Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, Memorial and Museum Reviews (Krakow, Poland)

Auschwitz II - Birkenau

ashbourne, United Kingdom

February 16, 2012

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Best of IgoUgo BIRKENAU OR AUSCHWTZ IIWith Auschwitz the Nazis were fine tuning their techniques but in Birkenau they had got this down to almost factory assembly line efficiency. This camp is HUGE and in the snow it really did look bleak. The skies were dark and ...Read more

From journal Three Days in Krakow

Auschwitz - A Place to remember - part 2

by catsholiday

ashbourne, United Kingdom

February 16, 2012

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Best of IgoUgo In 1940 Auschwitz was established as a concentration and it was only later as the Nazi machine became more hideously intent upon destroying entire groups of people that it became specifically extended to become a death camp. The first people to be ...Read more

From journal Three Days in Krakow

Auschwitz - A Place to remember - part 1

by catsholiday

ashbourne, United Kingdom

February 16, 2012

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Best of IgoUgo Recently we spent a few days in the city of Krakow, Poland and knowing we were going we booked a trip to visit Auschwitz and Birkenau (Auschwitz II). We have visited a number of places similar to this in Cambodia and Rwanda and it is not through ...Read more

From journal Three Days in Krakow

Auschwitz

by proxam2

Scotland, Scotland, United Kingdom

February 6, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo The State Museum in Oswiecim. Doesn't sound too sinister, does it? But use the German name for the city - Auschwitz - and it doesn't sound quite so cozy. It conjures up images of terror, unspeakable cruelty, bestiality and genocide. It is the ...Read more

Last Stop on the Road to Prejudice

by Praskipark

Warsaw, Poland

September 25, 2009

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Best of IgoUgo The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum is a grim destination and afterwards you will want some time to contemplate what you have seen. The exhibits are designed to provoke a strong emotional response to one of the blackest crimes in European history. ...Read more

From journal Some Interesting Attractions to Visit in Poland

Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp

by KHackem

Fort Myers Beach, Florida

June 28, 2008

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Best of IgoUgo The Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration camp is a historical site located in Oswiecim, about two hours away from the center of Krakow. In order to understand what really happened at a concentration camp you need to visit one and while in Krakow this ...Read more The Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration camp is a historical site located in Oswiecim, about two hours away from the center of Krakow. In order to understand what really happened at a concentration camp you need to visit one and while in Krakow this is a great opportunity.

There are both buses and trains that leave from the train station that go to the camp. The bus will take you directly to the camp and the train takes you to the Oswiecim train station. If you take the train you must take a bus from the station to a bus stop nearby the camp. The driver will tell you where to get off if you ask. It is better to take the bus so try to catch that if you can.

The startling part of arriving at the camp is that it is now surrounded by homes and a school. You really do not realize you at at the camp until you walk right up to the main entrance.

The Camp is free to enter but you can leave a donation and they are very much appreciated. You can purchase an inexpensive guide to the camp inside the main building in many different languages.

The entire Camp is now a museum and you can enter various buildings that used to house prisoners. They have put different types of facts about the camp in the war in these buildings and it is very informative, interesting, and sad. The way they made the museum makes all the atrocities committed come to life and make you truly understand what happened there. The advantage of doing a tour on your own is that you have time for reflection and can pick and choose what you want to spend more time on. The most shocking building is where they include all of the prisoners belongings that they took from them when they entered the camp. There are rooms full of clothing, suitcases, brushes, and other items.

A great feature of the museum is a 15 minute video that you can see in many different languages. You can check the times of the videos at the main building of the museum. There is a small admission fee for the movie but it is worth it.

The Birkenau camp is located about 4km from Auschwitz and can be reached by foot. There is a shuttle that runs between the two Camps but it only runs during the summer (high season).

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp day trip was an excellent choice and it brings to life the tragedy of what happened in concentration camps.
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From journal A Few Days In Krakow

Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp

by chewyorange

Kenora, Ontario

April 21, 2008

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Best of IgoUgo Auschwitz Concentration Camp is a historical site located about 2 hours away from Krakow by bus or train. You really have to see the camp to comprehend what happened here. Buses leave from behind the main train staion, and trains also go to the ...Read more

From journal Krakow

Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp

by Slug

Huddersfield, United Kingdom

March 14, 2008

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Best of IgoUgo One of the more important Krakow decisions for any visitor is around Auschwitz. Should you visit? On the two occasions we have visited Krakow, we have been two minded about visiting Auschwitz. On the one hand, we wouldn’t want to turn the death camp ...Read more

From journal Krakow Places

Auschwitz

by sizemoretravel

Jacksonville, Florida

February 12, 2008

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Best of IgoUgo My mother and I were visiting my brother in Germany because he was stationed there in the US Army. I study the Holocaust and definitely wanted to take the time out to go to Poland and see Oswiecim, the site of the death camps, Auschwitz/Birkenau. ...Read more My mother and I were visiting my brother in Germany because he was stationed there in the US Army. I study the Holocaust and definitely wanted to take the time out to go to Poland and see Oswiecim, the site of the death camps, Auschwitz/Birkenau.

We did not get to spend nearly enough time seeing the camps, so we are going back this year. I highly recommend at least devoting an entire day to Auschwitz/Birkenau. It takes over an hour to get to the camps from Krakow (taking the bus from Krakow Glowny station was very interesting-we were packed in like sardines). The bus to Oswiecim from the train station was difficult to find (even though Oswiecim was in the bus window, this is the true name of the Polish town-Auschwitz is the German name). It was $7 Zloty (PLN) (paid to the driver) for the bus and he let us off in front of the camp, but neglected to tell us where to go in. I'm not kidding, there are apartments next to the entrance and we wandered in the wrong direction. We were lucky enough that a nice, non-English speaking Polish man gave us the right directions. An important thing about Poland is that we didn't find as many English speaking people as in Germany. I can't tell you if going it alone beats a tour, because I went alone, but if you are looking for minimal hassle, a tour would probably be easiest. You can also book a guide once you arrive at the camp. Non Polish Speaking individual guides cost 39 Zloty (PLN) as of this writing. This includes up to 3.5 hr tour, shuttle between Auschwitz I and Birkenau and 15 minute documentary. During my visit, I was pressed for time, as the museum was closing, so I decided to head to Birkenau. We found a nice taxi driver to take us from Auschwicz I to Auschwitz II/Birkenau (walkable, but it was winter and near closing time). He gave us a semi-helpful spiel on the way (he didn't speak much English). I am not Jewish, but believe that everyone should visit this site of the murder of 1.5 million Jews as well as Gypsies, Poles, homosexuals, political prisoners as well as others.

You can feel the spirits of the murdered in this place...... Plan on feeling very sad after your visit.

Auschwitz is open 7-days per week. It is free to get in. Opens daily at 8am and closes at different times of the year based on the season.

Some movies to watch before going:

Schindler's List
The Pianist

Books to read:

"Night" by Elie Wiesel
"If this is a Man" by Primo Levi
"The Diary of Anne Frank"
"Auschwitz and After" by Charlotte Delbo

The unifying point of several of these authors is that they actually died in Auschwitz, although they physically survived. I am reading Charlotte Delbo now and am touched beyond belief...
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From journal Auschwitz/Birkenau-the Reason I flew to Poland

Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp

by fionademp

London, United Kingdom

May 31, 2007

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A trip to Auschwitz is a depressing sight on holiday but an essential visit. We organized our trip over the internet £30 each before leaving. The trip included a private minibus, which picked the seven of us up from our hotel and dropped us home. ...Read more

From journal Weekend break in Krakow

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