Need a great vacation spot and want to introduce your family to some of the wonders of Europe? Here is my suggestion…. Travel to Amsterdam. This little gem of a city is located in the heart of the Netherlands. It is a quaint place with cobblestone streets lining the multiple canals. It’s a slice of Europe, yet, with many of the comforts of the states.

Fine dining, historic venues and plenty to see, plus virtually everyone over the age of five speaks English, so that can be a huge advantage in this modern European city! I was lucky enough to live in Amsterdam for 2 ½ years while working for United Airlines. I lived in an apartment in the Pulitzer hotel. And, with free flight privileges and Schipol (Amsterdam’s airport) conveniently only a two-hour flight to virtually every major European city, I traveled a lot.

So, what are the top three things to do in Amsterdam?

1) The Anne Frank house is located one block from the Pulitzer hotel. Undisturbed from the time of Anne Frank’s hiding, this humble and spartan museum offers a stark reminder of the past atrocities of World War II. It is quiet, dusty and an important element of Dutch history. Here is an interesting aside… after work one day when I visited the hotel bar, the barkeep asked if I noticed anything different today on my walk home from work. I hadn’t, so he took me to the window and pointed to a number of cars all with flat tires. Now do you see, he asked?

Every car with flat tires had the prominent D on the back…meaning the car was from Germany… Deutschland. The barkeep told me, that ‘we are still at war with the Germans for what they did to us…just they don’t know it’, and he laughed. It is an interesting juxtaposition of being one block from Anne Franks’ hiding spot and seeing all these cars with flat tires. Sixty years later there may not be open animosity, but there are still hard feelings.

2) A short train ride from Amsterdam is a little town called Madurodam. This is a city with an exact (and to scale) porcelain replica of the city of Amsterdam. Every building, every canal, even an exact replica of Schipol airport is contained in this block long ‘city’ replica. There is no admission fee and it is wonderful to appreciate the craftsmanship and attention to detail in this tiny city. Close by, you can take a tour of one of the many local porcelain factories. This is a quaint little slice of Europe, something that you won’t find in the states.

3) The major water port is called the Port of Amsterdam. It offers and amazing array of boats, gondolas, tankers and water taxis all co-existent in the huge bay. Take a canal tour for a couple hours to get a sense of the breadth of the city and appreciate the architectural wonders of building on ‘marsh’ land. Even my construction-guy husband was amazed at how the structures are built, how they ‘lean’ and how long they have lasted.

Shopping isn’t that great in Amsterdam, unlike walking through the Rome, and many stores are not open with regular hours each day. No 24/7 shops here. Dining, though, can be an adventure. Look for little tiny restaurants hidden away, and be prepared to spend a couple of hours enjoying the fine foods. Rijsttafel is a traditional Dutch food that is something to be experienced. Rijsttafel is the equivalent of a Dutch smorgasbord with anywhere from 10 to 60 Indonesian style dishes, all prepared fresh and to your liking. In the traditional Rijsttafel meal, you get to choose the foods or types of foods you want.

Not huge servings of any one food (think of tapas), but small servings of many favorite Dutch delicacies. It is usually reasonably priced, and while it is usually a very touristy thing to do, it is fun and a fine sampling of wonderful Dutch foods. And, finally, you should know that Dutch people are incredibly nice. Not arrogant, helpful, working people, who take pride in their city and in their country. It’s nice to see.

I plan to take my three children to Amsterdam for a week-long vacation this summer. It will be a perfect introduction to a European culture, yet not too far culturally from the comforts of our home.