Germany's 10 most impressive boulevards

The names of some of Germany's boulevards reveal how old they are. In the Middle Ages, salt was so valuable that it was worth the trouble to transport it long distances. The first recorded mention of Salzstrasse (Salt Street) in Münster was in the 14th century. Today it's a 500-meter shopping boulevard in the city's Old Town, surrounded by landmarks like the late Gothic Lamberti Church.

The Krämerbrücke (Krämer Bridge) in Erfurt isn't really a street, but because it's completely lined with houses, it doesn't look like a bridge either. Part of the medieval Via Regia (Royal Highway), the Krämerbrücke lies on what used to be a significant trade route between Spain and Russia. Today, small boutiques selling traditional handicrafts have set up along Erfurt's most famous landmark.

Many of Germany's pedestrian zones represent a mishmash of epochs with their cobble stones, old store fronts and neon signs. Shoppers may never guess that Hohe Strasse (High Street) in Cologne dates back to the Roman Empire. Remains from the North-South trade route were found as many as six meters beneath the modern-day shopping street.

After Napoleon crowned Duke Friedrich II King of Württemberg in 1806, he expanded his Stuttgart residence. Today, the Königstrasse (King Street) extends along both sides of the palace as a pedestrian area where visitors can enjoy the pleasures of art and consumption. An art museum was built to the left of Friedrich's villa in 2005.

The Königsallee (King's Boulevard) in Dusseldorf is a place to show off. The luxury shopping street got its name when the Prussian king paid a visit in 1848 but was greeted by the Dusseldorfers with insults and horse manure. After the revolution failed, the city turned Chestnut Boulevard into King's Boulevard to appease the old ruler.

Only the very wealthy can afford a stroll along Munich's Maximilianstrasse (Maximilian Street), considered the country's most expensive stretch. The street was built by King Maximilian in the middle of the 19th century and surrounded with buildings designed according to past epochs, from neo-Gothic to Renaissance. Many operas by Richard Wagner were premiered at the Bavarian State Opera (left).

Many demonstrations have been held over the years on Kurfürstendamm in Berlin, including during the student protests in 1968. After reunification in 1990, people thought the street, fondly known as Ku'damm, had lost its appeal, but today it has become a hot spot for tourists. The 3.5-kilometer boulevard was built in the late 19th-century as a prestige object of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.

Unter den Linden (Beneath the Linden) is one of Europe's most famous boulevards and the oldest in Berlin. It originated in the 17th century out of a former horse riding path between the City Palace and the Tiergarten park. The 1.5-kilometer street was named after the linden trees that line it. Today, it's a favorite route for tourists on their way from Brandenburg Gate to Museum Island.

Frankfurt's main shopping boulevard got its name in the late Middle Ages. Where crowds now shuffle past shop windows used to be the last row of houses in front of the city wall. The so-called Zeil, like many of Germany's major thoroughfares, was renovated in recent years and the MyZeil shopping center was completed in 2009.

At just over 100 years old, Hamburg's most imposing boulevard, Mönckebergstraße (Mönckeberg Street) is relatively young. It was named for the mayor that had the medieval Old Town torn down in order to build an impressive shopping street between City Hall (pictured, center) and the central train station.