Easygoing, liberal Amsterdam is "different." Its citizens, bubbling along happily in their multiracial melting pot, are not so easily poured into the restrictive molds of trade and industry. More important, you can enjoy Amsterdam, its culture, history, and beauty, without stretching the limits of your credit cards. Few skyscrapers mar the clarity of the sky and the populace mostly walks or bikes from place to place. The historic center recalls Amsterdam's Golden Age as the command post of a vast trading network and colonial empire, when wealthy merchants constructed gabled residences along neatly laid-out canals.

Athens was named after Athena the goddess of wisdom. Scented with mythology, Athens is a sociable city enlivened by outdoor cafes, pedestrian streets, parks, gardens and urban eccentrics. Almost every house and apartment has a balcony bulging with geraniums, and many of the city's streets and squares are fringed with orange trees. Even though you've probably come here to see the "glory that was Greece," perhaps best symbolized by the Parthenon and the superb statues and vases in the National Archaeological Museum, your best moments may come sitting at a small cafe, sipping a tiny cup of the sweet coffee.

Considered "the town of all towns in Norway" by locals and not only, Bergen is a great city with tradition and one of the most important economic centers in Norway. The famous hanseatic wharf of Bryggen will meet the tourists coming here by sea; tradition is the key-word in Bryggen, rebuilt in its initial form after many fire destructions; that's why it was named by UNESCO a World Heritage City. Bergen's natural scenery is amazing: the surroundings seven mountains offer scenic views and are accessible either by cable car of funicular railway; the unique fjords: Hardangerfjorden, Sognefjorden, Geirangerfjorden - invite you to a breathtaking boat trip. Bergen is also a cultural city and the splendid houses - today museums - of the famous composer Edvard Grieg and violinist Ole Bull are living proofs.

The German capital holds a world cultural record with three opera houses, two concert halls and eight symphony orchestras. This is the heart of Germany, with a stoic beat that echoes through grand public buildings, glorious museums and theatres, urbane restaurants, bustling pubs and raucous nightclubs. Today, structures of steel and glass tower over streets and parks and gardens are again lush. With its field of new skyscrapers and hip clubs and fashion boutiques, post millennium Berlin has recast itself as the Continent's capital of cool.

Brussels is sumptuous, historic and luxuriously cozy. What makes Brussels special? For visitors, it's full of delights - Grand Place, mussels with chips, pralines, under crowded museums, intimate hotels, Art Nouveau, Horta, Tintin and unbelievable beers. Modern edifices are only a few steps from the cobbled streets, splendid cafés, and graceful Art Nouveau architecture that speak to the city's eventful past. The city's spirit survives in traditional cafes, bars, bistros, and restaurants. Whether elegantly Art Nouveau or eccentrically festooned with posters, curios, and knickknacks, such centuries-old establishments provide a warm, convivial ambience that is peculiarly Belgian.

The "gateway to northern Europe," Gothenburg is the country's chief port and second-largest city with everything a modern city can offer. The Gothenburg Botanical Garden has been named The Most Beautiful Garden in Sweden and the third most beautiful in the World. Here you can enjoy 13,000 different species of plants, stroll around in the Wood Anemone Valley gully. Next to the botanical garden is Gothenburg's largest park, Slottsskogen, where the Natural History Museum is located. The park is also home to the city's oldest observatory. One of Gothenburg's most popular tourist attractions is the archipelago (Southern Gothenburg Archipelago), which can be reached by boat. Alvsborg Fortress, Vinga and Styrso islands are popular places to visit. The amusement park Liseberg, the largest of its kind in Scandinavia, is situated in the centre of the city.

Surrounded by water on three sides and fringed by islands, Helsinki grew up around a natural harbor overlooking the Gulf of Finland. A city of wide streets, squares, and parks, adorned with sculpture, Helsinki was one of the world's first planned municipalities and is noted for its 19th-century neoclassical architecture. It is a city of bustling, colorful market squares and halls, of outdoor summer concerts and sports events, of seaside parks, of excellent cafes and restaurants and cutting-edge art in fine museums. It is also a pleasantly compact city, with many of the attractions in the central districts, within easy reach of one another.

Situated on the northern shore of Lake Vanern, Karlstad has convenient access to the major urban centers of Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Oslo and is also a good starting point for many of the tourist routes of Varmland. Here you can see Sweden's longest stone bridge, East Bridge, built in the 18th century. Karlstad is Sweden's sunniest city and therefor its symbol is a happy sun. The varied nature with the beautiful scenery of the river Klaralven, the deep forests and the Vaner archipelago offer breathtaking views. The Varmlands Museum houses an exhibition of the history of Varmland. Another impressive landmark is the city's cathedral. A nice way to experience the town is to take a walk along the river Klaralven.

The small town of Lillehammer is one of the best resorts in Europe, located near the northern end of the Lake Mjosa and beautifully surrounded by mountains. Lillehammer is inevitably related to the best ever Winter Olympics hosted here in 1994. The Norwegians are taking full advantage of that big investment and therefore most of the infrastructure is in use nowadays. In the winter, feel the unique spirit of the Olympic Park and Museum and enjoy cross-country skiing on hundreds of adjacent tracks. If you're looking for adrenaline, take the chance to become a "5G Club" member by riding on a genuine Olympic Bobsleigh track. Lillehammer offers many leisure opportunities, like the greatest Norwegian outdoor museum of Maihaugen and the nice town centre with 19th century wooden hoses and warm local people.

In the last few years, Madrid has gained the reputation of being one of Europe's most active and attractive cities for its nightlife and cultural activities. Capital of Spain since 1562, Madrid's museums host, among others, Dalís, Mirós and Picasso's Guernica. Madrid is a city of great contrasts: the Old City, the Madrid of the Hapsburgs, the Royal Palace, the Puerta de Alcala, the Retiro Park. At night, the city changes gears with its famous Madrid nightlife. The city's endless energy is hard to resist, and its sociable style invites you to jump right in.

The country's principal political, economic, financial, educational center, Moscow is one of the oldest and most beautiful Russian cities. It is the site of the famous Kremlin and is world-renowned for its architecture and performing arts culture. Its museums and galleries are some of the largest and most important in the world, housing frequent art exhibitions. Moscow is also well known as the site of Saint Basil's Cathedral, with its elegant onion domes, as well as the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Big-city style and rural charm, Alpine character and Mediterranean verve, art treasures and the Oktoberfest, traditional customs and high technology, beer gardens and haute cuisine, operas and in bars; these are all ingredients that makes Bavaria's state capital so endlessly fascinating, and so popular with visitors from all over the world. Sprawling Munich is one of Germany's major cultural centers, second only to Berlin in terms of museums and theaters. It's also one of Germany's most festive cities, and its location, at the foot of the Alps, is idyllic. Munich's self-imposed image is that of a fun-loving and festival-addicted city - typified by its Oktoberfest.

Oslo abounds with sights of interest, such as museums, parks, urban districts with listed buildings and a well-developed array of shops. As most sights are within walking distance of each other, you can leave your car behind. Oslo City Hall is located in the city center only a few hundred meters from the city's main street and overlooks Oslo Fjord filled with moored pleasure craft, shrimp trawlers, cruise ships, charter boats and ferries to all the islands. Oslo has a wide variety of restaurants, bistros and bars. Most are located within such a limited area that they are within walking distance of each other. In addition, each quarter of the city has an unusual atmosphere all worth visiting.

Paris assaults the senses, demanding to be seen, heard, touched, tasted and smelled. Gaze impressive monuments and savor its gourmet pastiche of cheese, chocolate, wine and seafood. Paris is a city of vast perspectives and intimate streets, of formal espaces verts (green open spaces) and of quiet squares. Paris is relatively small as capitals go, with distances between many of its major sights and museums invariably walkable. Unforgettable walks exhibiting the best of Paris: stroll down the Champs-Elysees for the chic grand boulevard experience and Rue Cler for a more intimate snapshot of Parisian living.

Rome is Italy's treasure, packed with masterpieces from more than two millennia of artistic achievement. Modern Rome has one foot in the past, one in the present. Find a cafe at summer twilight and watch the shades of pink turn to gold and copper before night finally falls. That's when another Rome comes alive; restaurants and cafes grow more animated and after dinner you can have a gelato (or an espresso in winter) or stroll by the fountains or through Piazza Navona, and the night is yours.

Founded by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703 as a "window to Europe," Saint Petersburg served as the capital of the Russian Empire for more than two hundred years. Nowadays it became a major European cultural center, and the most important Russian port on the Baltic. The city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main tourist attractions are: the Hermitage, the Mariinsky Theatre, and the Russian Museum. The most famous inhabitants of this city were Dostoyevski, Pushkin, Tschajkovski, and Tcherniavski.

Built on 14 islands around one of Europe's largest and best-preserved medieval city centers, the Swedish capital is superbly positioned, with stunning and extremely varied scenery in every direction. To the west, Lake Mälaren branches out among lush, idyllic landscapes. To the east the magnificent Stockholm archipelago stretches seaward, an enchanting maritime world of more than 24,000 islands and islets. The Old Town is particularly spectacular, and walking around the city's waterways and parks is a glorious way to spend a weeklong stretch of European summer.

Much of Warsaw's historic center was painstakingly recreated and today's Old Town buildings are closer to the original architecture than they were ever before. It has a wealth of shops and restaurants to potter around in. The city also boasts many green spaces, with leafy parks where rowing boats cruise past outdoor cafés, during the summer, and free classical concerts attract. In addition, the Former Jewish ghetto is a stark reminder of the unforgiving hand of history. The nightlife scene is equally surprising, with the city's increasingly well-dressed youth flocking to the countless bars and clubs of a city that now hums after dark.