More Than a Tourist Spot: Experiencing the Anne Frank House
Normally, when I travel, I try to avoid the touristy areas and tourist traps to have a more authentic experience within the country I’m visiting (part of the reason why I started this blog🤍).
Often, tourist spots cater to stereotypes of a country rather than its true identity.
However, when in Amsterdam, there are definitely experiences everyone should have, and one of them is visiting the Anne Frank House.
Photo of Anne Frank (Source Unkown)
In the United States, it’s common for middle school students to learn about the Holocaust through reading The Diary of Anne Frank. Although my English class was assigned I Have Lived a Thousand Years (another very powerful and moving book), Anne Frank’s story remains one of the most famous and widely read.
Her story, while highlighting the experience of living in hiding, also served as a powerful reminder that she was just a girl with thoughts, dreams, and aspirations.
“You are constantly reminded that this is not just a story from a book; this was her life. This is where she lived, slept, ate, and, most importantly, hid for her life.”
Walking into the house adjacent to the canal, the wind was cold, and the dropping temperatures were a sharp contrast to the warmth felt once inside. I grabbed one of the audio tours and began walking through the offices.
Every visitor walked in silence, moving in a single file through the narrow annex, taking in the information displayed on the walls and streaming through the speakers of the audio tour. The silence wasn’t ominous or uncomfortable; it was a shared, unspoken acknowledgment of the history and importance of this place.
The old wooden floors creaked beneath my feet, and the steep staircases — more like ladders — made me wonder how a young girl could be confined in such a small space with so many people.
Her posters are still on the wall, and the heights of Anne and her sister are marked on the wallpaper. You are constantly reminded that this is not just a story from a book; this was her life. This is where she lived, slept, ate, and, most importantly, hid for her life.
It was a chilling yet humbling experience, a reminder of how lucky we are to have even the smallest conveniences in life. The fact that I can freely go to school, work, and move about the world is something I often take for granted. But visiting the Anne Frank House also made me reflect on how, even today, the world is still not a safe place for every race and religion.
It left me wondering when true equality will be achieved and what role I can play in helping make that happen…
If you plan to visit the Anne Frank House, make sure to check the schedule and get your tickets weeks in advance — they are very likely to sell out. Trust me, it’s an experience you won’t want to miss if you are in the city even just for a day.
Purchase tickets here: https://www.annefrank.org/en/museum/tickets/
Stay tuned for more Amsterdam recommendations🌷
Photo creditsPhoto 1: https://www.annefrank.org/en/anne-frank/secret-annex/Photo 3: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/anne-frank-s-room-in-the-secret-annex-allard-bovenberg/kAHP7XqswgMtsg