But there's more to De Wallen than red lights and smoky cafes. De Wallen is also the oldest part of Amsterdam - one of those European places that when you see it for the first time looks like something from a historical film. Taking pride of place in De Wallen is the Oude Kerk, consecrated in the early 14th century - if you're a bit of a church spotter, this one is a must-see and one of my favourites, up there with St Pauls in London and the Sacre Coeur in Paris.

Getting to Amsterdam:

The city is easy to get to by air or sea, with a world-class airport, Schiphol, that's so vast it almost feels like a town in itself. Schiphol is a short distance to the city centre by taxi.

Amsterdam's easily accessible if you want to sail there, with ferries to Holland crossing from the UK to IJmuiden, a short drive from the city.

And of course if you want to get there by rail, Amsterdam is very well placed for people training it in from France, Germany and beyond.