Amsterdam - Netherlands

Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, is one of Europe's most popular tourist attractions. Amsterdam is also the country's primary cultural hub, with over 40 museums, academies, and research organizations, as well as several theaters and entertainment venues.

Furthermore, the city is well-known for its numerous well-preserved medieval residences. These well-preserved heritage structures are laid out in a pattern of concentric segments in the shape of a fan and are erected on piles driven through an upper layer of mud into the hard, sandy bottom up to 18 meters below.

In total, 6,750 structures originating from the 16th to 18th century are crammed into a 2,000-acre region divided by 160 canals, which are home to countless houseboats. It's no surprise, therefore, that Amsterdam is a fantastic city to explore on foot, with numerous lovely bridges connecting the city's 90 islands. Eight of them are antique wooden bascule bridges, including one of the city's most photographed, the Magere Brug (Mager Bridge).

If you're visiting Amsterdam for the first time, the finest place to stay is in the city center, often known as the "Canal Ring." To the north, the Amsterdam Central Railway Station; to the south, the Leidseplein and the Museumplein (home to the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, and Stedelijk Museum); and to the west, the Jordaan neighborhood, with its art galleries and fashionable cafés.