Amsterdam is one of the most romantic cities I've ever visited, complete with 165 tree-lined canals, (with 1,300 bridges and 2,500 more-or-less permanent house boats), amazing and at times whimsical architecture (much of it from the 16th, 17th and 18th century), sidewalk cafes everywhere, and about 25 million visitors a year!

It's hard to reconcile all that Amsterdam has to offer with the fact that it's a city of only 730,000 people (well, 1.2 million in Greater Amsterdam) and 400,000 bicycles)! 

My first - and so far only - visit was in June 2000, following a bicycle trip in Ireland.  I had only 3 days, but that was enough to get a good sampling of the place.  Now I know I must return, partly to do it justice photographically, but more importantly just to enjoy!