The Anne Frank House and other Amsterdam, Netherlands Things to Do Tips

As the Nazi party gained power in the mid 1930's, the Frank family relocated from their hometown of Frankfurt to Amsterdam, which was then considered to be a safe haven. In 1940, the Nazis moved into the Netherlands, slowly and systematically forcing the Jewish residents into a corner of the city. The Frank family would eventually go into hiding in the office building of Otto Frank, Anne's father. The small annex inside the building was soon the sanctuary of Hermann and Auguste van Pels and their son Peter, as well as Fritz Pfeffer who later joined. Office Personnel would protect the secret annex until in 1944 it was betrayed and discovered by Nazi soldiers, who deported the people in hiding to death camps. Otto Frank was the only survivor.
Today, the home can be entered via the adjacent neighborhood house. The route winds through the different rooms of the house, where TV screens and texts on the wall slowly reveal the tragic tale of the Frank family. A flight of steep stairs and narrow corridors lead to the secret annex, where a few items left behind by the Franks can be viewed. Walking through the crammed quarters of the Frank family and the other people in hiding gives the visitor an eerie look at just how difficult it must have been to be confined to such a small space for nearly two years. For fear of alerting the neighbors to their whereabouts, the group in hiding was forced to keep out of sight and make little noise, restricting their movements around the annex and limiting any activity. The most haunting part of the visit is stepping into the room which houses the famous diaries themselves. Many of the pages have been torn out and are in disarray, but the books themselves are in remarkably fine condition. After completing a tour of the house, visitors return to the ground floor, where copies of the diary can be purchased in dozens of languages, along with many other souvenirs.

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Phone: +31-20-5567100
Address: Prinsengracht 267
Website: http://www.annefrank.nl

The Van Gogh museum, located on the Museumplein, houses perhaps the most impressive concentration of the famous impressionist's works in the world. In a modern and spacious building, Van Gogh's works, as well as the works of many other impressionist painters who inspired him, fill three floors. The museum creates a timeline of the painter's works, facilitating visitors first through a gallery of his Netherlands art, then through Paris, Arles, Saint-Remy, and Auvers-sur-Oise exhibits. Inscribes on the walls of the gallery are passages from many of Vincent's letters to friends and family, forming a chronology of his life and giving insight to his gradual lapse into depression and mental instability. Next to several of his still life works, including the famous Stilleven met bijbel (Still life of Bible) the original Bible can be viewed. At the end of the visit, a vast gift shop offers knickknacks of anything imaginable printed with various works of the famous painter himself.

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Phone: +31-20-5705252
Address: Paulus Potterstraat 7
Website: http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl

The Rijksmuseum boasts the finest collection of Dutch work anywhere. Masterpieces by Vermeer, Rembrantd, and Hals among others are packed into this vast and amazing building. As visitors follow the chronology of Dutch art, evidence of a shift from religious to secular art is very apparent, mainly because of the decision of local churches to discontinue commissioning art, which in turn lead many artists to begin working for wealthy patrons. In these later works, still lifes and portraits of aristocratic persons are the main focus, as evident in many of Vermeer's paintings. Unfortunately, the Rijksmuseum has been closed for renovation until 2007, but many of its works are still on display in the Philips wing (southern wing of the museum).

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Phone: +31-20-6747047
Address: Stadhouderskade 42
Website: http://www.rijksmuseum.nl