Extremely moving experience and utterly crucial in understanding the life of Anne Frank (Anne Franks House)

Member Name: rxbeef

Product:	Anne Franks House
Date:	20/10/09 (29 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very interesting, good value for money

Disadvantages: Upsetting and unsuitable for children

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam, which is a subject that has fascinated me for a long time. I was certainly not disappointed with the experience, but generally speaking I'm not sure how interesting the outing would be for the average tourist.

Getting to the Anne Frank Museum was a bit different for me, as I had decided to rent a little canal pedal bike with a friend, and the stop was directly outside of the attraction. There was however some parking not too far away, perhaps 300 metres, so it would be possible to park. There are otherwise good transport links.

Despite going at a very busy time of time, even though it was a weekday, there was not too much of a queue and we were only in line for maybe 15 minutes. There were plenty of guides available in different languages and the cost of entry was 7 euros each, which is quite reasonable, even taking into consideration the current exchange rate!

The bulk of the museum involves quotes from the diary of Anne Frank being stuck onto the walls in both Dutch and English. There are also television screens around the building, which include interviews with poignant people in the whole experience and are in a variety of languages. There were also a few documents that had been saved, such as magazines belonging to Anne Frank, or board games. These were quirky items which helped to lift the sombre mood of the visit.

While it was fascinating to be in building and to actually be in exactly the same space that was occupied by the Frank family, it was extremely upsetting for me and very moving. It is certainly the best way to understand what went on during that time and really helps to envisage the enormity of the task of hiding two families. The untouched decor and small touches, such as a height chart marked on the wall in pencil, or small pictures put onto the wall by Anne herself, just make the experience very real and unlike a museum.

After the main house, there is a smaller area with more multimedia and modern technology which further enhance the visit. While these are interesting, they were worlds away from the main house and I didn't find them to be that exciting. They mainly focussed on life after Anne Frank's death.

On the whole this is a must for anybody interested in the subject. It would be interesting for the average person, but can be quickly visited. I would say that for children this is not really a suitable attraction and it is a little bit of a tight squeeze, especially during busier periods. It's good value for money and offers a unique insight into crucial history.

Summary: An excellent insight into history.