Place of the week: Anne Frank House

Don't be deterred by the long line outside the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam--what awaits inside is well worth the time. At first, the museum won't seem like much; as you walk through, you'll notice stenciled quotes from the book on the walls and a few pictures and video exhibits. But the weight of history settles in as soon as you pass the bookcase that hid the door and enter the actual annex where the now-famous Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis. These small rooms are the place where a teenaged Anne spent two years, so the true power of the museum is in the details. Make sure to read the brochure so you don't miss the subtleties of the space, like the pencil marks on the walls where Otto Frank measured his daughters' growth while they were in hiding. You'll see the pictures of movie stars Anne hung on the wall to make the tiny room "look much more cheerful," as she writes in her diaries. Upstairs, a glass passageway takes visitors to the front part of the attic; look overhead for another stenciled quote from the diaries: "The English radio says they're being gassed. I feel terribly upset." Her first diary is on display in a glass case; as you examine it, her handwriting will recall her striking youth during the whole ordeal. The exhibits end with letters written by Anne's father when he found out his daughters had died in concentration camps.

Tip: Visit first thing in the morning to minimize your wait time.

Anne Frank House
Prinsengracht 267, Amsterdam
Phone: +31 (0) 20 5567100
Web: www.annefrank.org