America's favorite city sits at the edge of the Western world, a location that lends even greater romance to its legend. Pastoral, cosmopolitan and full of life, San Francisco is a ravishing city, conforming to every cliché the tourist board can throw at it and acting as a magnet for nearly three million visitors a year. Famous for its tolerant attitude, open-mindedness and eccentricity, it occupies a special place in the hearts of Americans and is considered the last bastion of civilization on the passionate fringe that is California. For all its nostalgic, even provincial feel, San Francisco is an affluent, world-class city - its visitors alone pour nearly $2 billion into its reserves every year, and as the financial center of the West Coast, its business community thrives.

Few cities parallel San Francisco's charm. The sheer physical aspect of the place is astounding. The city is indisputably beautiful and majestic, a unique confection of switchback hills, wooden Victorian houses, open green spaces and the shimmering bay that surrounds. The moody weather pattern that has San Francisco alternately drenched in sunshine or bathed in swirling fogs nurtures a vibrant ambience filled with high spirits. Turning a corner, climbing a hill and stumbling across an unexpected vista literally takes your breath away. An easy city to negotiate, it also has an excellent public transport system that will whisk you around its appealing, diverse neighborhoods.