Mention Amsterdam, and you get a certain reaction - drugs, red light districts are the first things that come to mind. There's a lot more to Amsterdam than that, though, as you'll see if you go there.

Amsterdam has a long and rich history, full of ups and downs. It started in the 12th century as a tiny fishing village, but quickly grew thanks to trade with the Germans and Scandinavia. By the 17th century, it was one of the world's richest cities, acting as a financial centre in much the same way as New York does today. However, wars with Britain and France combined with the rising popularity of other areas saw it lose this status quite quickly.

When the Industrial Revolution got to Amsterdam in the 19th century, it became an important capital once again. Canals were built to the North Sea and the Rhine, and more and more people started coming to Amsterdam again. The Netherlands was neutral in the First World War, but suffered terrible losses in the second, as the Nazis took over with little resistance, decimating the Jewish population and killing off the city's lucrative diamond trade.

Today, Amsterdam has a huge and varied multicultural population. It's either on a real high or failing once again, depending on who you believe, but regardless, it has long been a tourist destination for those who are interested in going to a city that is 'magical' in more ways than one. Ultimately, Amsterdam can be a gritty, downtrodden kind of place, but there are plenty of people who like that in a city, and there's no denying that it also has some beautiful architecture and landscapes. It's become a Mecca of sorts for Europe's hippies and students, and a visit will, at the very least, never be a dull experience.