Auschwitz-Birkenau | Postcards From Here and There

Visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum is located in the city of Oswiecim, which is 37 miles/60 KM east of Kraków. We visited the site on a grey and damp day in early September and the weather seemed totally appropriate for a visit to a place where well over a million people were put to their deaths by the Nazis in The Holocaust. It is not an easy place to visit and is not recommended for children under fourteen years of age. Having said that it does attract over 2 million visitors a year, the vast majority of which are respectful of the history of this place and what it represents. On the day we visited I did personally feel that some were taking photographs in a manner that could have been better however thankfully there were very much in the minority.

Entry to Auschwitz-Birkenau is free but a charge is made for a group tour with a guide. During the busy months only guided tours of the two sites are allowed. I would recommend a guided tour if you are to fully learn about the history, the buildings and exhibits you will see. Our guide had a group of about 30 and used a headphone guiding system so that everyone could hear clearly. She moved around us around the site and ensured that we were together at all times. The site was very busy, with many guided groups, and we had to wait a short while to access some of the barracks where the exhibitions are located. She filled these periods with informative comment and the opportunity for questions. I admire the work of these guides very much. I imagine that it must be difficult giving such harrowing account of the horrors of Auschwitz everyday.

The tour covers the main two sites;

Auschwitz I – this is the main camp and the place where all tours and visits begin. It was opened in 1940 and was originally used for political prisoners. It consists of 28 brick built barracks and other buildings.

Auschwitz II Birkenau – opened as an extermination in 1941. Over one million people died in Auschwitz, most of them in Birkenau. It is much bigger than the main camp but many of its buildings are no longer standing. The two camps are a couple of kilometres apart and are linked by a shuttle bus which runs regularly throughout the day. If you are on a tour from Kraków your minibus/coach will take you between the camps.

There was also a third camp, Auschwitz III Monowitz which was principally a labour camp. This was destroyed after the war and so is not included on any visits.

Before the tour begins you pass through an airport style security check. Bags larger than 30x20x10 cms are not allowed into the camp and must be left at the baggage drop or on your minibus/coach. Cameras are permitted but flash is not and there are a number of locations where you are requested by your guide not to take any photographs at all. These include the room containing human hair and the basement off block 11 where prisoners were tortured. Personally I decided that I was not going to take any photographs of the exhibits on display in the barracks of the main site, it didn’t seem right.

The tour begins walking through the main gates of the main camp. This is through the iron gates containing the inscription “Arbeit Macht Frei” (Work Sets You Free) and onto the area where prisoners would be assembled for roll call and announcements. You are shown the place where the camp orchestra would play marching music as the prisoners would file past as you move down the roadway towards the barracks that are open to visitors. There are trees growing in the camp but this was not the case when it was in operation.

The permanent exhibition was first opened in 1955 and is located in barrack blocks 4, 5, 6, 7 and 11.

Block 4 deals with details of extermination. There are some informative signs, maps and displays but perhaps the most harrowing is the room of hair shaved from the heads of prisoners and the tins of Zyklon B poison which was used in the gas chambers.

Block 5 contains displays of some of the personal items collected from prisoners including glasses, combs, brushes, shoes and nearly 4000 suitcases many of which are named. There is also a collection of prostheses taken from disabled prisoners.

Block 6 details the life of prisoners. The main corridor of this block is lined with enlarged camp photographs of prisoners each detailing their date of birth, occupation, date of arrival and date of death. I found this particularly moving and I was struck by the empty look in the eyes of many.

Block 7 creates some of the living conditions experienced in the camp.

Block 11 was the punishment block and the place where prisoners were tortured and experimented on. The basement contains punishment cells some of which were standing cells where prisoners were left standing in an extremely small space in darkness overnight and then expected to work the following day before being taken back to the cell again. Photographs are not allowed here.

Block 11 leads to the Wall of Death where thousands of prisoners, including many Poles, were shot. The wall you see now is a reconstruction and is a place of remembrance for those that died. You are asked to observe silence here.

The final part of the tour of the main camp is the gas chamber. Partly reconstructed but much is original. It felt uncomfortable here and I was amazed to see some people taking photographs. As a mark of respect I don’t personally think anyone should.

The tour ends here and you can visit the shop, toilets and refreshment areas before departing for Birkenau. What strikes you immediately is the enormous size of this camp, though much has been demolished. You enter through the main gate through which the railway line that brought prisoners in cattle trucks to the camp arrived. You are taken to the ramp, the place where selection of the newly arrived prisoners was undertaken. Those sent to the right were sent for work, to the left they were sent immediately to the gas chambers at the far end of the camp. An original cattle truck used for transport stands here as a mark of remembrance.

The gas chambers and crematoria here were destroyed by the Nazis in an attempt to hide what had gone on here but you can see where they were. The camp was liberated by the Russians in January 1945, by that time many of the prisoners had been marched out of the camp by their captors on what is known as The Death March as so many did not survive.

Only the barrack chimneys remain in most of the camp

Some buildings do remain and you can get a glimpse of what life was like here. Birkenau was really a collection of camps within the whole, a womens camp, family camp, mens camp and Gypsy camp. People were crowded together in barracks with many sharing the same sleeping bunk.

Opening Times

This varies by month and it is well worth checking before you go. Currently opening is as follows;

7.30 – 14.00. December
7.30 – 15.00 January and November
7.30 – 16.00. February
7.30 – 17.00. March and October
7.30 – 18.00. April, May and September
7.30 – 19.30. July and August

These are last times of entry as you are then allowed 90 minutes to visit. this means that in December you must complete your visit by 15.30. Purchasing tickets in advance is probably advisable. If you take an organised tour from Krakow this is included in the tour price.

Getting There

Buses depart from the MDA bus station next to Kraków Glowny railway station. Buses run fairly frequently with a journey time of one hour forty five minutes to Oswiecim. There is then a ten minute walk to the main camp.

Trains depart Kraków Glowny with a journey time of between one and a half and two and a half hours depending on the particular train. Trains do not take the most direct route to Oswiecim. There is a twenty minute walk from. the railway station to the main camp.

By car it is a journey of seventy five minutes from Kraków to the camp. There is plenty of parking at the site.

Many people choose an organised tour from Kraków and there are many companies offering them. Tours are a seven hour round trip and included guiding fees on arrival at Auschwitz-Birkenau and transfer between the two camps.

15 Things to do in Kraków

The city of Kraków in southern Poland is an absolute gem and is well worth visiting for a short break or long weekend. I have just returned from a five day trip and could easily have spent more time there as there is so much to see and do. Kraków is Poland’s second largest city and attracts some 12 million visitors a year. Here are just some of the things yo can do in the city.

Walk the Old Town. I always like to take a guided tour when first arriving in a new city as it helps with orientation and shows you some of the places that you might want to explore/investigate further. The old town of Kraków is compact and so a walking tour is the best option. I chose Walkative which offer a number of different tours in the city, many of which are free, and are available in a number of languages.

Wawel Castle. Sat atop Wawel Hill it was home to the Polish monarchy for centuries. You can walk up the hill and enter the grounds for free but if you want to visit the royal and state apartments, cathedral and other important buildings you will have to purchase tickets all of which are purchased separately. If you are on a budget or simply short on time a visit to the grounds will give you an idea of the importance of the monument.

Cloth Hall. The Cloth Hall sits proudly in the middle of Rynek Glowny which is itself the largest medieval town square in Europe. The main building dates back to the late sixteenth century but the arcades were added on much later. The hall was once the centre of the clothing trade but today is full of souvenir shops.

Rynek Underground. This underground museum is below the main square and was opened in 2010. Telling the history of the city it is an interactive and engaging experience. Some of the artefacts found during excavation of the site are fascinating and were for me the highlight. Entry to the museum is by ticket which needs to be purchased from the shop on the opposite side of the Cloth Hall to the actual entry point to the museum. Tickets are 21 Zloty and for specific times. I went in the afternoon and my ticket was for entry half an hour later but this could be longer at weekends when it is much busier. Admission is free on Tuesdays but tickets do go very quickly.

St. Mary’s Basilica. Dating back to the thirteenth century the Basilica is unusual in that it has towers of differing heights. A small charge is payable to enter and an additional charge is made if you want to climb to the top of the high tower from where the views are splendid. It is worth being around the basilica on the hour to hear the trumpeter play a five note tune the last note of which finishes abruptly. The reasons behind this are a thing of legend. The tune is played four times, one from each side of the tower, every hour of the day.

Eat traditional Polish Food. There are many traditional restaurants in the Old Town and the Jewish Quarter. They offer wholesome traditional foods such as Pierogi dumplings, vegetable soups and various cuts of pork. I particularly enjoyed U Babci Maliny located in a courtyard at 17 Stawkowska. You must go through the building into the courtyard and then down to the basement. It is well worth the effort to find it.

Collegium Maius Courtyard. The oldest university building in Poland has the most perfect courtyard and you can enter for free. A popular spot on all tours of the Old Town but if you are lucky enough to be there between tours it is a remarkably calm and peaceful place to sit and reflect for a few minutes. You can also purchase tickets for a guided tour of the museum but for me the courtyard is the star attraction.

Visit Kazimierz and take a tour. Also known as the Jewish Quarter it was once a city in its own right before incorporation into Kraków. It is easily reached from the Old Town with a walk of about 15 minutes. The area is steeped in history and the best way to see it is with a local guide. I choose a tour with Walkative who run three tours a day starting from The Old Synagogue at 24 Szeroka Street. The tour lasts 2 hours and is free but you can make a donation to your guide if you feel the tour has been worth it.

Galicia Jewish Museum. A museum with a difference in that the main exhibition is based around photographs with written commentary that examine Jewish life in southern Poland. It uses space well and has a calmness about it which is most welcome. There is also an excellent bookshop.

Oskar Schindler’s Factory Tour. The story of Oskar Schindler is well known as a result of Steven Spielberg’s film Schindler’s List. The factory manufacturing enamel pots and pans no longer exists so the tour is actually based in the factory’s administration building. It covers much more than the role Oskar Schindler played in the survival of 1100 Jews during the Holocaust and it should be a must on any visit to the city. It is located in Podgórze which is across the Vistula River from the Old Town and Kazimierz. I walked there from the Old Town in about 25 minutes. Get there early as it gets very busy.

Pharmacy Under the Eagle. A small museum located on Heroes of the Ghetto Square which tells the story of the role played by the pharmacy and its owner Tadeusz Pankiewicz in supporting Jews in the Ghetto between 1941 and 1943. The interior of the pharmacy has been recreated as it would have been when workers risked their lives to help those more unfortunate than themselves. There is a small charge, entry is free on Mondays but it does close at 2pm.

Heroes of the Ghetto Square (Plac Bohaterów Getta). This was part of the Jewish ghetto that was created in 1941 and housed 17000 people in exceptionally crowded conditions. The square was the place of executions and the point from which Jews were sent to concentration camps. The 33 empty chairs are a memorial to all those that were held here. When Jews were forced into the ghetto in 1941 they brought furniture and possessions with them. As living condition were overcrowded many pieces of furniture were left on the square hence why chairs were chosen as the memorial. Most chairs face the same direction but one faces in the direction of Auschwitz and one in the direction of Schindlers factory.

Ghetto Wall. Just a short walk from the square is a small section of all that remains of the wall which surrounded the ghetto, it was made in the shape of tombstones. It is located on Lwowska and there is a small plaque which explains its significance.

The final two suggestions are outside the city but can easily be reached by public transport or by taking an organised tour.

Wieliczka Salt Mine. The town of Wieliczka is about a 30 minute drive from the Old Town. Salt was mined here for centuries before operations ceased in 1996. It is now a tourist attraction and UNESCO World Heritage site. Guided tours of the mine take two hours and are conducted in several languages. Expect the unexpected as you see remarkable salt carvings, chapels of worship and huge caverns where weddings and private functions can be held.

Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. The death camps of Auschwitz – Birkenau are about a 90 minute drive from Kraków. It is also possible to get a train with a very similar journey time. However you choose to get there you must start at Auschwitz I where guided tours of the site begin. For most of the year it is compulsory to join a tour and I would recommend this anyway as the guides are excellent and ensure you get the most out of your visit. Following the tour of Auschwitz I it is only a short walk/drive of a few kilometres to Auschwitz II Birkenau which is much bigger but few buildings there now remain. I joined a tour from Kraków to the camps and it was a seven hour round trip so be prepared to allow a full day for your visit.