Amsterdam is a compact, instantly likeable city. It is great to look at and pleasing to walk around, with an intriguing mix of local and international facilities and visitors. Amsterdam has a welcoming attitude toward its visitors and a uniquely youthful orientation, shaped by the liberal counterculture of the last four decades. It's hard not to feel drawn by the buzz of open-air summer events, by the cheery intimacy of the city's clubs and bars, and by the Dutch fascination for languages: just about everyone you meet in Amsterdam will be able to speak good English, on top of their own native tongue.

The citys' layout is determined by a web of canals radiating out from an historical core to loop right round the centre. These planned, seventeenth-century extensions to the medieval town make for a uniquely elegant urban environment to explore on a weekend break or an extended stay.