Today we discover the highlights of this city by Cable Car. Our first stop is the Fisherman's Wharf district. A stroll along the Bay and across Pier 39 — with its more than 110 shops, 11 restaurants and countless attractions — is, of course, a must. The pier consists of a broad wooden boardwalk lined with timber-built stores, constructed, as it happens, from "historic" planks salvaged from Piers 3 and 34, which date back to 1910. With 10.5 million visitors per year, Pier 39 is the second most visited spot in California. The real attraction, however, is on the western side: this is where the world-famous sea lions have made their home — entirely without human planning. In fact, the city even cleared part of the harbour basin in 1994 and installed floating pontoons, which the animals now use as sunbathing spots and playgrounds. There are easily a hundred sea lions here at any given time. You can hear them long before you see them, and watching them is enormous fun — you could easily spend hours here (setting aside the smell, of course!)

Fisherman's Wharf also offers numerous fish shops, street vendors, souvenir stores and restaurants. The departure points for Bay cruise ferries are located here too. At the westernmost pier of Fisherman's Wharf lies the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, where historic ships lie at anchor and can be visited for a (rather steep) admission fee. If you are interested in warships, you can also visit the World War II submarine USS Pampanito at Pier 45, which is likewise part of the Maritime National Historic Park.

Also worth a look is The Cannery — the old peach cannery from 1907 was once the largest factory of its kind in the world. The brick building has been lovingly restored and is now a three-storey complex of passages and bridges housing a variety of upscale shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. Among them is Jacks Cannery Beer Bar (2801 Leavenworth St, San Francisco, CA 94133), which stocks a huge selection of beers from around the world and occasionally features live music — an ideal spot to round off the evening.

We then move on to Chinatown, where we take a few more photos of the Dragon Gate and wander through the neighbourhood. It truly feels like stepping into a completely different world — packed with everything you would expect from a Chinese quarter, but also with subtle architectural references to China that make the area instantly recognisable.

We leave Chinatown and pass through the Financial District with its many shops and glittering storefronts.

At the Cable Car Museum, you can learn everything about the history and operation of these world-famous vehicles, and even peer into the engine room, which was rebuilt in 1907. Admission is free, and a visit is well worthwhile: the beloved mode of transport is one of the few moving National Historic Landmarks in the United States and the only remaining cable railway in the world with detachable cars.

Towards evening, we ride the Cable Car to our hearts' content — fun for young and old alike! The Powell/Hyde line is particularly recommended. The best experience is to stand on the running board in the front row — that is where you truly feel the dramatic ups and downs of San Francisco's famous hills.