People go to this cosmopolitan city for many reasons—it’s a capital of commerce, culture and fun. Amsterdam is nourished by a wealth of museums, concert halls and avant-garde theater and dance venues, and its relaxed and tolerant attitudes draw those looking for a creative, anything-goes atmosphere. Large numbers of beautiful tree-lined canals are bordered by streets with rows of narrow, gabled houses and 17th-century warehouses, making Amsterdam an architectural treasure-house. At three-quarters of a million inhabitants, Amsterdam is much smaller (but no less interesting) than many European capitals, and much of the city center can be comfortably explored on foot. It’s a dazzling city to visit and an easy city to learn to know, for almost everyone speaks English.