Moving experience (Anne Frank Huis)

Member Name: nickn5

Product:	Anne Frank Huis
Date:	26/07/09 (29 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very profound and moving, reasonable entry price

Disadvantages: Long queues can develop

This is a must-visit for those going to Amsterdam.

It will take you about 15-20 minutes to walk there from the central railway station (Amsterdam Centraal), and although there are one or two signposts you really need a tourist map to find it as it is fairly well hidden! If you prefer not to walk, you can take tram 13 or 17 or bus 170, 171 or 172 from the station, getting off at the bus stop/tram stop called 'Westermarkt', and then turning to your right onto the Prinsengracht street.

The house is open year round every day from 9.00 a.m, which unusually for The Netherlands includes Mondays, a popular day for museums to be closed, but not in this case. In the summer the house stays open until 10.00 p.m, giving you some idea of just how popular it is as an attraction.

You will need to try and get there as soon after it opens as possible, as very long queues develop quickly, because of a strict limit on how many people are allowed into the house at any time. However you can book and buy tickets online at www.annefrank.org, which will save you the queueing hassle.

The price to enter is fairly average for tourist attractions and museums in The Netherlands, set at 8.50 Euro for adults, 4 Euro for 10-17 ages, and free for 9s and under in 2009, and you do get your money's worth here. If you wish to avoid

You are not allowed to take large bags around with you, and all smaller bags have to be carried (i.e not placed on the floor) at all times. They were very strict about this when I was there. Also you can't take any photographs, not that you would really need or want to, as postcards and books are available from the shop after the tour ends.

The whole experience is very moving, even for those like myself who were born long after the Second World War. The way the tour is presented, you get to know and identify with Anne Frank through short video clips and quotes on the walls, and you get a real feel for how awful it must have been for a young, active girl to have been shut up inside such a small room. Although I use the word 'tour', in actual fact there isn't such a thing as an official tour - what happens is that you are led around by timed video clips playing, when it ends everyone moves on to the next room. This does mean that if you want to see any of the video clips again you can certainly do so, moving around at your own pace.

Towards the end of your walk around the house, when the truth gradually emerges about how her family and her were treated after capture, it is impossible not to feel some sadness about how such awful discrimination and 'ethnic cleansing' can happen. The tour lasts around 30-45 minutes, but you can do interactive computer exercises at the end, and browse the shop, to extend your visit.

For me, I found visiting this place made my trip to Amsterdam worthwhile.

TIPS: The Netherlands national discount 'museumkaart' is not valid here, and they do not give discounts to groups or students. You can pay with cash or with Visa or Mastercard at the entrance kiosk.

Summary: Must visit if in Amsterdam