Angelique Mergler, a tour guide from Delft, explains what sets Holland apart from the rest of the Netherlands.

Amsterdam's most historic neighborhood is also its most notorious. Here, sex is sold openly and marijuana smoked freely — and it's all legal. This 90-minute tour offers a safe, informative introduction. Be sure to download the companion map, also available in this playlist.

PDF companion map.

Print out this handy map and bring it along as you tour the city. Each stop along the tour is marked on the map. To view and print this PDF map, you'll need Acrobat Reader.

From the train station to Dam Square to Leidseplein, this 90-minute walk down the spine of the city is a great overview of the city's charms — canals, museums, shops, flowers, and Golden Age grandeur. Be sure to download the companion map, also available in this playlist.

Belgian scholar Hilbren Buys describes the cultural fault line running right through Belgium, with the Germanic and the Latin part of Europe meeting in the middle of the country.

Dutch tour guide Nica Johnson fills Rick in on the latest in Amsterdam, including renovations to the city's great musuems.

Amsterdam-based tour guide Nica Johnson explains how visitors can enjoy her bike-friendly city on two wheels.

Jonathan Groubert recommends some of the fun places he and his family enjoy in the Netherlands. He also attempts to explain the appeal of Europe's guilty TV pleasure, the annual Eurovision Song Contest.

Stu Stuart, who regularly leads beer tours of Belgium, explains why Belgian brews are worth a special trip.

American journalist Jonathan Groubert talks about the politics and culture of his adopted Dutch home.