San Francisco, in northern California, is a hilly city on the tip of a peninsula surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. It's known for its year-round fog, iconic Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars and colourful Victorian houses. The Financial District's Transamerica Pyramid is its most distinctive skyscraper. In the bay sits Alcatraz Island, site of the notorious former prison.
Fisherman’s Wharf features souvenir shops, seafood and a colony of sea lions. Russian Hill is home to Lombard Street, made up of 8 sharp, steep downhill turns. Sprawling green spaces include the Presidio, a onetime military base-turned-national park. Golden Gate Park has fine-arts on display at the de Young Museum, plus natural history exhibits at the California Academy of Sciences. The Castro neighbourhood is a historic hub of gay culture, while Chinatown is the oldest community of its kind in North America. The gritty, artistic Mission District hosts taquerias alongside colourful murals.

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