WHAT YOU WILL SEE:

Amsterdam, Netherlands
Easygoing, liberal Amsterdam has never entirely shed its reputation as a hippie haven, even with an economy that has moved far beyond this cliché. Prosperity has settled like a North Sea mist around the graceful cityscape of canals and 17th-century town houses. But Amsterdam is still "different." Its citizens, bubbling along happily in their multiracial melting pot, are not so easily poured into the restrictive molds of trade and industry. Not only do free thinking and anything goes still have their place; they are the watchwords by which Amsterdam lives its collective life. Still, all is far from lost: You can smoke hash all day if that's what you want. 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. A delicious irony is that the placid old structures also host brothels; smoke shops, and some extravagant nightlife. The city's inhabitants, proud of their pragmatic, live-and-let-live attitude, have decided to control what they cannot effectively outlaw. They permit licensed prostitution in the Red Light District--as much a tourist attraction as the Rijksmuseum or the Stedelijk Museum--and the sale of hashish and marijuana in designated "coffeeshops."

Cologne, Germany
The world feels at home in Cologne, where people meet to enjoy a Kölsch. (Kölsch is a language, a philosophy of life and also the popular local beer.) The largest city in the Rhineland, Cologne is rich in antiquity. Although devastated though the World War II bombing, its reconstruction recovered a portion of Cologne's history that had been lost for centuries. Evidence showed that Cologne was as important and powerful during the early Christian era as it was during Roman times and the middle Ages. Today there is much to see from every period of the city's 2,000-year history -- from the old Roman towers to the modern opera house. But Cologne is also a bustling modern city, with a lively population. It's also increasingly becoming the fine-art capital of Germany. Life in Cologne is known to be uncomplicated and lively . Tolerance and openness to the world always have been and still are characteristics of the people of Cologne ? not just during Carnival , the boisterous ?Fifth Season?, but throughout the year.

Frankfurt, Germany
Frankfurt - stands for finance and trade with the European Central Bank, German Stock Exchange, more than 420 different banks and the international trade fair business. It is also Europe?s traffic junction with its airport and outstanding connection to the European rail and highway network. Yet there is a lot more to Frankfurt. The city has many faces - the repertoire ranges from modern architecture by world-famous architects to cozy cider pubs, where apple wine is served in Bembel jugs and Grüne Sosse (green sauce) is relished to unique surroundings like the Rheingau, the romantic wine-growing area along the Rhine. It boasts Germany's most spectacular skyline, mirrored in the Main River, and Europe's tallest office building. Its Imperial Cathedral has been famous since 1253 as the coronation site for the sovereigns of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations. From 1562 to 1792, as many as 10 emperors were crowned in the beautiful Gothic building. The Museumsufer (Museum mile on the banks of the river Main) offers a spectrum of 11 internationally renowned museums ranging from painting and sculpture galleries to the fields of architecture and film.