Visiting the Anne Frank House is one of the most emotionally powerful experiences in Amsterdam. The museum preserves the Secret Annex where Anne, her family, and four others hid for two years during the Nazi occupation. Walking through these rooms where they lived in constant fear is incredibly moving and brings Anne's diary to life in a profound way.

The tour begins in the front house with exhibitions about the Frank family's life before going into hiding and the historical context of the Holocaust. Then you climb the steep stairs behind the famous bookcase that concealed the entrance to the Secret Annex. The rooms are left largely empty as Otto Frank wished, which somehow makes them even more poignant. You can see the marks on the wall where Anne measured the children's growth, and the magazine pictures she pasted on her bedroom walls.

The audio guide provides excerpts from Anne's diary that correspond to each room, narrated beautifully. Hearing her words while standing in the very spaces she described gave me chills. The tiny bathroom they all shared, the cramped attic where Anne would look out at the chestnut tree - it's overwhelming to imagine eight people living in these confined spaces for 25 months, never able to go outside.

The final exhibition rooms display Anne's original diary with her distinctive handwriting, along with information about what happened after their arrest. Learning the fates of each person who hid here is heartbreaking. The museum does an excellent job of connecting this historical tragedy to modern-day issues of discrimination and human rights.

This is not a cheerful museum visit, but it's an essential one. It's a powerful reminder of the consequences of hatred and the importance of standing up for human dignity. I left feeling both devastated and inspired by Anne's spirit and hope. Book well in advance - tickets sell out immediately when released online.