Auschwitz tour

Auschwitz was a group of concentration camps run by Nazi Germany in Poland, where over 1 million Jews were killed. It was the largest and deadliest camp set up by the Nazis.

I recently visited Auschwitz when I traveled to Krakow. I knew about the camp from various World War II movies and documentaries I had watched. It represents one of the darkest chapters in human history.

Where is Auschwitz?

Auschwitz is located about 60 km from Krakow, and it takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach by road. There are two sites open to visitors: Auschwitz I (the main camp) and Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Together, they form the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. These two sites are 3 km apart.

How to plan the visit?

Visiting Auschwitz requires some planning. As far as I know, only guided tours are allowed. You cannot simply show up, buy a ticket, and enter on your own. Tickets are available on the website. You need to arrange your own transport from Krakow and also between the sites.

Though there are buses and trains from Krakow, I found it logistically complicated and time-consuming to arrange everything myself.

There are many tours that depart from Krakow and take care of everything. I booked one such tour from GetYourGuide. One point to note is that you need to be flexible with the starting time. I had selected 7 AM as the starting time, but I was asked to come to the bus stop at 5:30 in the morning. It depends on the time the tour operator manages to get tickets.

Travel to Auschwitz

As mentioned, we boarded a small van at 5:30 in the morning from the designated spot. We were then transferred to a big bus. The journey passed through the Polish countryside. We received instructions about the tour, and a video was shown featuring footage captured after the Russian liberation of Auschwitz. It provided a sad glimpse of the situation during those days.

At Auschwitz

We reached Auschwitz at 7:15 AM. Our tour was scheduled to start at 7:40 AM, so we spent some time looking around. I was surprised by the number of visitors; people were pouring in.

We went through security and showed our tickets and passports to enter the complex. We were assigned a guide, and everything was well arranged. Each of us was given a wireless receiver, allowing the guide with a transmitter to easily manage the tour.

Auschwitz-I

We walked for some distance to reach the entrance of the Auschwitz I site. The motto above the gate displayed “Arbeit macht frei,” meaning “Work Sets You Free.” Sadly, that was never the case, and most people died in the camp.

 

We were then guided to the blocks that showed the deportation and extermination, evidence of crimes, life of prisoners, living conditions, and the death block. The guide did an excellent job explaining everything.

As I went from block to block, it was emotionally draining. The horrors committed were unimaginable. Seeing the items seized from the murdered Jews made me realize the plight of innocent people. Some places, especially those displaying items belonging to children, were too much to bear. I had gone through a similar experience in Cambodia (Genocide Museum and Killing Fields of Phnom Penh, Battambang).

 

The death blocks (or standing cells) were the epitome of human torture. The death wall showed where thousands were executed.

The visit to Auschwitz I ended with the first gas chamber and crematorium. Before fleeing, the Nazis tried to destroy the evidence of their massacre and tried to bring down the camp. Out of the three gas chambers, only one is standing today. It was hard to imagine the mental state of the people who were pushed into this chamber.

Auschwitz-II Birkenau

After Auschwitz I, we took a short break and then traveled to the Auschwitz II-Birkenau site. The Birkenau site was built when Auschwitz I became too small to house the Jews brought from various European locations. The train tracks in front of the site are a testament to this.

 

There were no exhibitions in Birkenau, but it gave a practical view of the place. Many of the barracks had vanished. They were built of wood, and after World War II, these structures were dismantled and used for the reconstruction of Warsaw, which was completely damaged during the war.

At the end of the site were the two gas chambers in ruins. The Nazis demolished them before the Russian Army entered the complex. The majority of the victims in Auschwitz died here.

We entered one of the barracks that remains in its original state. The bunks where people were housed were intact. It was hard to imagine people being stuffed inside.

It took about 3.5 hours to complete the tour of these two sites. The tour was conducted with the utmost seriousness, giving a glimpse of the darkest chapter in human history. I hope it never repeats.

Points to consider while visiting Auschwitz

• Do not consider this as a tourist site. This is different from other places we generally visit. Maintain decorum and behave solemnly.
• While it is fine to take photos and videos, do not indulge in silly things like selfies or portraits. At least, I did not see anyone doing such things in our group. This is not an Instagram site.
• There are a couple of places where photography is not allowed. Guides will inform you beforehand.
• It is useful to watch some documentaries or movies related to the Holocaust. It gives a better idea when you visit this site.
• Though there are no restrictions, I suggest not bringing kids to this place. It may be too emotionally draining, or they may not be able to deal with the situation.
• It requires a good amount of walking. You will walk about 2 km in Auschwitz I and about 3 km in Auschwitz II-Birkenau.