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Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial from Krakow

General information

Destination
Krakow, Poland

Program details

KL Auschwitz – between 1940-1945, the biggest Nazi concentration and death camp in occupied Europe. Located 70 km from Kraków in the town of Oświęcim. The Auschwitz Memorial Museum, founded in 1947 was inscribed in the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1979.



Take a scenic and comfortable 60-minute journey towards Auschwitz and learn about the harrowing history of the former concentration camp with an informative documentary that uncovers the history of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp and the first days after it was liberated. Upon arrival, you will take a short break to stretch your legs before starting the tour of a place that became a symbol of the Holocaust and Nazi crimes committed against Poles, Romani, and others. The tour comprises both parts of the former concentration camp – Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau. There will be approximately 90 minutes dedicated to discover Auschwitz I and the same amount of time will be spent on getting to know Auschwitz II-Birkenau.



At Auschwitz I, you will visit the camp for men and women established the Nazis; it was the place where the first experiments of killing using Zyklon B took place, the first mass transports of Jews were being murdered, the first criminal experiments on prisoners were conducted, and the majority of executions by shooting were performed. It was there, in block 11, where the central detention camp for prisoners from all parts of the camp was housed, as well as the main camp commandant office and most other SS offices. The camp authorities supervised further expansion of the camp from there.



Next, take a 3-kilometre bus ride to reach Auschwitz II-Birkenau. In the Birkenau camp the Nazis built most devices of mass destruction, with which about 1 million Jews were murdered. At the same time, Birkenau was the largest concentration camp (nearly 300 primitive, mostly wooden barracks), where in 1944 there were over 100,000 prisoners: Jews, Poles, Romani, and others. Today, on the area of approx. 200 hectares you can see preserved ruins of the gas chambers and places filled with human ashes, as well as primitive barracks for prisoners.



Route

Auschwitz I

Auschwitz II

Miejsce Pamięci i Muzeum Auschwitz-Birkenau, Więźniów Oświęcimia 20, 32-603 Oświęcim.