Anne Frank House

Perhaps the most visited spot in all of Amsterdam. And standing here on the bridge across the canal, you can already see why the queues stretch so far. We're staying on this side for a moment so we can take it all in without the crowds.

That narrow building at Prinsengracht 263, the one with the stepped gable, is where Anne Frank and her family hid for more than two years. From July 1942 until August 1944, eight people squeezed into a concealed apartment behind a swinging bookcase. Anne was just 13 when they went into hiding.

Inside those walls, life had strict rules. No running water during the day. No flushing the toilet. No raised voices. They moved in near silence, terrified that the workers below might hear them. Anne watched the outside world through a small window, catching glimpses of sky and the chestnut tree in the garden, which still stands today.

In that cramped space, she filled her diary with sharp observations, fears, jokes, and hopes. She wanted to become a writer. In a way, she did. Her diary has been read by tens of millions of people in over 70 languages.