Amsterdam

Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, beautifully combines the 17th century with the hustle and bustle of a modern city. Compact, traditionally cosmopolitan and solidly rooted in its past, but with a strongly international and forward-looking attitude, it is a true Gateway to Europe. Most of Amsterdam's inhabitants are multilingual. The city itself houses the world's most beautiful works of art, has more canals than Venice, more bridges than Paris, 7,000 historic monuments and scores of ultramodern buildings. There is one bicycle for almost every inhabitant in Amsterdam (there are 750,000 citizens), while there are over 1000 bridges, more than 200 paintings by Van Gogh, and 600,000 bulbflowers in parks and public gardens.

A melting pot of cultures, Amsterdam offers art forms and architecture from ancient to avant-garde, while the city's waterways offer unique forms of transport. The city is dominated by its network of canals, and famed for its incredible museums.

Some of the highlights include:

• the Anne Frank House on the Prinsengracht canal, with its haunting portrayal of the horrors of National Socialism and the overwhelming experience of visiting the cramped rooms where Anne and her family hid for over two years
• the Sunflowers by Van Gogh, and the many other works of art in the Van Gogh museum
• taking a trip on the 17th century canals by canal boat and looking up at Amsterdam's facades from water level
• the factories of the Amsterdam Diamond Group, where one can see diamonds being cut, crafted and polished
• shopping till you drop at the Bijenkorf or Magna Plaza, or in the small boutiques along the canals, home to some great young fashion designers
• enjoying a coffee at an outdoor terrace, watching the world cycle by
• having a cold glass of Dutch beer, Heineken or Amstel, at one of the capitals many brown cafes, where generations of Amsterdammers have enjoyed drinks and conversation

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