Old Town Hall, Bamberg, Germany (© SCStock/Getty Images)

Perched above the Regnitz River, Bamberg's Old Town Hall is one of Germany's most distinctive landmarks. According to local legend, the town's bishop refused to give citizens land for their town hall, so they created their own artificial island in the river by driving wooden piles into the riverbed. The building that rose there became a symbol of civic independence and remains one of Bavaria's most photographed scenes.