Amsterdam Museums 2

We visited the Anne Frank House Museum, which is located where she and her family hid for nearly two years at the back of her father's business. 

For the full story of this trip and our first, much longer adventure in a motorhome, see my book 

Ramblings & Roundabouts on Amazon

Like many museums, we could not take photos here. We did take advantage of the 30-minute introduction in which the guide explained this timeline, giving the context of the times. Above the running line of years, photos of Anne's family are featured. Below the years' line are photos of the development of Nazism and anti-Semitism.

This museum is just as the Frank family left their hiding place. Anne's father Otto was the only survivor and founded the museum so that future generations would not forget.

The photo above is of the "stumbling stones" of the Frank family. These are located in the sidewalk in front of their actual home, about a 15-minute walk away from the museum. The museum is the site of where they hid, not their family's home. Stumbling stones are usually made of brass and can be found all over Europe especially in cities' Jewish quarters. They commemorate where Jews lived before they were deported. Great effort is made to provide accurate facts such as dates, where they were taken, and when they died. It is incredibly sobering to walk down a street and find them in front of nearly every building for blocks. 

On our final day of visiting Amsterdam museums, we went to the Van Gogh Museum. Walking from our hotel, we took the quickest route through the breezeway of the Rijks Museum above, which is covered in the previous post: Amsterdam Museums 1

Taking photos is not allowed in the Van Gogh Museum, so these are from postcards. Self-portrait with Grey Felt Hat, 1887.

Garden with Courting Couples: Square Saint-Pierre, Paris 1887.

Seascape near Les Saintes-Maries-de-La-Mer Arles, 1888. We learned so much about Vincent Van Gogh through the audio tour and exhibits. Very interesting!

Lunch at the museum cafe. Brian had some kind of macaroni and cheese. 

I had tomato soup garnished with a big basil leaf. 

After our visit at the Van Gogh Museum, we walked back toward the Rijks Museum through a large park. Final view below of the Rijks Museum with a closeup of its beautiful architecture.

The four museums we visited in Amsterdam were all top-notch. We purchased tickets online months ahead of time. In most cases, that is the only way to gain admission. So plan ahead, and you won't be disappointed.