The Herringracht Canal in Amsterdam

The 17th century was the Dutch Golden Age, a Simon Shama so beautifully described it in his book The Embarrassment of Riches. To this day, the Herringracht Canal is the ritziest canal in Amsterdam. At various points, the city was home to Rembrandt and Spinoza. It was a refuge for migrants and merchants of all types. Women had greater rights than most of their European counterparts. And the threads of liberalism itself began to coalesce in the city.