As Holland’s largest city, Rotterdam is full of attractions, and has a real buzz to it. Its multicultural community, cultural life and vibrancy are hard to beat, making it a hugely popular destination for weekend breaks as well as longer holidays.

The best way to explore this great European city is by renting a holiday villa or apartment. Renting holiday apartments has never been easier, thanks to the plethora of websites that have sprung up in recent years. Renting either through an agent or privately with the owner is literally a few clicks away and there are many advantages to opting for this type of holiday accommodation rather than a hotel.

The main advantage is obviously flexibility, as there are no set meal times to adhere to, with the kids having to be dragged back for dinner just as they were starting to enjoy things. There’s no need to worry about the sensitivities of fellow guests, because the kids have their own rooms to amuse themselves in, and you can all come and go as you like. Also, self-catering in a foreign city is great fun, getting to grips with the Euro, exchange rates, shopping at the local market or dining out, interacting with the natives and practicing the lingo.

Rotterdam was almost flattened by German bombers during the Second World War, but there are still a great many things to see and do there. Blijdorp Zoo is arranged as a theme park and the whole family will love it, and there are historic attractions such as the Maritime Museum.

Amsterdam has always been a colorful destination for me. World famous Coffee Shops and a legal Red Light District may be Mecca for teenage boys but for their parents it means price checking breathalysers and chastity belts. So there I am with an invite to a potentially very lucrative business meeting in a city I imagined was as smoggy as a Los Angeles in the eighties.

The first thing to be noted about Amsterdam is how easy and cheap it is to get there. With so many good quality travel services available I almost considered not claiming on my companies account! There’s an international airport which is linked to central station by a train service which is modern, clean and very affordable.

After arriving at the station it is only a 2 minute walk to the Damrak (the central square) from which the whole city is a matter of minutes away. The first thing to notice is the bicycles. They are everywhere and with many of the towns streets closed to cars its probably not a bad idea to dust off the peddle pushers yourself.

I opted to take the tram to my hotel which allowed me to enjoy the city without worrying about obstructing cyclists. Amsterdam is beautiful. The canals thread water through the streets bringing a liquid serenity which I have never felt in a city. After alighting at my hotel I was instantly impressed. With over 40 per cent of hotels being 4-5 star, the fierce competition meant I was being treated like a king for the price of a pauper.

After chatting with locals in a bar across the road I caught a cab to the Leidseplein. The bright lights and stunning architecture left me dumbstruck. It’s just so beautiful here. For a moment I feel like to spend rest of my life in this unique city.

The next morning, I explored all the attractive spots of the city and it was really fun for me. I came to know about various secrets which I just can’t forget, even if I want to. It was certainly some thing spiritual which attract me towards the beautiful place.

As a college senior, I was fortunate enough to participate in a semester abroad program that brought me to Europe. While my semester was officially spent in London, we were given ample opportunity to travel and travel we did. I spent time in 8 different countries that semester going everywhere from Ireland to France to the Czech Republic. However, despite all my journeys, perhaps the most interesting was Amsterdam in Holland. In a word, what a weird place and crazy city. Best described as a split between New York and Gotham City – but without the protection of Batman – Amsterdam is as strange as it is beautiful and it’s probably the only city where you will find both art and marijuana held in such high esteem. However, Amsterdam is more than just a famous stop for those looking to skip out on harsher drug laws in their native countries; it is also truly a cultural mecca featuring no shortage of art, museums, amazing architecture, and culinary options.

When I visited Holland’s most favorite city I was sure to visit the Van Gough museum, featuring (obviously) the art of Vincent Van Gough as well as several other impressionist and European artists. Also of cultural note in the city is the Anne Frank House – the house where the infamous Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis. For just about anyone who went through the American public school system the Anne Frank diary was a mandatory read in school and so you can only imagine how moving it was to see if this famous place. Add to that the fact that I am Jewish and, well, you can get a picture of how emotional it was to visit this landmark.

Also of note was the city’s Jewish museum, built in honor and in memory of those who passed away during the Nazi’s reign in the Netherlands. As the Anne Frank story attests to, the Dutch were not willing participants in the Nazi’s xenophobic goals and plans and, as this museum takes pains to show, the Dutch did all that they could to resist the Nazi’s advances: for sure, there were exceptions, but this museum is helpful in repairing any burnt bridges.

All in all, Amsterdam is an awesome city and definitely worth seeing. While it is not for everyone it still very much worth checking out and should be in on your Europe to do list.