera Street. In Mid Wilshire, you can visit The Grove (a shopping centre) and the Original Farmers Market. The list goes on. A unique experience is being in the audience of a live TV show. You get tickets for these events at the entrance gates of the film studios or online. If you want to get really close to the stars, you can take part in a bus tour which takes you past the villas of many famous personalities. Travellers who enjoy concerts should not miss out on the Hollywood Bowl. Stars like the Beatles, Frank Sinatra and Mikhail Baryshnikov have performed here. Many celebrities are buried on the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Open-air cinema events are hosted here in summer. A real highlight, not only for film fans, is Disneyland Resort in the adjacent Anaheim. Night owls get their money's worth on the Sunset Strip, which is part of the Sunset Boulevard. It is one of the city's most popular party miles.

Los Angeles offers several very beautiful beaches, which are always crowded. One of the best-known examples is Venice Beach, which is a meeting place for many musicians, painters and artists at the weekend but it is popular with athletes too. There are numerous volleyball, basketball and tennis courts. In addition, you can go cycling, jogging, in-line skating or skateboarding on the promenades ("boardwalk"). Bodybuilders do their training at Muscle Beach. On the water, you see countless surfers, kitesurfers and windsurfers. North of Venice Beach, you find the world's best-known bathing resort: Santa Monica Beach. Santa Monica Pier accommodates a small amusement park (Pacific Park) and several souvenir shops. Many anglers gather at the end of the pier to pursue their hobby. North of Santa Monica Beach, you see the beach of Malibu, which is also referred to as "Surf City USA". It is known for its fine sand and for being the home of many film stars. At New Port Beach, you can go for a walk along the promenade or admire the historical pier. In addition, you can go on boat tours, whale watching or deep-sea fishing here. The Hollywood Hills are very popular with hikers.

If you want to go to Los Angeles, you can arrive at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) or one of the other regional airports. From there, you can take a rental car or a shuttle bus into the city. Although Los Angeles' road network is very well developed and equipped with many highways, traffic is often very slow, which can lead to very long traffic jams during rush hour.