In the port city of Amsterdam, the Netherlands

 “Where there's hope, there is life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again.” ― Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

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(in the Netherlands) The port city of Amsterdam, located on the IJsselmeer (Lake IJssel) and connected to the North Sea, is the main commercial and financial center of the country. To the many tourists who visit each year, Amsterdam is known for its historical attractions, collections of great art, and for the distinctive color and flavor of its old sections, which have been well preserved. It is perhaps easier to describe Amsterdam, which is more than 700 years old, as a living museum of a bygone age, while acknowledging the beauty of the centuries-old canals, the ancient patrician houses, and the city's atmosphere of freedom and tolerance. Although the city is the nominal capital of the Netherlands, it is not the seat of government (which is The Hague).

+ Amsterdam’s intimate character is best reflected in the narrow, bustling streets of the Old Town, where there are reminders of the glorious past -- gabled houses, noble brick facades clad with sandstone, richly decorated cornices, towers and churches, and the music of carillons and barrel organs. The inner city is divided by its network of canals into some 90 “islands,” and the municipality has approximately 1,300 bridges and viaducts. Although the city has a modern metro system, about one-fifth of the workforce still relies on the time-honored bicycle for transportation.

+ Golden Age canals lined by tilting gabled buildings serve as the backdrop for Amsterdam's treasure-packed museums and vintage-filled shops. Amsterdam's canal-woven core is laced by narrow lanes. You never know what you will find: a tiny hidden garden; a boutique selling stylized Dutch-designed homewares and fashion; a jenever (Dutch gin) distillery; a flower stall filled with tulips; an old monastery-turned-classical-music-venue; an ultra-niche restaurant such as an all-avocado specialist or one reinventing age-old Dutch classics. Fringing the center, post-industrial buildings in up-and-coming neighborhoods now house creative enterprises, from art galleries to craft breweries and cutting-edge tech start-ups, as well as some of Europe's busiest clubs.

+ You cannot walk far without bumping into a masterpiece in the city. The Van Gogh Museum hangs the world's largest collection by native son Vincent. A few blocks away, Vermeers, Rembrandts, and other Golden Age treasures fill the glorious Rijksmuseum. The Museum het Rembrandthuis offers more of Rembrandt via his etching-packed studio.

+ With its canals and massive harbor, this city reclaimed from the sea offers lots of opportunities to drift. Hop aboard a canal boat or one of the ferries behind Centraal Station, or rent your own for a wind-in-your-hair ride. Must-see sights include the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh Museum, and the world's only floating flower market. (Rent a bike and join thousands of locals peddling around.)