Amsterdam is the capital of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is the country's largest city and its financial, cultural, and creative centre. Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters there, and seven of the world's 500 largest companies, including Philips and ING, are based in the city. In 2012, Amsterdam was ranked the second best city in which to live by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and 12th globally on quality of living for environment and infrastructure by Mercer.
Amsterdam derives its name from the city’s origin as “Dam” of river “Amstel”. In the past, the name was "Amstelredamme" which later changed as “Amsterdam”. The city is one of the most popular destinations in Europe, attracting over 7 million international travellers annually. The city is colloquially known as ''Venice of the North'' because of its lovely canals that criss-cross the city, its impressive architecture and more than 1,500 bridges. There is something for every traveller's taste here; whether you prefer culture and history, serious partying, or just the relaxing charm of an old European city!
We just returned from Paris and I are thanking you for the incredible job you did in putting our trip together.
We are very appreciative for everything you did for us and everything went very well. We’re safe and sound back home thinking about the joy we experienced. We loved the tours, the museums, the hotel and its staff … everything just perfect!!!! The pleasure was mine in working with you Diane, you responded quickly to every question, set up transportation and tours I would have never imagined. You prepared us both very well for our first to Paris, everything went so smoothly. Thank you again!
By Kathleen Herrick