Brief visit to Amsterdaam
 

Doing an extended layover in Amsterdam on our way home from Greece.
Plan to make a return trip in near future, but would like to hit some of the highlights.
We have an apartment rented near the Torture Museum.

Will have an advance ticket for Anne Frank house and plan to spend 1 day in Haarlem (bike ride to the beach), but will have 2 full days to fill yet.
Top interests: WW2 history, maybe a museum or 2, a canal ride/tour.
We're OK with a short day trip out of the city, but prefer to take advantage of our great apartment location and stay local.
Prefer architecture over art, but would like to see the Vermeer or Rembrandt collections..
We live in a Dutch immigrant community, so OK with skipping windmills, Delft, etc..
Suggestions?

https://www.verzetsmuseum.org/museum...erlands-in-ww2

Dutch Resistance to the Nazi Occupation is depicted graphically at this very interesting museum.

Yes, Verzetsmuseum and perhaps Joods Historisch, although WW2 is a small part of the exhibits. However, the Jewish Historical Museum does have the impressive gouaches by Charlotte Salomon in its entirety: Life? Or Theatre? Incidentally, I knew her stepmother slightly. If you have a chance and if they are on show, do go see them.

I can also recommend the Maritime Museum.

Vermeer paintings are mostly in The Hague (Mauritshuis).

Rembrandt year: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/the-year-of-rembrandt

Maybe I missed this, but when's the trip? If the weather is nice Vondelpark is beautiful and definitely worth a visit.

Vondel Park on a weekend hops in good weather - there are often rock concerts in the arena. And there was a Saturday or Sunday impromptu flea market too: https://www.google.com/search?q=vond...w=1097&bih=535

The park is huge so you can find quiet spots too - the rose garden is impressive.

Prefer architecture over art, but would like to see the Vermeer or Rembrandt collections.>

Check out De pip:

https://www.amsterdam.info/depijp/

Those photos pf the flea market are from Koningsdag or Koninginnedag. It is a market where kids can sell stuff, in theory to raise money to buy something for Mother's Day which is a couple of weks later, but in paractice just to get some extra pocket money.

so about a decade ago the Saturday flea market where anyone could bring anything to sell is no longer in operation. Thanks for update.

I'd take a canal boat cruise - and one that goes out into the harbor so you can see Amsterdam's old facade from the water - some go thru the Red-Light District which is also one of the top sights for tourists in Amsterdamned! It's safe to walk thru the RLD on a main canal:

https://www.google.com/search?q=amst...iw=552&bih=526

Certainly unique - all the bright neon lights - not for everyone but a unique place worth a quick visit at least if not only just to know about this world famous place.

Mid July

On nice summer days, Vondelpark will be filled with people. Another great -and much quieter - park (also by Zocher) is Sarphatipark in De Pijp, easily reached by #52 metro, stop: "De Pijp".