Amsterdam, Netherlands: Anne Frank House

Amsterdam is definitely known to be a party city as the laws are a bit more lenient than what we’re used to in the United States-- but it is also a city packed with history! That being said, I think it’s extremely important to experience a city with a balance of what it has to offer. Anne Frank, the post-mortem famous teenage diarist, was in hiding in Amsterdam during the Holocaust and the house was transformed into a museum.

The house itself is unfurnished, as that’s what her father, the sole survivor of the family during the holocaust, wanted. He believed it would enable people to be able to use their imagination even further. But, each room had a miniature diorama that displayed what the room would have looked like furnished. Throughout the house the rooms specified what they used to be, who lived—or hid—in the rooms and quotes from Anne’s journal were posted. This experiece was highly emotional for everyone, regardless of religious heritage. For a self-guided museum in a small house with minimal furniture, you will be shocked at your reaction and the depth of emotions you will feel.

*Tip: You can buy tickets ahead! This is a very small museum and the lines get insanely long. If you know what day and time you want to go and buy a couple weeks ahead, you can go right to the front and walk in during the time slot you bought for.