Paris 1 & Brussels
Paris 1 & Brussels The Great Ideas of Independence & Openness
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Amsterdam
Amsterdam The Great Idea of Flow Amsterdam: one of my favorite stops along my GIT. Amsterdam is a city that relies on flow and goes with the flow. First view of Amsterdam when exiting the train at Amsterdam Centraal. Known as "the city of water," 35% of Amsterdam's surface area is dominated by intricate canal systems. The flow of the canals allow for transport of cargo and passengers (according to the City of Amsterdam, they carry over 4.8 million passengers annually), making it an economic and recreational staple for the city. Backing up to the waterfront of the River IJ, the main canals built in the 16th and 17th century (the Herengracht, Keizersgracht, Prinsengracht, and Singelgracht) are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO describes Amsterdam as a " masterpiece of hydraulic engineering, town planning, and a rational programme of construction and bourgeois architecture. It is a unique and innovative, large-scale but homogeneous urban ensemble." It is
