Being part of the province North-Holland, Amsterdam is located in the northwest of the Netherlands next to the provinces Utrecht and Flevoland. The river Amstel terminates in the city center into a large number of canals that eventually terminate in the IJ. The town’s most famous sight is the system of canals, that spreads over the whole city centre.

Cobbled streets are cheek by jowl with glittering night clubs. Here are 10 experiences you should take home with you from the capital of the Netherlands.

1. Amsterdam’s cafes
Known for providing customers with more than just coffee, Amsterdam’s coffee houses abound. It won’t be difficult to find one: there are around 1500 in the city! In Amsterdam, the words “cafe” and “bar” are nearly interchangeable. Dutch pea soup, called erwtensoep, is a specialty made with ham, smoked sausage, thyme, and cloves. It is served with rye bread spread with mustard.

2. Clogs
Even though few people actually wear them these days, wooden shoes will be forever associated with Amsterdam. De Klompenboer, world renowned shoe makers, is located at the St. Antoniesbreestraat.

3. Dam Square
Located at the center of the city, Dam Square showcases the Royal Palace. Though it was originally a town hall, the building was made regal by Louis Napoleon in 1808.

4. Anne Frank’s House
If you go in the summer, you’ll be standing in a long line to get in, but as the setting of one of the greatest stories of the twentieth century, Anne Frank’s house is considered a must see. It is located close to Dam Square.

5. Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum is the official state museum of Holland. With a collection including works by Vermeer, Hals, and Rembrandt and an entrance on Amsterdam’s museumplein, the Rijksmuseum is part of any comprehensive tour or Amsterdam.

6. Van Gogh Museum
Also located on the museumplein, the Van Gogh museum contains the world’s largest collection of the artist’s work.

7. Albert Cuypmarkt
With some 20,000 visitors on weekdays, and even more on weekends, the Albert Cuypmarkt is one of the largest open air markets in the world, supplying fresh produce, handmade objects, and just about anything else a traveler could want.

8. Queen’s Day
If you’re in Amsterdam around the 30th of April, you don’t want to miss one of the world’s largest street parties. Queen’s Day is a mammoth celebration of gay and lesbian culture. With pounding music and huge crowds, the entire downtown of Amsterdam turns into a party on Queen’s Day.

9. Vondelpark Summer
During high summer between June and August is the Vondelpark festival. With entertainment for all ages, this festival features performing arts in the open air.

10. Holland Festival
The Netherlands biggest summer festival is Holland Festival, which lasts for three weeks in June. It is the largest annual festival, featuring theater, opera, music, dance, and art exhibitions.

Periodic events in Amsterdam

• April – 420.
• April – Koninginnedag, Queen’s day, 30 April, former Queen Juliana’s birthday, also the day Juliana transferred her title to her daughter Beatrix.
• June – The Amsterdam Roots Festival, last week of June, international music festival.
• June – Holland Festival is an international festival for theater, music, dance, opera, film and art, throughout the month of June.
• August – Amsterdam Pride, first weekend of August, gay pride weekend.
• August – Hartjesdag, 3rd weekend in August.
• August – Uitmarkt, last weekend in August, the start of the cultural season.
• August – Amsterdam Tournament, late August, International Football tournament hosted by AFC Ajax.
• August – Sail Amsterdam, a five-yearly event, when tall ships from all over the world can be visited;
• October – Amsterdam Marathon, mid-October.
• October – The Bokbier Beer Festival in the Beurs van Berlage (Old stock Exchange).
• October – Grachtenrace (Canal Race), 25km rowing race, 2nd Saturday in October.
• October – Amsterdam Dance Event. An international conference for the electronic and dance music industry. Also a clubfestival with 600+ acts/DJ’s performing at 40 locations!
• November – Shadow Festival of Documentary Film.
• November – December The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
• November – Cannabis Cup, mid-November annual cannabis competition, hosted by High Times.

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1    Sagrada Familia Church
With its soaring, expressionist towers, Sagrada Familia is Antonio Gaudi’s most famous creation. And it is not yet finished! Begun in 1882, construction on the church continues, and is funded by Barcelona’s tourism industry.

2    Casa-Museu Gaudi
In his later years, Gaudi lived with his niece in this pink house that looks like something straight out of a fairy tale. The rooms in the house are themed, containing furniture, drawing, and portraits made by Gaudi himself.

3    Bishop’s Palace
A new structure begun in 1889 to replace the original palace, which had been destroyed by a fire, the Bishop’s Palace had a storied history during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Gaudi abandoned the work after the Bishop Juan Bautista Grau i Vallespinós died, and the palace was not occupied until 1961.

4    Las Ramblas
Barcelona isn’t just about architecture; shopping and entertainment also figure prominently. Las Ramblas contains market stalls and street entertainers. A fun area in which to spend a day, it’s also known to have its share of pick pockets, so hold your wallet or handbag closely.

 5    Passeig de Gracia
Perhaps the most popular shopping street in Barcelona, the Passeig de Gracia is a sophisticated area providing shopping and dining to those wanting something fancier and quieter than the high spirits of Las Ramblas.

6    The Poble Espanyol
The Poble Espanyol is a collection of buildings showcasing architectural styles characteristic of Spain. A real village, with no motorized transportation, the Poble Espanyol was built in 1929 for the International Exhibition in Barcelona.

7    Picasso Museum
Pablo Ruiz Picasso lived in Barcelona as a teenager, and the city’s tribute to the artistic genius contains more than 3,800 works in its permanent collection. Located on the Carrer Moncada, the Picasso Museum first opened in 1963.

8    Gothic Quarter
Perhaps the best place in Barcelona to experience ancient architecture alongside the most modern structures, the Gothic Quarter is located on what once was an ancient Roman village. With its winding, labyrinthine streets and its 14th century cathedral, the Gothic Quarter is a very interesting place to lose oneself in the city.

9    Olympic Stadium
The former Olympic Stadium, built for the 1992 Olympic Games, is still a thriving athletic venue. With its capacity to accommodate 55,000 people, the home of the 1992 Olympic Games is also used for large musical and other cultural events.

10    Lover’s Day
If you find yourself in Barcelona on April 23, you are just in time for Lover’s Day, which is Barcelona’s own interpretation of St. Valentine’s Day. Commemorating St. Jordi, patron saint of Catalonia, as well as the deaths on April 23, 1616 of William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes, Lover’s Day is a heady mix of celbration and roses that caters to the true romantic.

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1. Monte Carlo Casino
Charles Garnier designed the magnificent gold and marble atrium in this famous casino, which was built in 1863. Overlooking the Mediterranean, the Monte Carlo Casino also includes an opera and ballet house called the Grand Théâtre de Monte Carlo, and is the headquarters of the Ballets de Monte Carlo.

2. Cafe de Paris
A visit to Monte Carlo should definitely include a meal at the famous Cafe de Paris. Opened in 1962, the cafe features both indoor and outdoor seating areas, and is conveniently located in Casino Square.

3. Old Town
This is the more traditional part of Monte Carlo, and it features numerous classy bars and restaurants. The traditional Monegasque cuisine you’ll find here includes dishes like Stocafi, which is dried cod cooked in rich tomato sauce, and Fougasse, a pastry decorated with nuts and aniseed.

4. Metropole Shopping Centre
Catering to the high-end tastes of Monte Carlo’s locals and visitors, the Metropole Shopping Center is full of designer stores famous in Milan and Paris, and jewelers that tempt the wealthy with their precious jewels.

5. Monaco Cathedral
Built in 1875, the Monaco Cathedral is where Princess Grace and Prince Ranier III are buried. The Cathedral sits atop the site of the first parish church in Monaco, which was built in 1252 and dedicated to St. Nicholas. It also features a majestic four-keyboard organ.

6. Prince’s Palace
If you’re in Monte Carlo between June and October, be sure to visit the Prince’s Palace, which was originally built in 1191 as a fortress. Over three million brilliantly colored pebbles are arranged in geometric patterns within the grand courtyard, and the palace also features a Carrara marble stairway and brass cannons from the era of Louis XIV.

7. Monte-Carlo Thermes Marins
All that shopping and dining is bound to put you in the mood for some serious pampering, and the Thermes Marins is the luxury spa that does just that. This luxurious spa features 37 treatment cabins, seawater pools, a beauty salon, and the famous L’Hirondelle restaurant.

8. The Grimaldi Forum
This magnificent venue hosts cultural events such as concerts, opera, and ballet. The Grimaldi Forum, an engineering marvel of glass and steel, is also home to the Monte-Carlo Masters Tennis Tournament.

9. Stade Louis II
The compact, but mighty home of the AS Monaco Football Club may be smaller than most top football clubs, but its architecture more than makes up for it. Even though the stadium seats “only” 18,500, that is enough seats to accommodate 60 percent of Monaco’s population!

10. The Grand Prix Racing Route
When the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix isn’t taking place, the route follows city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine, around the harbor. Electronic versions of the route are famous enough to be included in computer games like Gran Turismo, and 2003’s R:Racing Evolution.

Monte Carlo is one of Europe’s leading tourist resorts, although many of the key tourist destinations are located in other parts of Monaco, including such attractions as Monaco Cathedral, the Napoleon Museum, the Oceanographic Museum and aquarium, and the Prince’s Palace, all of which are located in Monaco-Ville.

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Birmingham is today a new home to many visitors with its canals resembling Venetian and Amsterdam’s. Moreover, the lengths of these canals that include cafes are far more than Venetian. The famous place in Birmingham is Victoria Square, which locates in the crossing of New, Paradise, and Colmore Row streets. As the statue of Victoria the Queen was built here, the square is named with her name. Lady Diana held the renewal of the Square in 90’s whose opening ceremony executed. There is famous Floozie in the Jacuzzi fountain in the area of town hall.

Birmingham is a home to many architectural beauties. One of the best examples of it is a town hall oriented with 40 colons. The council hall named as Big Brum by its citizens was built in 1870 and designed with the architecture of Renaissance. Another area worth of visiting is Centenary Square formed by placing each of 500 bricks one by one. In Birmingham, there are two sightseeing cathedrals one of which is St. Philip’s built in 18th century and the other one is St. Martin built in 13th century with Baroque bell tower.

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, having the collection of before Raphael, was built in the architecture of Victoria. In the museum, the works of French, Italian, and Flemish artists’ also silver, ceramic and archaeological objects are exhibited. What is the most important thing for Birmingham people is art. They have many theatres, cinemas, museums, and art galleries. What a big pleasure to visit them one by one.

There is a bazaar named as Bull Ring that is there for 800 years. It has five different sections and has about 19 million tourists yearly. Another bazaar is Farmer’s Market in which you can find the products of the farmers who produce themselves. To add, to supply the production of jewellery, there is a place named Jewellery Quarter where you can see the art of jewellery.

Kings Heath and Cannon Hill parks provide you a great joy to spend with your family. If you wonder sea life, there is nowhere attractive than National Sea Life Centre where you can see different sea creatures behind the glass.

As it can be witnessed above, Birmingham, your great joy between the parentheses does not allow you to put full stop. You will want to experience again by putting three dots…

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Modern-day London is a bustling metropolis that also encompasses the medieval structures of the ancient City of London. The global city of London is presently considered the capital of both England, and the United Kingdom. Being one of the top cultural, financial, and business centers of the world, London is able to strongly influence movements in the fields of arts, fashion, media, entertainment, education, and politics.

London is a very accessible city, it has five international airports, an efficient road network and extensive underground, train, bus, and taxi services. Moreover, London is a perfect binding of the past and the present, a city with so many places to visit that one couldn’t find the time to view them all.

Buckingham Palace:
As the royal pad is only open to the public over July, August and part of September each year, demand for tickets is very high. However, for fans of all things royal, it’s worth the wait.

National Gallery London:
It’s not everyday you have the chance to view one of the world’s greatest collections of European painting for free. Well there is actually, but you’d need to live in London to do it.

The National Portrait Gallery:
What better way to have your ego stroked than wandering down hallways whilst 9000 people, several of them naked, look you up and down? Located right next to the National Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery contains the most comprehensive portrait collection of portraits anywhere in the world.

Science Museum:
Neighbouring the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum is home to one of the world’s most magnificent collections of science, industry, technology and medicine.

British Museum:
The British Museum is the oldest museum in the world. In fact, it is so old someone should really put it in a museum. Built in 1793, it contains nearly 100 galleries, thousands of artifacts, and millions of years of history from all corners of the globe.

The London Eye:
Opened in 2000, The British Airways London Eye is now one of London’s most recognizable and popular landmarks.

Tate Modern:
Britain’s national museum of modern art displays work from 1900 to the present. Not to be confused with the Tate Britain Museum, which has more traditional work.

The Tower of London/Tower Bridge:
Tower Bridge is the big thing over the Thames Home to the Crown Jewels, the Yeoman Warders aka Beefeaters, and a circling flock of ravens. Since William the Conqueror started building in 1078, The Tower Of London has been a palace, a prison, a royal mint, and a zoo.

If you are found frequently aboard the flights to London or even the flights to Paris, you should know some travel tips by heart. These include how to find cheap flights. You will then be able to find affordable flights to Boston as well.

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