Anne Frank Huis

Lonely Planet review

It is one of the 20th century's most compelling stories: a young Jewish girl forced into hiding with her family and their friends to escape deportation by the Nazis. The house they used as a hideaway should be a highlight of any visit to Amsterdam; indeed, it gets nearly a million visitors a year. The house itself is now contained within a modern, square shell. Come early or late in the day to avoid the crowds.

It took the German army just five days to occupy all of the Netherlands, along with Belgium and much of France. Anne's famous diary describes how restrictions were gradually imposed on Dutch Jews: from being forbidden to ride streetcars to being forced to turn in their bicycles and not being allowed to visit Christian friends. These, of course, were only some of the mildest examples.

The focus of the museum is the achterhuis (rear house), also known as the secret annexe. It was in this dark, airless space that the Franks observed complete silence during the day, outgrew their clothes, and read Dickens, before being mysteriously betrayed and sent to their deaths.

The House does not accept the Amsterdam Pass or the Museumkaart, and queues can be quite long at peak times. To save time, buy your tickets online, print them out and use the separate entrance for advance ticket holders.