Amsterdam, the largest city in the Netherlands, prides itself on being an ambassador of culture. Art, music, dance and theatre are firmly anchored at the core of this city’s identity. Similarly, the Dutch reputation for tolerance is strongly in evidence in Amsterdam; the city’s sense of “samenleving” (community/living together) reveres the individuals’ freedom to live life as they choose. With roughly 13% (100,000) of the workforce in Amsterdam being expat, this is nothing short of wonderful. Amsterdammers are welcoming, easy-going and open-minded. As firmly as Amsterdam embraces culture, it embraces healthy living. Here in this city, there is a strong belief that sport and exercise is key to a healthy, happy life. For starters, there is the bicycle: the locals regard their bicycles as a primary means of transport for everything from themselves to their groceries, and even their furniture. In milder months, its residents downsize; hundreds take to the city streets and parks on in-line skates. When temperatures plunge in the depths of winter, they trade in the wheels for blades. You’ll find Amsterdammers swishing around skating halls, the public rinks on the Museum and Dam Square, or the odd frozen canal. Traditional Dutch fare comprises dishes such as Dutch split pea soup with bacon, a tasty selection of smoked fish – salmon, eel, mackerel and trout – with salted herring and tiny sweet shrimps, and a mélange of meatballs, sausage, carrots, cabbage and mashed potatoes. Its colonial heritage can be readily found in the abundant array of ethnic cuisine, making eating out a fun and exciting experience. Amsterdam’s plethora of bars and its liberal nightlife make it an exhilarating city for singles and young couples. Just as equally the city is geared toward families, with countless parks, playgrounds and kid-centric facilities. While expat singles and couples might opt for the busier, central areas of Amsterdam, families often prefer to dodge the often cramped living quarters and narrow stairways of central for the stylish, calmer Old South district, or the more reasonably priced Rivierenbuurt district.