Amsterdam is sometimes called "Venice of the North" because of the many canals that run through the city. Many of these canals are lined with trees and run under historic, architecturally dynamic bridges. Located in the Netherlands (also known as Holland), which is west of Germany and north of Belgium, Amsterdam is the country's biggest tourist attraction for a myriad of reasons. Under Spanish rule in the 1500's and occupied by Germany in World War II, Amsterdam is now a liberated city in more ways then one. The notorious Red Light District (Walletjas) is unlike most others in that it comes fully loaded with legal prostitution booths and marijuana and hashish bars.

Van Gogh Museum: Finest and largest collection of over 700 of his paintings and drawings, including "The Garden of St. Paul's Hospital" painted at a mental asylum a year before his death.

Anne Frank House: The house where Anne Frank hid from the Nazis from July 1942 to August 1944 in a dark attic and penned her diary. Emotionally moving tour through the family house, still kept in its original condition.

Red Light District: It really does exist, if you choose to go, please beware of pickpockets and purse snatchers and try to go avoid the adjacent unlit streets after dark.

The Centrum: Old city center where most of the famous attractions are. Great place to get a feel for the old Amsterdam. Tucked between two historic areas, Jordaan (to the west) which has a Greenwich Village feel and De Pijp (to the east) a diverse 19th century neighborhood.

Cheap Flights to Amsterdam: The best time to visit is Amsterdam is in the spring months when the flowers are blooming, the weather is comfortably cool and the tourist crowds are smaller. Summer has the best weather, but the city is more crowded and traveling there is more expensive, however if you make your reservations in advance you can find cheap airfares.