TULIP TIME

Amsterdam wears two faces. On one, it beckons youth with its notorious Red Light District and liberal views around marijuana use. On the other, it offers discerning travellers some of Europe's finest museums and art galleries. Its house boats, bicycles, cobbled streets, and quaint canals are a visual treat.

For tourists, Amsterdam's compactness is a plus. The old part of town is a story-book setting of narrow lanes, gabled houses and ancient bridges, and a pleasure to explore on foot. Visitors can shop boutiques for souvenirs such as Delft china or wooden clogs, or relax at cosy bars and pavement cafes.

At night even the most conservative visitors are drawn to the Red Light District's lively atmosphere, where prostitutes stand in shop windows and touts encourage passers-by to view raunchy floorshows. For the most part, travellers will find the best bars in the bustling Leidesplein and Rembrandtplein.

Enjoy a scenic cruise through the IJsselmeer to Hoorn. For those seeking to travel back in time, you can visit the Zuiderzee Museum, providing insight into the maritime culture and history of the lively Zuiderzee region. And for more active adventurers, go for a bike ride through the Dutch countryside.

Ghent is an old medieval city that has long been overshadowed by Bruges, but nevertheless holds plenty of exciting attractions for visitors and is far less crowded than other Belgian cities.

The city was once the heart of the cloth trade and one of the largest medieval cities in northern Europe. Today, the old centre boasts many historic buildings including St Bavo's Cathedral, the Castle of the Counts (a turreted castle with a moat and bell tower, which make for great views), the Town Hall and the 15th-century Cloth Hall.

Ghent's city centre is wholly modern however, and the city's large university population mixes with an eclectic blend of expats and artists to give the city a diverse and cosmopolitan air.

Despite being off the beaten track for many tourists, Ghent offers good museums, lively nightlife and excellent restaurants serving the best in Flemish cuisine.

Belgium's small size ensures that Ghent is less than a 40-minute train ride from major cities such as Bruges and Brussels, and within easy distance of other interesting tourist destinations, like Courtray and Ostend. A weekend in Ghent is the perfect way to cap an idyllic holiday in Belgium.

Antwerp is perhaps best known for its diamonds, and the city's sparkling allure attracts the glitterati with a thriving fashion and entertainment culture. The city also has countless shopping opportunities, trendy bars and nightclubs for the fashion-conscious and young at heart.

As the second-largest city in Belgium and a major European port, Antwerp has a more modern face than many of its neighbours. Much of the city was destroyed in World War II, but its history is present in its beautifully-preserved Gothic and Baroque architecture. At the centre of the city is the Grote Markt, with the baroque Brabo Fountain in the middle. The work of baroque sculptor Pieter Paul Reubens is visible all over the city, most notably at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts.

A visit to Antwerp is a must on any Belgian holiday. Indeed, the city does a uniquely European balancing act of old and new, offering plenty of pretty sights, good museums, family attractions and sidewalk cafés.

Unlike many historic cities in the Netherlands, which sport Gothic churches and Renaissance buildings, Rotterdam is a gleaming cluster of high-rises. Indeed, some of them are marvels of 20th-century architecture. Public parks, spacious streets and slick shopping malls dot this efficiently designed city, making it the perfect destination for travellers who lean more towards the modern than the classical.

Many parts of the city were bombed in World War II. In fact, only three buildings in Rotterdam's historic centre survived the onslaught, namely, the art deco City Hall, the iconic White House, and St Lawrence Church. The Delft Harbour area also escaped destruction. Extensive rebuilding has given the city a unique personality when compared to the rest of the country. Travellers should view it from the iconic Euromast Space Tower, which has a revolving sit-down elevator.

Rotterdam hasn't forgotten its roots, though, despite its modern look and feel. Its museums cover art, World War II, architecture, photography, maritime history, natural history, and the Netherlands' rail system. Rotterdam is also a multicultural city, with larger immigrant populations than most of the Netherlands.

That said, the city is roughly 16 miles (26km) away from a prominent cluster of windmills, which are an enduring symbol of the Netherlands. Located in the small town of Kinderdijk, these structures are fully functioning and drain water from the Alblasserwaard polder. They're also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the most popular attractions in the region.

Amsterdam wears two faces. On one, it beckons youth with its notorious Red Light District and liberal views around marijuana use. On the other, it offers discerning travellers some of Europe's finest museums and art galleries. Its house boats, bicycles, cobbled streets, and quaint canals are a visual treat.

For tourists, Amsterdam's compactness is a plus. The old part of town is a story-book setting of narrow lanes, gabled houses and ancient bridges, and a pleasure to explore on foot. Visitors can shop boutiques for souvenirs such as Delft china or wooden clogs, or relax at cosy bars and pavement cafes.

At night even the most conservative visitors are drawn to the Red Light District's lively atmosphere, where prostitutes stand in shop windows and touts encourage passers-by to view raunchy floorshows. For the most part, travellers will find the best bars in the bustling Leidesplein and Rembrandtplein.