Hello Everyone!
Leaving in a couple of weeks with my dear sister to Amsterdam, Cologne, Brussels, and Paris to mainly see a couple of Christmas markets and enjoy the holiday season in Europe which we haven't done since we were children (celebrating Chrismukkah!). I have my itinerary planned out but need ideas on day trips just incase something goes wrong (always good to have a backup plan Dad always said!)...We will be in Amsterdam for 4 nights, Cologne 4 nights, Brussels 3 nights, and Paris 5 nights. What I really would like is to reconnect with our past and choose towns with a significant history of the Holocaust (Dad's side of the family died at Sobibor). Our family is originally from Leiden in the Netherlands (Dad) and Schorisse, Belgium (Mom). We grew up in the Lille/Roubaix but was never told anything about what occurred during the war. I am a Jewish historian and my sister is heavily into finding our family roots. All travel will be by public transport and/or by foot.
I was thinking the following:
Amsterdam - Amersfoort
Cologne - Deutz
Brussels - Mechelen
Paris - Drancy
I am not thinking about doing all towns listed above as daytrips just keep them in mind in case something I had planned on doing is no longer doable because of unknown forces. Would you recommend another city/town instead? Thank you so much in advance!