Auschwitz and Birkenau Concentration Camps

I've written my full report of our visit to Auschwitz/Birkenau in my Poland travel blog. The reason why I add this review is so I can rate it. That is, because it really deserves the five stars. Not because it is a fun, or entertaining, or beautiful place. But because it is something everyone should see.

Tours here are overall very well organized, and our guide did a perfect job. But you might as well visit the site by yourself, that's really up to you. Transport to Oswiecim is very easy from Krakow. There are buses from the main bus station about every 15 minutes, and I would certainly recommend them over the trains. They stop right in front of the museum entrance at Auschwitz I.

As I said, you can read all about my personal impressions in the blog.
I'm not going to write down a lot of practical information either because there is a very good (official) website were you can find everything to plan your visit. It is available in English and is found here:

http://www.auschwitz.org.pl

Impressive, and such a large scale it's hard to imagine what happened here. Especially in high-season, sunny weather and with thousands of people walking around the camps. During high season you can't do a individual tour, but only with a guide. You have to pay around 34 zloty or 22 zloty as a student for the guide, but otherwise the entrance to the camps is free.

Definitely a must-see, but for me also just for once.

Auschwitz, Poland

Arbeit Macht Frei...

Would the prisoners have believed that?

Would the prisoners have had hopes that they could get out of that place alive one day if they worked hard?

Birkenau, Poland


We see the train station on movies often.

We now know and feel that this is where you start journey of death.

But they wouldn't have known that at all.

Why?

Because they believed that they could start a new life here after rough days at ghettos where they were put to by the nazi all over the europe.

It took up to 17 hours by the train from Rhodes, Greece or Norway.

They still didn't give up the hope while being brought on the train in horroble condition.

That's why you can find so many suitcases with names on and hair brushes, many shoes, pots and shoe polishers,etc.

They would've believed that they are finally going into the shower room to start new life at this camp.

That's why the operation to divide them between families and put them into shower rooms were done reasonably quietly.

Needless to say every masscre is so horrible, but this is one of the worst as they were dying not knowing what awaits them.

The people who did this and the surviving victoms.... they all would need some help even to come to with it, I guess...

I really hope to finish my study on psychology wishing that I might be useful for the people like them.

Whether we realise it or not, there are many people out there who need our help in many ways.

Honestly, I hate to even list this as a sight or an attraction, because it's so much more than that. It's an experience you'll never forget. Whether traveling on a tour or by yourself, this reviewer hopes that you can experience both camps. There is an eerieness to each site, as you walk through Auschwitz and see all the suitcases, shoes, clothing, accessories, etc. that will forever remain there. The wind will send a chill down your spine as you stand before the remnants of the crematoriums, which the Nazis destroyed in a vain attempt to cover their tracks. Although impossible to imagine what it was like, just being there will take you one step closer to those that were there before you. Birkenau has a similar feeling. As you walk into the site, the first thing you will see is the seemingly endless railroad tracks that those imprisoned were brought into the camp on. The sites that you see from those tracks were some of the last that most of those people saw. I can't describe in words what it was like, but every person needs to visit these camps so that we will never forget. You will find those two words all over the camp, "Never Forget".