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• The Holocaust

Poland and the Nazi Death Camps

Experience Tours General History Tours Holocaust Tours

26th June - 3rd July 2024 (8 Days)

Expert Historian : Professor Alexander Korb

Tour price: £2,800

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MORE DATES AVAILABLE BELOW

Your Holiday Essentials

26th June - 3rd July 2024 (8 Days)

4-star hotels, meals as indicated,

drinks with dinner, all entrance

fees, tour manager and expert

historian throughout, all internal

travel, optional travel from UK.

Activity Level : 2

Standard price: £2,550

Incl. travel from UK: £2,800 Room sole occupancy supplement: £315 Non-refundable deposit: £275

Booking open

Interested in this tour but not ready to book? Register your interest using the link below and we will keep you updated on the progress of the tour.

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28th August - 4th September 2024 (8 Days)

Expert Historian : Dr Isabel Wollaston

Use the button below to be put on the waiting list

2nd - 9th October 2024 (8 Days)

Expert Historian : Martin Winstone

Last few places

Tour Introduction

In this 8-day tour to Poland, we visit the sites of the former ghettos in Warsaw, Lublin and Krakow alongside four of the concentration and death camps - Treblinka, Majdanek, Belzec and Auschwitz-Birkenau - that played such a significant role in this genocide. We look at the struggle of both the Jews and the Poles against their oppressors,visiting the scenes of Ghetto Uprising in 1943 and the memorial to the Warsaw Rising in 1944. You will see the shift from complete physical destruction of ghetto and camp to the actual remnants due to the rapid advance of the Soviets. However, the tour is not limited to the serious and emotive history of the Holocaust, with its clear message for future generations. We also enjoy expert guided tours of the historic cities of Warsaw and Krakow. We sample much of the local culture and visit the world famous salt mine at Wieliczka. Each evening we will dine in a different local restaurant to enjoy a wealth of diverse local cuisine. The topography of the sites we visit involves a fair amount of walking: at Auschwitz/Birkenau you will cover almost 8 miles over the course of the day, but that is necessary to achieve a full appreciation of the subject.

Read reviews of this tour by past travellers

Under Communism, in Poland it was traditional to refer to ‘six million Poles murdered during World War II, a figure that referred to 3 million ethnic Poles and 3 million Polish Jews. Those Polish Jews were murdered in ghettos, forests in the east of the country, or purpose-built death camps set up after the German occupation of Poland. By far the largest of these was Auschwitz-Birkenau, which was the site of over one million deaths, mainly Jews brought here from all over Europe. The smaller, purpose built 'killing' camp of Treblinka, where Warsaw's Jews were taken, was said by its commandant SS-Obersturmfuhrer Franz Stangl to be able to murder over 1000 people per hour at its peak. With the positioning of the Majdanek camp on the outskirts of Lublin, the Germans made no effort to disguise the killings, its gas chambers and crematorium being plainly visible to passers-by. The overarching narrative of the tour is about the shift from Polish Jews to European Jews and the evolution of policy from concentration camps to death camps.

• With  Dr Isabel Wollaston , Prof Alexander Korb or Martin Winstone
• See parts of ghetto walls in Warsaw
• The POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
• Treblinka memorial and museum
• The multi-purpose prisoner of war camp, concentration camp and death camp at Majdanek, on the outskirts of Lublin
• Belzec camp and museum
• Guided tour of the architectural wealth of Krakow's Old Town, and former Jewish quarter in Kazimierz, now a major cultural and heritage site (and which featured heavily in Steven Spielberg’s film Schindler’s List.
• Full day at Auschwitz and Birkenau
• Visit the awesome 700 year old salt mine at Wieliczka

What's Included

• Return flights from London (optional)
• 4 Star Hotels
• Buffet breakfast each morning
• A three-course dinner party on 6 evenings hosted by your expert historian and tour manager
• Two drinks i,e wine or beer at each dinner and a welcome drink on first evening
• Dedicated Tour Manager
• Entrance fees for sites included in itinerary
• Modern, comfortable, air-conditioned coach
• Tour information booklet
• Access to the Cultural Experience app
• Helpful and friendly travel advice
• The company of like-minded travelers

"All in all an incredibly enriching and moving experience, I am so glad I went with The Cultural Experience. With the guides vast expertise brought everything to life. Examining events in chronological order was an amazing way to learn".

"One doesn’t need to be an expert hiker for this tour, but you need a lot of stamina – there is a lot of walking and standing, often for hours, with nowhere to sit down and rest...this was an amazing once in a lifetime experience...I thought I understood the Holocaust, but I had only superficial knowledge. I have learned so much."

Day 1 - Depart

We fly from London to Warsaw before checking-in to our central hotel for two nights. (D)

Day 2 - Warsaw

A busy day exploring the Polish capital on foot to explore the key sites associated with the former ghetto and its subsequent uprising: the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, the Umschlagplatz (a holding area set up by Nazi Germany) and the Warsaw Jewish cemetery, one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in the world.(B,D)

Day 3 - Treblinka & Lublin

This morning we drive to the extermination camps at Treblinka, where between 700,000 to 900,000 Jews lost their lives. Operational between July 1943 and October 1943, more Jews lost their lives at Treblinka II than at any other death camp, other than Auschwitz. Spend time in the small but informative museum before visiting the memorials to those who lost their lives. We spend the night in Lublin, a city which had a large pre-war Jewish population and which served as the administration centre for Action Reinhardt. (B,D)

Day 4 - Belzec & Majdanek

Our day will begin at the concentration camp of Majdanek, just on the outskirts of Lublin, where approximately 80,000 people from 28 different countries lost their lives. Today it is a well-preserved Nazi concentration and death camp where we find barracks, guard towers, gas chambers, crematoria, museum, “Gates of Hell” memorial and the mausoleum memorial, a gigantic structure which contains the ashes of victims beneath it. Continue to Belzec, the small but lethal death camp, where between 430,000 & 500,000 Jews lost their lives in six-months with as a few as 7 people surviving. Our hotel for the evening is based in Rzeszów. (B,D)

Day 5 - Krakow

This morning we drive to Krakow where we take a change of pace and emphasis with an afternoon orientation tour of Krakow's Old Town and its busy street life. Check-in to our hotel for three nights.(B,D)

Day 6 - Auschwitz and Birkenau

An early start as we are immersed in a comprehensive tour on foot of the concentration and death camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau. To enter the camp of Auschwitz, one passes under the infamous inscription 'Arbeit Macht Frei' mounted upon its main gate, before visiting the exhibitions in the surviving prison blocks. In the afternoon we visit Birkenau, also known as Auschwitz II, the purpose-built camp that had hundreds of barracks and 4 massive gas chambers and functioned as the epicentre of the Holocaust during 1943 and 1944. The day at Auschwitz and Birkenau explores two large camps and will involve a good amount of walking. This evening you are free to find your own restaurant for dinner and perhaps explore Krakow. (B)

Day 7 - Kazimierz and Wieliczka

Before WW2, some 70,000 Jews lived in Krakow, mostly in the suburb of Kazimierz. We explore this tiny area including the Old Synagogue Museum and there will be an opportunity for an optional unaccompanied visit to the museum situated in the former Oscar Schindler's Factory. We visit the awesome 700-year-old salt mine at Wieliczka, its labyrinth of 300km of tunnels revealing chapels, underground lakes and a museum. (B,D)

Day 8 - Home

Transfer to Warsaw airport for your return flight to London. (B)

Recommended Reading List

• Auschwitz : The Nazis & The 'Final Solution'
• Holocaust Landscapes
• Marching into Darkness: The Wehrmacht and the Holocaust in Belarus
• Ordinary Men
• Survival in Auschwitz: The Nazi Assault on Humanity
• Traces of the Holocaust: Journeying In and Out of the Ghettos

Professor Alexander Korb

Alexander Korb was director of the Stanley Burton Centre for Holocaust and Genocide Studies between 2012 and 2018. Alexander is an expert of the Holocaust in Central and Southeastern Europe. Moreover, he specializes in the history of genocide, of international relations within wartime Europe, and in a transnational intellectual history of right-wing Europe.

Photo Gallery

• SS Canteen, Auschwitz I
• Isabel guiding the group at Majdanek
• Warsaw Uprising Monument
• Group picture inside Wieliczka Salt Mine
• Auschwitz Train
• Anne & Margot Frank Memorial

Tour Reviews

Take a look at some independent reviews of this tour by previous participants here

Take a look at some of the images taken on our most recent tour

View a diary of our Holocaust tour here

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The History Hit Miscellany of Facts, Figures and Fascinating Finds

15 Holocaust Sites, Museums and Memorials to Visit

Explore the harrowing events and effects of the holocaust through these important sites, museums and memorials around the world..

Harry Sherrin

21 sep 2021.

Between 1942 and 1945, the Nazis embarked upon the so-called ‘Final Solution to the Jewish Question’, a systematic program of extermination. In concentration camps across Europe, 6 million Jewish people were killed – around 78% of all Jews in occupied Europe.

The Holocaust was the most widespread and industrialised act of genocide the world has ever seen.

Today, that devastating moment in modern history is remembered in sites, museums and memorials across the globe. Here are 15 of the most significant, where visitors can learn more about the history of the Holocaust.

1. Yad Vashem

Yad Vashem in Jerusalem is a museum and a memorial of the Holocaust, in which over six million Jews, and at least five million from other ethnic groups, were murdered in an act of genocide perpetrated by the German National Socialist Party under Adolph Hitler .

Through exhibits including photographs, victims’ accounts, art installations and information panels, Yad Vashem offers a moving – and harrowing – account of the events of the Holocaust.

2. Anne Frank’s House

Anne Frank’s house was the site where German Jewish teenager and Holocaust victim Anne Frank , her family, the van Pels family and later a man called Fritz Pfeffer went into hiding from the Nazis during World War II. Tragically, the group’s whereabouts were betrayed to the Nazis and they were arrested and imprisoned in concentration camps. Anne Frank died in Bergen-Belsen in March 1945, but her diary was later discovered by her father and published to worldwide acclaim.

Anne Frank’s House is now a museum allowing visitors to see the moving bookcase, walk through the cramped secret annex and gain a true appreciation of the hardship this group endured in their fight for survival. The museum has collected and exhibits many original letters, photos and objects belonging to the Frank family as well as to the van Pels and Fritz Pfeffer. Anne Frank’s original diary is also on display.

3. United States Holocaust Museum

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC is dedicated to commemorating the Holocaust. Combining eyewitness testimony, displayed in films and documents, with over 900 artefacts including one of the railcars used to transport prisoners, the Holocaust Museum tells the story of this world event.

The museum also looks at the issue of genocide as a whole, displaying exhibitions about other atrocities around the world. On average, a tour of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum takes between 2 and 3 hours.

4. Auschwitz Concentration Camp

Auschwitz Birkenau was a concentration camp founded by the Nazis near the town of Oświęcim or ‘Auschwitz’ in Poland . It became the largest and most infamous camp of them all, central to Hitler’s campaign to exterminate the Jews. By the time Auschwitz was liberated by Soviet forces on 27 January 1945, the camp had claimed 1.3 million lives, the vast majority of whom were Jewish.

Auschwitz Museum is based at the original concentration camp site and offers visitors the chance to pass through the camp’s infamous arches bearing the chilling slogan of “Arbeit macht frei” or “Work will set you free”. Inside, visitors can tour Auschwitz Birkenau individually or in group tours.

5. The Holocaust Memorial - Berlin

The Holocaust Memorial in Berlin is an installation commemorating the genocide of the Jewish people perpetrated under Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. The Memorial is a monument to the six million European Jews who died in the Holocaust.

Made up of a vast dark granite maze and a subterranean information centre which has details about the victims, the memorial is a moving site.

6. Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp was used by the Nazis between 1936 and 1945. Its primary function was for the imprisonment and execution – or extermination – of Jews and political dissidents, including many Dutch freedom fighters, Russian prisoners of war and even some political leaders from invaded countries.

Estimates put the number of Sachsenhausen casualties at between 30,000 and 35,000, many of whom were shot, hung or exterminated in a specially built room in its infirmary. Much of Sachsenhausen was destroyed during and after its liberation by Soviet and Polish troops on 22 April 1945, but was rebuilt as part of the project to turn it into a memorial and museum.

7. Warsaw Ghetto

The Warsaw Ghetto was established by the Nazis to forcibly house the city’s Jewish population, with up to 400,000 people confined here from October 1940. In 1943, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising took place, a dramatic rebellion which occurred when the Nazis attempted to liquidate the ghetto and one which saw it razed to the ground.

Very little of the Warsaw Ghetto survives today. There are fragments of the original ghetto wall and several memorials including the Mila 18 monument where the uprising headquarters were located and an inscription where insurgent leader Mordechaj Anielewicz and the last of the uprising fighters perished. There is also the Warsaw Ghetto Fighters Monument and a monument at Umschlagplatz , the site from where Jews were transported to the death camps .

8. Haus der Wannsee-Konferenz

The Haus der Wannsee-Konferenz was the site of the infamous Wannsee Conference in which the Nazis planned how to carry out the “Final Solution”, the plan to murder the Jewish population of Eastern Europe.

Today, the site provides a moving memorial to the Holocaust as well as an in-depth history of the rise of the Nazi party, the growth of anti-Semitism and the atrocities committed against the Jews.

9. Dachau Concentration Camp

Dachau Concentration Camp was one of the first of many concentration camps set up by the Nazis to imprison and murder certain groups as part of their campaign of genocide.

Today, Dachau houses a memorial to those who suffered and perished under the Nazis. Visitors can tour the grounds and the remains of the camp and audio guides are available as are guided tours. There are several exhibitions detailing the history of the camp as well as a documentary shown at various times.

10. Jewish Museum - Berlin

The Jewish Museum in Berlin in Germany chronicles the history of German Jews over the course of two millennia. Housed in an incredibly modern building, the Berlin Jewish Museum displays historical objects, documents, photographs, multimedia presentations and even computer games relating to different periods of Jewish history and culture.

The exhibitions are arranged chronologically and cover various themes such as the living conditions of German Jews over the centuries, the role of Jewish women, tradition and change and the meaning of emancipation. The museum also looks at the issue of persecution, in particular during the Nazi era and the Holocaust, offering an insight into both the overall historical context and the lives of individual victims of the atrocities.

11. Theresienstadt Concentration Camp

Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in Terezin in the Czech Republic was a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust. Theresienstadt was originally an 18th-century stronghold known as Terezin Fortress. It was taken over during the Nazi occupation of the then Czechoslovakia in World War Two. Some 30,000 prisoners died at the camp, despite Nazi attempts to portray it as a humane institution.

Today, Theresienstadt Concentration Camp is open to the public and includes a museum as well as the possibility of visiting the former ghetto.

12. Krakow Ghetto Wall

Krakow Ghetto Wall is a stark reminder of the Krakow Ghetto, established by German Nazi forces in March 1941 as part of their campaign to persecute the Jews. Much of the Jewish population had already been conscripted to carry out forced labour since 1939, when the Nazis occupied Poland. In 1942, Krakow Ghetto was closed and all of its inhabitants were sent to concentration camps.

Some inhabitants of Krakow Ghetto were saved during the War by Oskar Schindler, whose famous Schindler’s List was made into a film by Hollywood director, Stephen Spielberg. Now, the Ghetto Wall, flanked by a former ghetto home, is the last remaining wall of those which once bordered Krakow Ghetto. The Ghetto Wall bears a plaque commemorating Krakow Ghetto.

13. Mauthausen Concentration Camp

Mauthausen Concentration Camp or ’KZ Mauthausen’ was a vast Nazi concentration camp in northern Austria. First established in 1938, Mauthausen Concentration Camp was built through the slave labour of prisoners from another such camp, Dachau. Over 119,000 of the almost 200,000 prisoners at Mauthausen Concentration Camp had died there by the time it was liberated by American forces on 5 May 1945.

Today, Mauthausen Concentration Camp is open to the public, who can see the original camp and the terrible conditions to which prisoners were subjected. There is a visitor centre and many memorials to the different national, ethnic and religious groups who suffered at Mauthausen.

14. Burgkloster

The Burgkloster (Castle Monastery) in Lubeck is considered to be one of the most important medieval monasteries in Germany. Established in 1229, the Burgkloster served as a monastery until the Protestant Reformation, after which it was used as a poorhouse until the 19th century. Under the Third Reich, the Burgkloster was used as a Nazi prison, bearing witness to terrible atrocities, particularly against Jews and those who formed the resistance movement.

Today, the Burgkloster is a museum of Lubeck’s history. Visitors can tour the building as well as viewing exhibits on the history of Lubeck’s Jewish community and about Lubeck’s time as an important member of the Hanseatic League. This was a medieval trade block which controlled much of the North Sea and Baltic Sea.

15. Tolerence Center

The Tolerence Center is one branch of the Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum. A permanent exhibit operates at the Tolerance Center featuring the historical cultural and artistic heritage of the Litvaks, the Jewish community in Lithuania.

The displays include unique relics of the Great Synagogue of Vilnius and Jewish folk and professional art. The non-permanent exhibits, thematic events and projects are oriented toward themes including the cultural education of society, social dissemination of culture, unique cultural heritage and fundamental human rights.

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Concentration Camp Memorial Excursions

Reflect and remember on some of history’s darkest times

Explore former European concentration camps with expert local guides

Visiting a former concentration camp is not a day you will remember as fun, but it is certainly an experience you’ll be glad you made. Join an expert local guide and learn about some of history’s darkest days visiting these former Nazi concentration camps.

Just outside of Munich lies the infamous Dachau Concentration Camp . Famous as the Nazi’s first camp, opened in 1933, in remained operational during the entire Third Reich. Today, the Dachau Concentration Camp memorial is a reminder of those who were imprisoned and those who lost their lives at the camp.

OUR CONCENTRATION CAMP MEMORIAL TOURS

• Memorial Tours

Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Tour

Join an expert licensed guide for a tour of the Dachau Concentration Camp memorial

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• Learn about the daily lives of people who were held inside the camps
• Pay your respects to those who never made it out alive
• Hear about life in the camp from an expert guide
• Discover the truths and myths about the Nazi concentration camp system

Memorial sites

Visiting a former concentration camp is a humbling experience. While rules around photography differ between memorial sites (your local guide will inform you of the guidelines at the site you visit), please be aware that you are visiting a site where many people lost their lives, and so to act respectfully at all times.

Appropriate attire

The tours are largely outdoors, so in the winter time, please dress accordingly.

Transportation

Transportation is included in the ticket to Dachau and Terezín, but you will be required to purchase an ABC train ticket for Sachsenhausen.

Participation in tours promoted by SANDEMANs NEW Europe is strictly on a voluntary basis. Neither SANDEMANs NEW Europe, its staff members, nor any of the freelance guides we work with will be held responsible in any way for injuries to body or property incurred during tours. The tour guides and tour leaders reserve the right to deny participation in any tour, to any person, for any reason. Thank you for your understanding.

CONCENTRATION CAMP MEMORIAL TOURS IN 1 CITY, MORE COMING SOON

Discover the brutal history of former Nazi concentration camps with an expert SANDEMANs NEW Europe tour guide.

Thank you! Your support means more to us than we can express in words. Chris Sandeman and the SANDEMANs Live Community

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Berlin and Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

• Learn the captivating history of WWII-era Berlin, starting with an enlightening tour of the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial
• Enjoy a comfortable 2.5-hour coach ride through the East German countryside, setting the stage for your immersive historical journey
• Explore Berlin's city center, discovering iconic landmarks like the Brandenburg Gate, Hitler's bunker, and the remnants of the Berlin Wall
• Engage in the poignant past showcased at Potsdamer Platz, Checkpoint Charlie, and the former SS and Gestapo headquarters
• Don't miss out on this limited opportunity to discover Berlin's rich WWII history

This Sachsenhausen concentration camp tour is a must-do for history buffs and those who want to get a better understanding of what went on in Germany during the rise of Hitler and WWII. Your experience begins as you board an air-conditioned coach for a comfortable, scenic 2.5-hour ride through the East German countryside.

Arrive at the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial on the outskirts of Berlin and meet up with your guide who will give you a brief history of the camp and the atrocities that were committed there. Sachsenhausen, or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg, was a Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used primarily for political prisoners from 1936 to the end of the Third Reich in May 1945.

From there you will head to the city center of Berlin and stop for lunch and a quick break to absorb what you learned so far. Your tour then continues in the government quarter where you will see the German Parliament, the Reichstag the Brandenburg Gate, Pariser Platz, the Tiergarten, and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews. View Hitler's bunker, an air raid shelter where he and Eva Braun were married and later killed themselves as enemy forces were closing in.

Stand in the public square of Potsdamer Platz and touch the remains of the famed Berlin Wall, a concrete barrier that divided East and West Berlin both physically and ideologically for more than 25 years. While here, see Checkpoint Charlie and the former headquarters of the SS and Gestapo.

Continue to Friedrichstrasse, the classic heart of the capital, to visit Gendarmenmarkt, Babel Platz, the book burning square, Unter den Linden, Humboldt University, the Neue Wache, former Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Museum Island and the former Royal Palace of Berlin. If time permits, your guide might be able to take you over to West Berlin to see a few landmarks there such as the Charlottenburg Palaces and the bombed-out Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.

Sign up now and get ready to immerse yourself in the history of WWII-era Berlin.

Home » Europe » Poland » Reflecting on Humanity at Auschwitz

Reflecting on Humanity at Auschwitz

By Author Lance Longwell

Posted on Last updated: May 20, 2021

“Auschwitz.” That single word is loaded with such evocative images and horrific associations that it’s hard not to arrive with a mental picture of the place. Before leaving for Eastern Europe, the question we were most asked was, “Are you going to Auschwitz?” Our plan was to drive out from Krakow and take the Auschwitz concentration camp tour. What we found completely surprised us.

We had visited several German concentrations camps before and thought we knew what to expect. From 1994-1995, I crossed the European continent several times visiting Nazi and Holocaust sites while working on my high school honors thesis. Each and every Holocaust site is carved into my brain: Bergen-Belsen, Buchenwald , Dachau , and Westerbork. I also visited other important World War II sites throughout Europe.

Each of those experiences was difficult, emotional and mind-numbing. We expected Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest and most infamous of the German concentration and death camps, to be even more emotionally powerful. But, surprisingly, that didn’t happen.

The German concentration and death camps and the collective experience known as the Holocaust would become infamous for the magnitude of the horror and the scale of the slaughter – the experiments with lethal pathogens and amputations and toxins; the collections of tattooed human skin; the torture administered by every conceivable instrument of pain; and finally the staggering numbers of dead.

The scale and magnitude is nearly unfathomable: 42,500 facilities used to incarcerate, deport or exterminate over 11 million people, including over six million people of Jewish heritage. It is evil in its purest form.

The place collectively known as Auschwitz is composed of the main camps – Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II-Birkenau (the “death camp”) and the Auschwitz III-Monowitz (the “work camp”) – plus a network of over 45 small sub-camps that supplied slave labor to industrial companies. The collective Auschwitz system was the largest concentration camp in the German system, and Auschwitz II-Birkenau was the largest extermination camp.

Taking the Auschwitz concentration camp tour puts the scale into sharp focus.

Those who have seen Schindler’s List or other Holocaust films have a mental image of Auschwitz. Trains arrive through the brick guard building and pull up along a long concrete platform. Inside the wooden railcars, people are packed in so densely that some are trampled. The cars are stifling hot, the floors are covered in excrement, and many people die on the journey.

The doors to the railcars open. The dogs are barking. The guards are screaming in German. Many inside the railcars lack the physical strength to get out. Yet all of them carry belongings to begin their new lives in this place – this place of darkness. Because they have been lied to and given false hope.

On the platform, more German efficiency. Sorting. People are sorted from their belongings. Suitcases that were painstakingly packed and the few cherished belongings that were selected are left on the platform. The men are then sorted from women and children. Everyone was sorted into two groups. The first group is sent to the showers…actually the gas chamber.

Once dead, their bodies are sorted – gold teeth are extracted and sometimes experiments are conducted. Their belongings are sorted – shoes, clothes, silver, brushes, books – with like items being stored together in vast rooms. Sorting.

The second group is sorted for a different purpose. They are sorted for work. “Arbeit Macht Frei.” Those words taunt the living. “Work Will Make You Free.” But the only freedom would be death – either actual death or a kind of living death for the rest of their lives. This is a death camp.

People who have seen movies about the Holocaust have a mental image of the sorting – and even of the horrors of the concentration and death camps. However, there is no movie that can prepare you for being confronted with the realities of Auschwitz. No amount of seeing Schindler’s List will prepare you to see the sorting platforms. No film will prepare you to see the masses of human hair, cut from the heads of the dead…and then woven into cloth.

And yet, the experience was a disappointment for us. The Auschwitz concentration camp tour was a model in efficiency. It is almost an assembly line process of cranking visitors through as quickly as possible. There is no opportunity to pause and reflect on the vastness of the Auschwitz camp or the horrors that happen here. There is no opportunity to meditate or pray. There is no opportunity to honor the victims.

At other concentration camps and museums of the Nazi era, there is a strange stillness and an eerie quiet. Visitors observing a library-like atmosphere of hushed tones or intense silence, in reverence for the unspeakable events of the past. The Auschwitz tour was the opposite – a hive of activity and masses of visitors being ushered back and forth in groups of 60, 80, or 100.

The groups are so large that the guides speak into microphones and you listen to the tour on audio headphones. The groups are so large that you really can’t see anything in the museum rooms. And the constant rush to move on to the next room, the next horror, the next atrocity.

Perhaps we had unrealistic expectations of the Auschwitz concentration camp tour. Perhaps we should have known that it would be an assembly line. Perhaps we should have been prepared to see visitors draped in Israeli flags having a picnic lunch on the walls of the destroyed gas chamber. Perhaps we should have expected the masses of visitors. But we didn’t.

We expected the Auschwitz concentration camp tour to be like other concentration camps. We expected a highly emotional experience. It wasn’t. Auschwitz is different.

The events collectively called the Holocaust were not an evil committed on Jews and gypsies and homosexuals and political dissidents. The Holocaust was an evil committed on all of humanity. While we are glad we visited and took the Auschwitz concentration camp tour, it wasn’t the opportunity to connect with our shared humanity that we were expecting.

Lance Longwell is a travel writer and photographer who has published Travel Addicts since 2008, making it one of the oldest travel blogs. He is a life-long traveler, having visited all 50 of the United States by the time he graduated high school. Lance has continued his adventures by visiting 70 countries on 5 continents – all in search of the world’s perfect sausage. He’s a passionate foodie and enjoys hot springs and cultural oddities. When he’s not traveling (or writing about travel), you’ll find him photographing his hometown of Philadelphia.

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Tuesday 3rd of August 2021

I visited and I can unequivocally say there was and is time to reflect and pray; I saw nothing at all wrong in the way the “tour” was conducted. The fact that the first arrivals at the camp were Poles, some 20,000 and that they were summarily eradicated in 2-3 months is witness to how gruesome and efficiently the Germans conducted themselves ….

Gilles Barbier

Monday 29th of June 2015

Hi Lance, First I must admit, I had a totally different experience of Auschwitz. I was there in April 2009, and took a private guide, who had a wealth of knowledge on the Holocaust. It was a very challenging day, but a very profound one. What you describe is completely mind-boggling to me, he worse being: "Perhaps we should have been prepared to see visitors draped in Israeli flags having a picnic lunch on the walls of the destroyed gas chamber" It is a shame and it is profoundly disturbing that such an important place for our History is turned into such a mass-tourism place. Thank you for sharing Gilles

Lance Longwell

Thanks Gilles. I'm hopeful that there will be changes in the management of the site that will protect it for generations to come.

Wednesday 21st of January 2015

We haven't been to Auschwitz yet, but have been to others. These are places you definitely don't want to feel herded and rushed. It's a shame it sounds like such a zoo.

Tuesday 20th of January 2015

I went in 2013, Auschweitz is the saddest place i have ever been i was moved to tears on a few occasions. I went with a german friend who stated " my country did this to bring glory but only bought shame" how true. i also went with a Pol who's grandfather had beem in auschweitz emotional for both of them for very different reasons.

That dual perspective is interesting. One of my very first camp visits was in 1995. I visited Bergen-Belsen with son and granddaughter of Nazi officer. Neither were alive for those terrible events, but their thoughts on the experience was transformative for me. I haven't really thought about that day in years. I may need to write a post about that experience!

Kenin Bassart

What a thoughtful and well written piece. I imagine because Auschwitz is the largest and most infamous it draws the largest crowds. I imagine the large groups and microphones were a reaction to the influx of visitors as opposed to being set up that way by design. I suppose Auschwitz like anywhere else must have some seasonality to it, maybe you get a different experience when it's the off season.

I don't know. I think there's something to your idea that its size draws large crowds. But it seems like there is a way to manage them better. At Dachau, visitors freely walk the perimeter, take in the museum freely and sit with their thoughts. There's even more room at Auschwitz. Why herd people into these mandatory tours that don't really do the site justice?

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Tours & Trips including Auschwitz 2024/2025

Find the right tour for you through Auschwitz. We've got 108 adventures going to Auschwitz, starting from just 3 days in length, and the longest tour is 28 days. The most popular month to go is August, which has the largest number of tour departures.

108 Auschwitz tour packages with 1,198 reviews

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Krakow, Auschwitz & Wieliczka Salt Mine - 4 Days

What can we say about this absolutely beautiful city, and about the beautiful young man who led our tour? Seweryn was knowledgeable, personable, intelligent, warm and sensitive. We loved every minute of our walking tours and he chose great drivers to take us to the tours he did not lead (Salt Mine and Auschwitz.) We will always feel a little homesick for Krakow, and for our new Polish “son,” Seweryn. ❤️

Krakow & Auschwitz

Did their Krakow, Poland trip in December during the Christmas markets. Really a great trip and experience. Everything was very organized, had really good hotel near the square/old town (I booked the 3-star hotel, private room option with my husband), guides were very good & knowledgeable and the excursions/tours were very good. We also received a lot of extra information and recommendations for things to do and places to go (food and drink too) in our free time which was really nice and helpful. I was a bit nervous reading a few of the reviews here on Yelp but our experience was fantastic and nothing like what some others wrote in their reviews. Krakow was an amazing city and one of the most beautiful in Europe. Definitely recommend this trip and company.

Krakow, Auschwitz, Enamel Factory & Wieliczka Salt Mine - 4 Days

A great trip. Our tour guide Seweryn was amazing. We had him all to ourselves and he went out of his way to accommodate us, told us all about the history and even brought us little treats each day. I couldn't recommend this tour enough!

• Coach / Bus

Highlights of Southern Poland

The Poland tour was excellent! The group leader Beata was awesome and all guidance, planning and itinerary was wonderful. Totally recommended!!

• Sightseeing

Pearls of Poland (for couples)

I think this tour is just right for covering the best sites in Poland in a week's time. I doubt few travelers know anything about Poland's history. So a brief outline of the essentials at the start of the tour would facilitate understanding in Warsaw and Krakow. Our guides were excellent, but if they had structured their presentations, they would have communicated the details at the sights visited much better. Since we two were the only tourists on this tour in this Covid-marred year, we traveled with a driver (Piotr) who was tops.

6 days in Krakow and Szczawnica- private exclusive tour for 2 people

6 days in Krakow and Szczawnica- private exclusive tour for 5-8 people

Highlights of Poland (Classic, 10 Days)

overall good tour experience

Highlights of Poland

I was in the May 20-27, 2023 Poland tour. The tour got off to a bad start for me because the promised airport transfer pickup was not anywhere in sight at the Warsaw airport. When I called the help phone numbers provided all I got was Polish speaking messages.I called an Uber. I was later told by another fellow traveler in my group (who was on my same airplane) that while he also was not able to find the transfer person at first, after he walked around for while, he somehow found the transfer driver sitting in his car in a remote area. So he was fortunately able to get his transfer. The tour itself was very fulfilling. Everything promised in the three cities was delivered and it was all very exciting and very interesting. The tour guide worked hard to arrange extra excursions, at the spur of the moment, so everybody had options as to filling in any free time and also to participate as a group. He arranged dinners at night so that the whole group could eat together if they wished. There is a huge amount of walking on this tour. The salt mine tour by itself was 8 miles for just that one tour. I enjoy walking and do so every day, but it was sometimes hard to keep up at 77 years old. Most difficult was walking from hotels to train stations and back with all of our luggage. There were steep stairways that had to be dealt with while carrying all of our luggage. Overall, I’m very glad I did the tour and had a great time with all of my fellow tour participants. I believe all twelve tour participants had a lot of fun together. I do recommend this tour but try to do it before age might become too much of a factor because of all of the fast paced walking.

• 10% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Tailor-Made Private Trip to Southern Poland with Daily Departure

• Book With Flexibility This operator allows you to rebook your dates or tours with them for free, waiving change fees.

Portrait of Poland

Overall, the tour was wonderful. A lot was squeezed into the 7 days. There were a few stops we would like to have spent more time at. The evening included meals were average or below average- it would have been nice to have more local cuisine. Breakfast meals were good; the breakfast buffet at the Regent Warsaw Hotel was excellent. Our tour guide Kasia was very knowledgeable & engaging - she did an excellent job! Really enjoyed her commentary & she was so helpful.

• Walking Adventure

Best of Poland (11 Days)

Everything was outstanding. Coach, Kate (tour guide), all other guides (except one), hotels, meals, itineraries, driver, sights, tours. Two issues. Our Auschwitz tour guide had a very, very pronounced accent and spoke very quickly making it difficult to understand him. Extremely knowledgeable but needs to slow down his speech. Loved that every tour guide throughout the country was a "local". The other issue was that the optional tours available were charged in Euros and not Polish money. Other than those "minor issues" the tour was truly outstanding, interesting, educational and fun!

• €100 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Best of the East

Such a fun and alternative trip to take! We went to Prague, Poland, Budapest, and Austria. Even though it was one of the coldest weeks, our tour guide made it beyond enjoyable. She had so many suggestions of places to go and all were great. My favorite stop was Krakow, Poland, what a beautiful city and so much fun. I had an absolute blast while on this trips, the tour guide were energetic, fun, and knowledgeable, the trip was well run and flexible which I enjoyed, the company had optional activities set up for us which was nice to not feel pressured to do them if you wanted to explore on your own. The accommodations were always comfy and clean and the buses we took for all the trips were enjoyable and filled with fun movies to watch. I would highly recommend traveling with Euroadventures, their attention to detail, responsible yet fun guides, and flexible, activities filled schedule are all beyond worth it.

Tailor-Made Private Poland Tour with Daily Departure

Highlights of Poland (Small Groups, 10 Days)

What people love about auschwitz tours.

Seweryn was a fantastic tour guide and very knowledgeable about Krakow's history. I enjoyed learning about the many historical and religious details we saw around Krakow. He also went above and beyond to help me when I had trouble purchasing train tickets, and when I got sick offered to reschedule one of the tour days. I really enjoyed his tour and would highly recommend it.

Did their Krakow, Poland trip in December during the Christmas markets. Really a great trip and experience. Everything was very organized, had really good hotel near the square/old town (I booked the 3-star hotel, private room option with my husband), guides were very good & knowledgeable and the excursions/tours were very good. We also received a lot of extra information and recommendations for things to do and places to go (food and drink too) in our free time which was really nice and helpful. I was a bit nervous reading a few of the reviews here on Yelp but our experience was fantastic and nothing like what some others wrote in their reviews. Krakow was an amazing city and one of the most beautiful in Europe. Definitely recommend this trip and company.

I had a great first time experience of Krakow through this tour. My tour guide Seweryn was very friendly, flexible, organised and helpful and made the whole process very smooth. The trips to the mine, factory and camps were well laid out and gave me plenty of time for independent sightseeing and fun. If you want to come to Krakow I would highly recommend you do a trip this way!

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Visiting Auschwitz – How to Plan the Auschwitz Tour

Visiting Auschwitz, albeit a very somber experience, is one of the must things to do in Poland. The largest Nazi Germany concentration and extermination camp during World War II, where over 1,3 million people lost their lives, needs no introduction. Conveniently located near Krakow , Auschwitz can be an easy addition to your Poland itinerary.

It took me almost 37 years to finally visit Auschwitz (although I’ve been to other Nazi Germany camps in Poland), and even if I knew very well what to expect, the place still overwhelmed me with its cruelty and tragedy. And I think everyone should plan a trip to Auschwitz to understand history better and see what people are capable of when the ideology brainwashes them. And, of course, to pay respect to all the unnecessary victims. It’s important to visit places like Auschwitz so we can do our best to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.

If you are visiting Poland (especially Krakow , Warsaw , Katowice , or Wroclaw ), I prepared this guide to help you plan your Auschwitz tour without too much hassle. There are different ways to visit Auschwitz, but no matter which one you choose, be prepared for one of the most difficult yet necessary travel experiences of your life.

Table of Contents

Where is Auschwitz

The former Nazi Germany Concentration Camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, is located in a town of around 37.000 inhabitants called Oświęcim in southern Poland. Krakow is less than 70 km away, and Katowice is 35 km away. Warsaw, the capital of Poland, is around 330 km away from Oświęcim.

A brief history of Auschwitz

Even if Auschwitz is known mainly as the extermination camp, it was established as a concentration camp in mid-1940. It was one of over 40 camps in Poland that were supposed to be a solution to the problem of overflowing prisons full of arrested locals. The first people were brought to Auschwitz on June 14th, 1940, from the prison in Tarnow.

Since 1942 Auschwitz has also been used as the extermination camp where Nazis implemented their plan to murder Jewish people from all over Europe. At the peak of its operation, in 1944, Auschwitz was divided into three parts: Auschwitz I (the oldest one, in the old Polish military barracks), Auschwitz II-Birkenau (the largest one, founded in 1941, the majority of victims were killed here), and Auschwitz III (this was a group of over 40 sub-camps created near industrial plants, made for work prisoners).

Numerous Polish villages were demolished, and locals were evicted to develop such a large institution. The camps were isolated from the outside world. The total area was around 40 square kilometers, including all three Auschwitz camps and the so-called “interest zone” used for the technical or supply background, offices, and barracks for Nazis.

Since Auschwitz had a strategic location on the front line, in August 1944, the camp’s liquidation began – the prisoners were taken to Germany, and the evidence of the crimes was covered up. The liberation of Auschwitz took place on January 27th, 1945, when around 7,5 thousand prisoners were still held there.

Altogether, in the almost four years of operation, over 1,3 million people lost their lives in Auschwitz; the majority were Jewish (around 1,1 million), but also Polish (about 150 hundred thousand), Roma people (23 thousand), and other nations.

In 1979 Auschwitz was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List – it is the only former Nazi concentration camp with that title in the world.

How to visit Auschwitz

You can visit Auschwitz two ways: with a tour from where you are staying in Poland (most likely Krakow, Katowice, Warsaw, or Wroclaw) or independently, reaching the site by car or using public transport. Both options are doable; however, the tour is a slightly better one as everything will be taken care of for you.

There is a wide selection of tours to choose from that depart from Krakow as well as other mentioned cities. Most of them cover more or less the same things: pick-up from your accommodation, transportation to/from Auschwitz and back, the entrance ticket to the concentration camp, and the guided tour on-site.

When I visited Auschwitz, I arrived by train from Warsaw, with the change in Katowice. I was at the museum almost an hour before my guided tour of the site was supposed to start, and despite the poor weather (it was raining on that day), there was no place to hide and wait for the tour. Visitors were not allowed to enter the museum until a few minutes before the tour was about to start. Me and a few other unlucky visitors just stood near the trees, hiding under the umbrella and waiting for our time to enter the site. I can’t say it was a comfortable situation (but at least the weather worked perfectly well for such a sad place to visit). Recently, a new visitors center was opened so hopefully the situation is better.

When using public transport, you need to rely on the schedule of trains/buses and, just in case, plan to be at the site with some extra time ahead; hence a tour is a better option. Still, visiting Auschwitz is doable independently – I did it, and once the tour of the site started, it was really good.

Visiting Auschwitz – practical information

Visiting Auschwitz memorial site is free of charge; however, I recommend joining the tour with the educator provided by the museum. They have a huge knowledge of the place and the tragedy that occurred here and can answer all the questions visitors always have. Tours are available in various languages: Polish, English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Czech, and Slovak.

Even if you decide to visit the site independently, you still need to book the entry pass – those with free entrance start in the afternoon. You can buy/reserve your ticket online at the website of Auschwitz Museum here.

Currently, the price for the tour with the educator is 80 PLN for Polish and 90 PLN for other languages. When booking the ticket, you must state your full name and surname – this will be checked later.

Since tickets can sell out quickly, booking one at least a month in advance is recommended. If there are no tickets left for the day you want to visit Auschwitz, you can join the organized tour from Krakow or other cities, as tour operators usually have tickets booked in advance. Due to the sensitive nature of the place, children under 14 years old should not visit Auschwitz Museum.

Once you have your ticket, you need to arrive at the Auschwitz visitors center 30 minutes before your tour starts to go through the security check (it’s rather thorough, similar to the airport), have your ticket inspected (remember to have the ID or passport with you), get the headset for the tour and meet your group. You are allowed to have a bag or backpack with a maximum dimension of 30x20x10 cm; any larger luggage must be left in the paid lockers.

Auschwitz Museum is open every day except January 1st, December 25th, and Easter Sunday. Opening hours vary depending on the month and are as follows:

• 7:30-14:00 in December
• 7:30-15:00 in January and November
• 7:30-16:00 in February
• 7:30-17:00 in March and October
• 7:30-18:00 in April, May, and September
• 7:30-19:00 in June, July, and August

The closing time means the last entrance – after that, you are allowed to stay on-site for an hour and a half. However, if you want to see Auschwitz Museum properly, you need at least 3,5 hours for that – that’s also how long the standard tour with the educator lasts. It is usually divided equally between Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II- Birkenau. A free shuttle bus runs between the two sites every few minutes.

Taking pictures and making videos is allowed in Auschwitz, for individual use, except in two places: the hall with the hair of Victims (block nr 4) and the basements of Block 11. Your educator will remind you not to take pictures there.

Remember what sort of place you are visiting and behave there with respect. It might be obvious for most, but I can’t count how many times I’ve read news about inappropriate behavior in Auschwitz and other similar sites in Poland, so I think it’s worth reminding this is not your typical tourist attraction but a place of one of the greatest tragedy that ever happened in the world.

Getting to Auschwitz independently

If you decide to visit Auschwitz on your own, you must get to the visitors’ center, where your tour will start. The new visitors center, which opened just recently, is located at 55 Więźniów Oświęcimia Street in Oświęcim ( here is the exact location ). If you drive there, there is a large parking lot where you can leave your car before visiting the museum.

If you use public transport, there are both trains and buses you can take to reach Oświęcim. I recommend trains as they are slightly faster and more comfortable; however, some buses stop next to the museum, so that’s convenient. You can check all the connections on this website , where you can also find the location of the bus stop in Oświęcim (there can be three different ones).

The train station in Oświęcim is located at Powstańców Śląskich Street, some 20 minutes walking from the Auschwitz museum. It’s a straightforward way; you can check the map with the directions here . I recommend catching the train that gives you at least an hour between arriving at Oświęcim and when your tour starts.

Auschwitz tour from Krakow

Numerous Auschwitz tours depart from Krakow, so you will easily find the one that suits your itinerary and needs. Here are some recommended ones:

• Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial Guided Tour from Krakow
• Auschwitz & Birkenau – Fully Guided Tour from Krakow
• Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Tour with Private Transport from Kraków
• Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Tour by Private Transport from Krakow

You can also combine visiting Auschwitz with Wieliczka Salt Mine , another UNESCO-listed site near Krakow and a must-visit place in Poland. Here are the tours that go to both places in one day:

• Day Trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka Salt Mine from Krakow including Lunch
• Full-Day Tour of Auschwitz and Wieliczka Salt Mine from Krakow
• Auschwitz-Birkenau and Salt Mine Tour with private transport from Krakow
• Combined: Auschwitz Birkenau and Salt Mine private chauffeur from Krakow

If you decide to go to Auschwitz from Krakow on your own, you can take the train from the main train station to Oświęcim. They are rather frequent, more or less every hour, and the journey takes a bit over an hour (depending on the connection, the longest one is 1h20min).

If you want to take the bus, they depart from the MDA bus station, next to the main train station. The price for trains and buses is similar, between 15 and 20 PLN, although trains tend to be cheaper and faster. You can check all the connections and buy a ticket here .

Auschwitz tour from Warsaw

Even if Warsaw, the capital of Poland, is located over 300 km away from Oświęcim, it is possible to go for a one-day Auschwitz tour. However, you can expect a long day, and a large part of it will be spent traveling. But if you are visiting Warsaw only, Auschwitz can be a good addition to your Poland itinerary, so you can better understand the country’s complex history.

Here are some of the recommended Auschwitz tours from Warsaw:

• From Warsaw Auschwitz and Krakow one day tour by train with pick up and drop off
• One day tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau from Warsaw with private transport

Going for the day trip from Warsaw to Auschwitz independently is also possible using trains. You can take the 6 am train to Katowice and then change for the train to Oświęcim, arriving in the town around 10:30. If you decide to do that, you can book your Auschwitz tour for 11:30 or 12:00. On the way back, you can catch the train after 16:00 from Oświęcim to Katowice, and after changing for the train to Warsaw, you will be in the capital after 20:00.

Auschwitz tour from Katowice

Since Katowice is less than 40 km from Auschwitz, it’s easy to go for a day trip. You need to take the local train to Oświęcim, it takes less than 50 minutes, and the connections are more or less every hour.

Or you can go for a tour, here are the Auschwitz tours from Katowice:

• Auschwitz – Birkenau from Katowice
• Auschwitz & Birkenau English guided tour by private transport from Katowice
• Auschwitz tour from Wroclaw

Wroclaw is another popular place to visit in Poland, and since it’s located around 230 km from Oświęcim, you can go for an Auschwitz tour from Wroclaw too. If you decide to do it independently, you can take the train to Katowice and then change for the local train to Oświęcim. A one-way trip should take you less than 4 hours.

Or you can go for a tour; here are the recommended ones from Wroclaw:

• Auschwitz-Birkenau Tour from Wrocław
• Private Full-Day Tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau from Wroclaw

Auschwitz Museum Tour

As for the museum itself, here is what you can expect.

You will start in the oldest part of the concentration camp – Auschwitz I, where the infamous gate with the sign “Arbeit macht frei” (meaning “Work Sets You Free”) is located. Here, you will visit numerous barracks where inmates were kept – now you can see different exhibitions there, showing the reality of Auschwitz and halls with personal belongings taken from arriving prisoners – luggage, shoes, glasses, etc., or hair of Victims. You will learn all about cruel practices here, including medical experiments or torture.

Visiting this part of Auschwitz museum is a very somber experience, and it’s really difficult to comprehend the tragedy that happened in this very place.

Besides the barracks in Auschwitz I, you will also see where the camp commander lived or the first crematorium where Nazis started their experiments with killing using gas. In this part of the Auschwitz tour, you can take pictures everywhere except the two places in Blocks 4 and 11 – they will be clearly marked, and your educator will remind you about this restriction.

The visit to Auschwitz I takes around 1,5 hours. Afterward, together with your group and educator, you will take the shuttle bus to Auschwitz II-Birkenau, located some 3 km away.

Auschwitz II-Birkenau is where around 90% of victims died. It is a huge area that worked kind of like the killing factory, with four gas chambers and crematoriums. This is also where most prisoners arrived – you most likely know the view of the railway tracks and brick gate – that’s Auschwitz II-Birkenau. This part of the visit is mostly outdoors.

You will walk around the area, see the remnants of the camp, visit some barracks inside, and learn all about the horrific tragedy that happened here. When Auschwitz I has a more intimate, even claustrophobic feeling, Auschwitz II-Birkenau can overwhelm you with its scale and enormity.

You will spend around 1,5 hours here, too; afterward, you can take the shuttle bus back to the visitors center when you started your tour.

Final thoughts on visiting Auschwitz

Even though I’ve lived in Poland almost my whole life, and Auschwitz has been a familiar topic since I remember, it took me nearly 37 years to finally visit the place. Before I was in different Nazi Germany sites in Poland, mostly in Majdanek in Lublin, so I didn’t feel the need to visit Auschwitz too. But I don’t regret the decision to go there eventually.

You can read and learn about the place, but nothing can prepare you for visiting Auschwitz. Some areas look familiar (after all, pictures of the “Arbeit macht frei” sign or Birkenau gate are present everywhere), but you will still be overwhelmed by the place and seeing it in real life. It’s hard to comprehend the cruelty and tragedy that happened here, and dealing with all the thoughts invading your mind afterward can take a while. It can be one of the most difficult-to-understand places you will ever visit.

Still, despite it all, I think everyone should go to Auschwitz to see where fanaticism and totalitarianism can lead and why we should avoid them at all costs.

Further reading

I published many articles about Poland that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:

• 37 Amazing Things to Do in Krakow, Poland
• 20 Great Places to Visit As Day Trips from Warsaw, Poland
• 17 Amazing Things to Do in Lublin, Poland
• The Complete Guide to Visiting Slownski National Park, Poland
• Visit Grudziadz – One of the Hidden Gems of Poland
• 19 Amazing Things to Do in Gdansk, Poland
• Visit Sandomierz, Poland – One of the Prettiest Towns in the Country
• Visiting Malbork Castle, Poland – the Largest Castle in the World
• 25 Amazing Things to do in Wroclaw, Poland
• and many more!

If you are looking for articles about a specific destination – check out the map with all the articles I’ve published (and their locations). You can also join my Facebook group about traveling in Central Europe and ask your questions there.

Travel Resources

You can find the best accommodation options at Booking . They have many discounts and excellent customer service. Click here to look for the place to stay in Poland

Never travel without travel insurance , you never know what might happen and better safe than sorry. You can check the insurance policy for Poland here.

I recommend joining organized tours to get to know the place better and to visit more places during your trip. You can find a great selection of tours at Get Your Guide – click here .

For the end I left a few announcements that might interest you:

• Sign up to my newsletter or follow me on Bloglovin to get updates about the new posts
• Join my Facebook group about Eastern Europe, the Balkans and former USSR and connect with fellow travellers and enthusiasts of these regions – just click here!
• I’ve included a few handy links of services and products I personally like and use so you can plan your own trip to Poland too. They are often affiliate links. This means I will get a small commission if you book/purchase anything through my links, at no extra costs for you. Thank you!

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Best Concentration Camp Tour in Europe - In Their Shoes Dachau Memorial Tours

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• In Their Shoes Dachau Memorial Tours

Best Concentration Camp Tour in Europe

We have now done three seperate camps and the Dachau tour with James was by far the best. You can not stump him on any question, his knowledge of Dachau is amazing. To go with his knowledge he is a friendly guy who can connect with every traveller. Would recommend this tour to anyone heading to Munich. Thanks again James!! Shelby, April and Cassie

James Burgess was a great tour guide for a very sad excursion to Dachau. I will not go into the sadness I felt about seeing Dachau and the sadness that I still feel when I think about it, but rather the excellent tour guide that I was fortunate enough to have. James Burgess is great. He also happened to know our Munich World War 2 history tour guide and we ended up meeting up with James that next day for a beer. He is a great guy and he is very accommodating. I highly recommend him.

I'm very pleased I took a tour with James. His knowledge of Dachau and the events surrounding the concentration camp really impressed me, I don't think he stopped talking over the 3-4hrs of our tour. He especially captured the real feeling of the place which I don't think you would get touring the camp by yourself. I chose this tour based on the reviews of others on trip advisor and can see why he's got so many 5/5 reviews. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone else considering a visit to Dachau.

This is a tour that is not to be missed! My husband and I were immediately captivated by James' knowledge of the history and stories surrounding the time leading up to, during, and ending WWII. He has an absolute passion for the stories he tells and it is almost as if you are transformed back in time. "In Their Shoes" could not be a more appropriate title for James Burgess' tour. This is the way people are meant to see Dachau!!

The second time I went to Dachau, it made a bigger impact on me because we had a tour guide. This time we watched a video. I almost cried watching the sad video. I highly recommend this trip to all!

I took a tour with James and it was a wonderful experience. He highlighted some facets of the concentration camp that I would not have thought of otherwise - such as the photos used for just propaganda purposes versus the true photos of the conditions in the camp. James had many interesting quotes to share as well. It was an unforgettable experience that went far beyond what an audio guide would do. I definitely recommend this tour. Good value too because it included transportation, which is expensive in Munich

Auschwitz Tours & Travel Packages 2024/2025

Our 28 most popular auschwitz trips. compare tour itineraries from 16 tour companies. 45 reviews. 4.9/5 avg rating., popular auschwitz tours.

Best of Central Europe

• Stay in old-school style while supporting a social cause during your time in Vienna. The city’s quirky Magdas Hotel is committed to helping local refugees earn a living through employment.
• Embark on a hike through the lesser known but no less stunning Tatra Mountains in Slovakia. With a range of trails available, you’ll be high above the valley floor admiring the vistas in no time.
• See the classic Polish cities of Wroclaw and Krakow and feel the emotional wallop of a sobering visit to nearby Auschwitz.
• Discover the magical Cesky Krumlov on a guided tour around town with your small group, passing by medieval buildings, verdant countryside and the flowing Vltava River.
• Get the low-down on Budapest’s classic charm, café culture, and eclectic neighbourhood vibes during your time here. Have you actually been to Budapest if you didn’t go to a ruin bar?

The Best of Eastern Europe

• Explore historic medieval cities
• Explore world-class museums
• Savour the café culture of europe
• Opt for a soak in budapest's famous baths
• Experience krakow's eastern charm

Highlights of Poland

• Explore Poland's three greatest cities: Warsaw, Wroclaw and Krakow
• Marvel at the vast subterranean Wieliczka Salt Mines
• Opportunity to pay an emotional visit to Auschwitz

Majestic Cities of Central & Eastern Europe featuring Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest & Krakow - 2024

• Join local residents for a community hosted dinner in Dunaalmas.
• Learn the secrets of Viennese confectionery during a candy-making demonstration.
• Dine at the famous Marchfelderhof, an iconic restaurant with rich Viennese tradition.
• Experience a Viennese coffee house during an Impact Moment.
• Enjoy classic Czech cuisine in a local restaurant in Prague.

Germany, Finland & Poland in 14 days - Medieval Cities and Winter Wonderland - Superior

• Lapland - Rovaniemi

Eastern Europe, Croatia & the Balkans

• Wander beautiful medieval cities
• Opt for a soak in a thermal bath in budapest
• Kayak the bay of kotor
• Marvel at the ancient roman palace of diocletian in split

Highlights of Southern Poland

• Visit Krakow’s Jewish Quarter and see how the local community is re-establishing its cultural identity.
• See Warsaw from a different perspective as you take in views of the River Vistula from the city’s highest garden.
• Head out for a nature hike in Karkonosze National Park, admiring sweeping views from the Wysoki Kamien Observation Tower.
• Explore the vibrant cultural scene of Wroclaw, the historical capital of Silesia and Lower Silesia, which dates back over 1000 years.
• Experience Polish culture firsthand during a traditional pottery workshop in Wroclaw and a dinner in Szklarska Poreba.

Krakow to Budapest Adventure

• Explore the maze of streets in the medieval cities of Krakow and Budapest
• Raft along the Dunajec River Gorge and go walking in the Tatra Mountains
• Discover the medieval town of Banska Stiavnica and learn of its fascinating mining history

All Auschwitz , expedition cruises, self guided adventures and vacation packages. Find the best guided and expert planned vacation and holiday packages. Read more about Auschwitz

Small Group Auschwitz Tours

Poland in 6 days - Medieval Cities & Christmas Markets - Charm

• Tatra National Park

Best Auschwitz Tours by Duration

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Top Auschwitz Attractions & Experiences

Top Auschwitz Experiences

• Solemn tributes at the memorial sites of Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau
• Educational insights into the history and atrocities of the Holocaust
• Exploring the barracks, prison cells, and exhibitions displaying artifacts and photographs
• Witnessing the haunting remnants of the crematorium and gas chambers
• Reflecting at memorials dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust
• Learning about the courageous acts of resistance by prisoners
• Hearing survivor stories and testimonies, offering a personal perspective on the horrors endured
• Participating in guided tours led by knowledgeable educators and historians
• Paying respects at the symbolic Wall of Death and the Memorial of the Victims
• Contemplating the significance of tolerance and compassion in today's world

Auschwitz Tours & Travel Guide

Auschwitz Attractions & Landmarks Guide

A trip to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial is an unforgettable journey of remembrance and education. You will step back in time at one of the most significant historical sites of the 20th century. 

As you explore solemn landmarks such as Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, you will bear witness to the stories of Holocaust sufferers and survivors. Knowledgeable guides will lead you through exhibitions, barracks, and memorials, offering profound insights into this tragic chapter of human history.

History of Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum

Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum holds a profound historical significance as one of the most haunting reminders of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust. Established by the Nazi regime during World War II, Auschwitz served as a concentration and extermination camp where millions of innocents lost their lives.

Auschwitz I: Originally built in 1940 as a concentration camp near the Polish town of Oświęcim, Auschwitz I, also known as the main camp, was the first facility in the complex. Its purpose was to imprison political prisoners, intellectuals, and other perceived enemies of the Nazi regime. 

Over time, Auschwitz expanded to include sub-camps and became a central hub for forced labor.

Auschwitz II: In 1941, construction began on Auschwitz II-Birkenau, located nearby. This expansion was driven by the Nazi's "Final Solution," aimed at the systematic genocide of European Jews. Birkenau was designed as an extermination camp, equipped with gas chambers and crematoria to efficiently murder mass numbers of people.

Under the command of SS officers such as Rudolf Höss and Josef Mengele, Auschwitz-Birkenau became synonymous with unimaginable suffering and death. Countless victims, including Jews, Poles, Romani people, Soviet prisoners of war, and others, were subjected to starvation, forced labor, torture, and mass executions.

After the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet forces in January 1945, survivors shared their harrowing testimonies, ensuring that the world would never forget the horrors of the Holocaust. 

Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum: In 1947, the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum was established on the site, dedicated to preserving the memory of the victims and educating future generations about the consequences of hate and intolerance.

Today, Auschwitz-Birkenau stands as a UNESCO World Heritage site and serves as a solemn reminder of the darkest chapter in human history. Visiting this memorial is not only a way to honor the millions who perished but also a commitment to ensuring that such atrocities are never repeated.

Why Go on an Auschwitz Tour

Embarking on an Auschwitz tour is a solemn yet essential journey that offers profound insights into one of humanity's darkest chapters. It's not just a historical visit but a powerful experience that holds immense significance for several reasons:

Cultural Significance: As a UNESCO World Heritage site, Auschwitz bears witness to the horrors of the Holocaust, serving as a sad reminder of the consequences of unchecked hatred and discrimination. Its preservation is crucial for future generations to understand and learn from this tragic period in history.

Educational Value: The tour provides a unique opportunity to learn about the Holocaust and the atrocities committed during World War II. Through guided tours, exhibits, and firsthand accounts, visitors gain a deeper understanding of the systematic persecution and genocide carried out by the Nazi regime.

Honoring the Victims: By visiting Auschwitz, individuals pay tribute to the millions of innocent people who suffered and perished in the camps. It's a way to honor their memory and ensure their stories are never forgotten. Witnessing their experiences commemorates the importance of preserving human dignity and combating intolerance.

Personal Reflection: Walking through the solemn grounds of Auschwitz prompts deep introspection and personal reflection. It's an opportunity to contemplate the human capacity for both cruelty and resilience, as well as the enduring importance of values such as compassion, empathy, and justice in today's world. This reflection challenges visitors to confront brutal truths and strive for a more inclusive future.

Highlights of Auschwitz Tour Packages 

Embark on an Auschwitz tour package and delve into the poignant history of one of the most infamous sites of the Holocaust. Each tour is meticulously curated to provide a comprehensive and educational experience that pays homage to the victims and survivors of this dark period in human history.

Auschwitz I: Explore the barracks, prison cells, and exhibitions at the main camp, witnessing firsthand the chilling remnants of the Nazi regime's atrocities.

Auschwitz II-Birkenau: Visit the vast extermination camp, where you'll see the ruins of crematoria, prisoner barracks, and the haunting railway tracks that once brought victims to their tragic fate.

Memorial Sites: Pay your respects at memorials dedicated to the millions who perished, including the Wall of Death, the International Monument, and the Memorial and Museum at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Exhibition Halls: Gain deeper insights into the Holocaust through thought-provoking exhibits, artifacts, and documentation detailing the systematic persecution of Jews, Romani people, political dissidents, and others deemed "undesirable" by the Nazis.

Guided Tours: Engage with knowledgeable guides who provide context, historical background, and personal accounts, offering a deeper understanding of the events that transpired within these walls.

Educational Programs: Participate in workshops, lectures, and discussions designed to foster critical thinking, empathy, and a commitment to human rights and social justice.

Witness Testimonies: Hear firsthand testimonies from survivors or descendants whose stories are powerful reminders of resilience, hope, and the enduring quest for truth and reconciliation.

These highlights combine to create a transformative experience that honors the memory of the Holocaust's victims and challenges visitors to confront the past while striving for a more just and compassionate future.

Visiting Auschwitz From Krakow

Most tours start in Krakow and typically begin with a meet-up point in Krakow's city center, where participants gather before departing in a comfortable coach or minibus. The journey to Auschwitz takes approximately 1.5 to 2 hours, offering scenic views of the Polish countryside along the way.

Upon arrival, visitors are divided into groups for guided tours of Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau. The duration of each tour varies but typically lasts around 2 to 3 hours per camp, allowing ample time to explore the exhibitions, memorials, and historical sites.

The entire trip from Krakow to Auschwitz and back usually takes a full day, offering visitors a comprehensive and emotionally impactful experience.

In addition to visiting Auschwitz, many tours from Krakow also include a stop at the nearby Wieliczka Salt Mine. This UNESCO World Heritage site offers a fascinating underground journey through centuries of mining history, showcasing intricate salt sculptures, chapels adorned with salt crystals, and expansive underground chambers.

The salt mine tour typically adds an extra hour or two to the overall itinerary. Travelers can visit both iconic landmarks, Auschwitz-Birkenau and the salt mine, in a single day trip from Krakow. 

Auschwitz Tour for Seniors

Touring Auschwitz can be emotionally challenging for seniors due to extensive walking and solemn surroundings. While the tour isn't strenuous, the long durations of standing and walking may pose difficulties for some. 

Note Travelstride's physical ability scale to understand the tour's suitability for you. It helps seniors choose tours aligned with their capabilities. Additionally, while wheelchair access is available in certain areas, not all parts of Auschwitz are accessible, requiring careful consideration for seniors with mobility concerns.

Seniors seeking a less physically demanding experience can opt for guided tours with shorter durations or explore alternative cultural attractions in Krakow.

Auschwitz Reviews & Ratings

Great Leader. Excellent itinerary. Good hotels

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The trip was beautifully organized even in the midst of the migrant crisis. Everything was handled extremely well and professionally by our tour leader. My group tow...

Our tour guide!!! Zsolt was an absolute

Our tour guide!!! Zsolt was an absolute legend. He made the experience all the more memorable.

The trip was well planned giving the

The trip was well planned giving the right balance between big city hustle and bustle, and the quieter times in the smaller towns. The time spent in each place was g...

intrepid always provides the maximum adventure.

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Watch CBS News

Victims of Nazi concentration camps built in British Channel Islands finally being counted

By Holly Williams

April 21, 2024 / 7:00 PM EDT / CBS News

The names Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen and Buchenwald are infamous as the scene of atrocities -- concentration camps, run by Adolf Hitler's notorious SS.

But what you may be surprised to learn, as we were, is that two Nazi concentration camps were established on British soil in the Channel Islands, around 80 miles from the British mainland. The islands lie just off the coast of France, became possessions of the English crown around a thousand years ago – and were occupied by Germany for nearly five years during World War II. Even in the United Kingdom many people don't know about the camps -- and as we discovered, exactly what happened there is hotly disputed.

Holly Williams: It's pretty well hidden, isn't it?

Marcus Roberts: Yeah, well, if you--

Holly Williams: It's all overgrown.

Marcus Roberts: If you didn't know how to get here, you wouldn't easily stumble across it.

Marcus Roberts: This was a sort of back entrance…

There's not much left of the Third Reich's Lager Sylt concentration camp… on the windswept island of Alderney -- about three miles long and one and a half wide – nature is gradually swallowing up its crumbling concrete walls. 

Holly Williams: And the camp's up here…--

Marcus Roberts: These take you straight into the-- the camp.

Holly Williams: Wow.

Marcus Roberts is an Oxford-educated amateur historian who runs heritage tours. He's spent years researching this forgotten chapter in British history. 

Marcus Roberts:  So undoubtedly if you wanted to put-- a pin on the map, you could say, "This is where the Holocaust happened on British sovereign territory."

When Germany invaded France in 1940, the British government calculated that the Channel Islands had no strategic value – and gave them up without a fight. Nearly all of the residents of Alderney decided to evacuate before the German troops arrived. On the empty island, the Germans set up two concentration camps – as well as labor camps. They brought in prisoners of war and forced laborers to build giant fortifications that still survive today -- part of Hitler's Atlantic wall to protect against Allied attack. A minority of them were Jewish – others were from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and Spain. 

Holly Williams: I understand this was called the Tunnel of Death?

Marcus Roberts: Yes. It was notorious in the memory of prisoners. On two occasions, they were forced to cram in here in an apparent rehearsal for their own death. 

After the war, in 1945, the British military investigated the camps, and put the death toll on Alderney in the low hundreds. Some of those who lost their lives were buried under this plot of land. But Marcus Roberts and others argue that more than 10,000 must have died on the island – based on controversial calculations about the size of the labor force needed to build the fortifications. Roberts told us it's because he's Jewish that he's determined to count all of the dead. 

Marcus Roberts: There is the-- the Jewish instinct to, you know, leave no one behind

Holly Williams: You're trying to make sure that all the Jewish dead are counted?

Marcus Roberts: Remembered. If you don't remember a life, it's as if they've never lived at all. 

Most academics dispute Roberts' estimate of the death toll, but partly as a result of those disagreements, last year the British government appointed a team of researchers to comb through archives across Europe, and more accurately count the number of prisoners who died on Alderney. Dr. Gilly Carr -- an archaeologist at Cambridge University -- is coordinating the review.

Holly Williams: Why is this just a document search, not a dig?

Gilly Carr: It is likely that some of the people in mass graves were Jewish. And according to Halakha or Jewish law, you cannot disturb the dead. But the second reason is that according to prisoner statements, some people were dumped at sea or thrown off cliffs. What are we going to do? Dig up the entire island? Well, we can't do that.

The researchers are drawing on rich material. The Nazis were meticulous record keepers -- and British archives contain first hand testimonies from survivors.

Holly Williams: Look at this. "We were beaten with everything they could lay their hands on: with sticks, spades, pickaxes." 

Gilly Carr: It sounds absolutely ghastly.

Holly Williams: "On certain days, five to six, up to 10 men died."

Dr. Carr told us there's no evidence that gas chambers were used on Alderney -- but there were summary executions, and the prisoners built the Nazi fortifications on starvation rations.

Holly Williams: Were they taken to Alderney to be worked to death?

Gilly Carr: They were certainly seen as expendable. The aim was to get every ounce of work out of them. And if they died, it didn't matter, and that was kind of perhaps "expected."

Holly Williams: They were disposable human beings.

Gilly Carr: Yes. Yes.

Holly Williams: How did your father end up in Alderney?

At a pub in the Channel Islands, we met Gary Font. His father – Francisco Font – fought on the losing side in the Spanish Civil War, was arrested in France, handed over to the Germans, and sent to a concentration camp on Alderney. Francisco survived, and later married a British woman -- Gary's mother.

Gary Font: He witnessed-- the execution of a young Soviet boy who decided to leave the working detail and to change his footwear. So he started to pick up these paper bags, and wrap them 'round his feet, and then tie them with string. And a SS guard had seen him do this, and walked up to him and-- and shot him-- point-blank range.

Gary told us his father's experiences left him scarred. 

Gary Font: I saw the emotion on his face. Yeah, it's a tough one.

Holly Williams: Do you think that emotion came from-- that he had survived the War in Spain, and survived the camp here?

Gary Font: Yeah, exactly. That was the first time I realized, "Wow, you know, this man has a deep-rooted emotion inside of him that he could never get out."

The British government's effort to get the truth out – by recounting the dead – was commissioned by Lord Pickles – a former cabinet minister and now the U.K.'s envoy for post-Holocaust issues.

Lord Pickles: The figures vary, not by a few hundred, not by a few thousand, by-- by tens of thousands. 

Holly Williams: So it was the controversy that prompted you to commission the review?

Lord Pickles: Yes. It seemed to me that the sensible thing was, "Well, okay. Let's do that-- this in the open. Let's do it fully transparent.

He's also asked the researchers to put names to as many of those killed as they can.

Lord Pickles: If you remember them as individuals, then it's another blow against Hitler. Hitler wanted to eradicate the memory of people.

Holly Williams: So this is kind of an ongoing fight against Hitler and his ideas?

Lord Pickles: Hitler's evil hand still continues to affect-- to affect Europe and to affect the world.

But it's taken nearly 80 years for the British government to re-examine what happened on Alderney -- and to make its report public. The official British investigations in 1945 were classified for decades. And unlike the trials of Nazi officials in Nuremberg -- the British authorities failed to prosecute a single German officer who worked on Alderney – even though many of them ended up in British prisoner of war camps.

Holly Williams: I mean just to be clear, these are possible war criminals. The British government has gathered evidence against-- against them. And they are in British custody.

Gilly Carr: Yes, they are at this point, yes.

Holly Williams: A sort of slam-dunk case?

Gilly Carr: You'd have thought. 

That's led Marcus Roberts and others to claim that the British government tried to cover-up the extent of the atrocities on Alderney. Dr. Carr told us that could be true -- but one key document from the British War Office investigation that may explain why there were no prosecutions is missing.

Gilly Carr: It could have been shredded-- decades ago as part of, "What do we need these files for anymore?

Holly Williams: But could it also have been shredded for more nefarious purposes?

Gilly Carr: I have no idea. In order for me to say there was a cover-up, I want to see the decisions taken. I want to look through those steps and to make up my own mind.

Holly Williams: Why might the British government have tried to cover up or whitewash what happened on Alderney and-- and maybe more broadly, on the Channel Islands?

Gilly Carr: There are some things that-- that happened that might not-- that the British government might not necessarily have wanted a wider audience to know about. 

Those things – once feared too troubling for the broader public – happened on three of the other Channel Islands -- where most residents did not evacuate before the occupation. When the Germans arrived, the locals mostly cooperated – often with little choice. Hitler's portrait was hung outside this cinema on the island of Guernsey. Nazi propaganda showed the British police working for German troops. And British newspapers on the islands printed orders from Berlin.

Holly Williams: This is a British newspaper. And it's got the swastika on top.

Linda Romeril: That's right.

At the official archives on the island of Jersey, Linda Romeril showed us how British officials implemented Nazi policies -- asking Jewish residents to identify themselves, and then confiscating their assets.

Linda Romeril: There was a huge amount of requisitioning of people's houses, people's property during the occupation period.

But some resisted -- risking punishment to paint anti-nazi graffiti, and illegally listening to British news on the radio.

Jenny Lecoat: That's my great aunt Louisa. I suspect that she was probably quite steely.

One member of the resistance was Louisa Gould -- who hid an escaped Russian prisoner in her home for nearly two years. Jenny Lecoat told us when her great aunt Louisa was finally caught, she was sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany.

Holly Williams: She was killed in a Nazi gas chamber?

Jenny Lecoat: She was gassed to death, yeah.

Holly Williams: After the occupation, did the British government get in touch with your family to talk about what Louisa had done during the occupation, and about her murder by the Nazis?

Jenny Lecoat: The British government, I think, were kind of ashamed. They were horrified it had happened, and they didn't really want to get too involved in what had gone on there.

Holly Williams: Not wanting to talk about the resistance? Or not wanting to talk about the occupation at all?

Jenny Lecoat: Well, it was such a mixed picture. There were people who had resisted the Germans as much as resistance was possible within a tiny, nine-by-five-mile island. And there were also people who'd collaborated. Some people had betrayed their own country. The only possible legislation was treason, which was still a hanging offense. They didn't wanna get into that. That was the confusing, messy, dirty mixed picture of-- of the Channel Islands occupation.

We'll learn more about that messy, dirty history when the British government's review of the death toll at the camps on Alderney is published next month. But it's unlikely to satisfy everyone.

Marcus Roberts: Some kind of-- ap-- apology and, you know, moral recompense would be helpful.

Holly Williams: You-- you want the British government to apologize--

Marcus Roberts: Yeah. I'd like--

Holly Williams: --for not having prosecuted alleged war criminals?

Marcus Roberts: Yeah. So I think it would be appropriate for them to recognize what should have been done, didn't happen.

The horrors carried out on this tiny, remote island are difficult to imagine... the victims were silenced and buried… but now, nearly eight decades later, they're finally being counted.

Produced by Justine Redman and Erin Lyall. Associate producer, Matthew Riley. Broadcast associate, Eliza Costas. Edited by Peter M. Berman.

Holly Williams is a CBS News senior foreign correspondent based in the network's CBS London bureau.

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MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU FORMER GERMAN NAZI CONCENTRATION AND EXTERMINATION CAMP

The post-camp relics are protected by the Museum created in 1947. The Memorial today is i.a. the Archive and Collections as well as research, conservation and publishing center.

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KL Auschwitz was the largest of the German Nazi concentration camps and extermination centers. Over 1.1 million men, women and children lost their lives here.

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The authentic Memorial consists of two parts of the former camp: Auschwitz and Birkenau. A visit with an educator allows better understanding of this unique place.

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There is no way to understand postwar Europe and the world without an in-depth confrontation between our idea of mankind and the remains of Auschwitz.

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"Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away" exhibition in Boston

The travelling exhibition created by the Auschwitz Museum and the Spanish company Musealia was opened at The Castle at Park Plaza in Boston on 14 March. It will be on display there until 2 September.

Evil does not beget good, but good cannot be conquered. 79th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

On 27 January 2024, twenty Auschwitz and Holocaust Survivors took part in the commemoration of the 79th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp. The event was held under the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda.

"To reach people in the most remote corners of the world". The launch of the online tours of the Auschwitz Memorial.

"Auschwitz in Front of Your Eyes" is an application through which millions of people from around the world will gain access to education conducted directly from the authentic Memorial Site. It allows an online guided tour of the former German Nazi camp. Reservations: visit.auschwitz.org .

New online bookstore of the Museum

The new online bookstore of the Museum is now available at books.auschwitz.org . In addition to printed publications in many languages, ebooks are also available on the website.

New research laboratory of the Museum conservators

A new research laboratory was opened at the Auschwitz Museum. It will allow specialized research on objects from the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz. 

The new laboratory is equipped to carry out physicochemical research and molecular biology analysis, including microbiology and genetics.

Today, once again, comes the time for essential human choices. 78th anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz.

On January 27, a group of 18 Auschwitz and Holocaust Survivors met at the former Auschwitz camp to commemorate the 78th anniversary of the liberation of this German Nazi concentration and extermination camp.  The main theme of the anniversary was the process of planning, creating and expanding the system of dehumanisation and genocide at Auschwitz, which was particularly strongly defined by the words of survivor Marian Turski 'Auschwitz did not fall from the sky'.

ONLINE LIVE GUIDED TOURS OF THE AUSCHWITZ MEMORIAL   FOR GROUPS AND INDIVIDUAL VISITORS

Memoria Magazine no. 78

Prof. Marc van Berkel appointed Honorary Consul of the Auschwitz Memorial in the Netherlands

Call for participants of the German-Polish seminar “How to Deal with Difficult Past?”

Camp chess pieces found in one of the historic buildings

Volunteers from the Brynek Forestry Technical School help protect the Museum's green spaces

Memoria Magazine no. 77

"A piece of the world surrounded by barbed wire..." The fate of Polish citizens in KL Auschwitz - a new temporary exhibition

The fate of the Sinti and Roma in KL Auschwitz - free study visits for young people

"The film would not have been possible without the Museum's cooperation.” Polish premiere of “The Zone of Interest".

Online educational session "The Image of Auschwitz in Mass Culture" – 29 February 2024

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Wyświetl ten post na Instagramie. "Come here you free citizen of the world, whose life is safeguarded by human morality and whose existence is guaranteed through law. I want to tell you how modern criminals and common bandits have betrayed the morality of life and nullified the postulates of existence." - Zalman Gradowski, member of Sonderkommando at Auschwitz, murdered during the uprising on October 7, 1944. Auschwitz I. Block 27. Shoah exhibition. --- Photo by @tofudonbe --- #Auschwitz #Birkenau #AuschwitzMemorial #Nazi #Germany #concentrationcamp #extermination #genocide #history #Holocaust #Shoah #Jews #Poles #Roma #people #life #death #humanity #humiliation #dehumanization #remembrance #commemoration #memory #museum #Poland #igerspoland #UNESCO #worldheritage #worldHeritagelist @unesco #photography Post udostępniony przez Auschwitz Memorial and Museum (@auschwitzmemorial) Paź 27, 2019 o 11:17 PDT

Images from www.auschwitz.org may be used only in publications relating to the history of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau or the activities of the Auschwitz Memorial. Their use must not tarnish the good reputation of the victims of KL Auschwitz. Any interference in the integrity of the images – including cropping or graphic processing – is prohibited. The use of the images for commercial purposes requires the Museum’s approval and information about the publication. Publishers undertake to indicate the authors and origin of the images: www.auschwitz.org, as well as to inform the Museum of the use of the images ([email protected]).

Researchers examine painful history of Nazi camps built on British soil

A s nature gradually swallows up the crumbling concrete walls of a little-known Nazi concentration camp built on a British island, researchers are digging through records to examine how many people died there during the nearly five years of German occupation.

The Channel Islands, which lie just off the coast of France, became possessions of the English crown around a thousand years ago. When Germany invaded France in 1940, the British government calculated that the Channel Islands had no strategic value and gave them up without a fight. German troops set up two concentration camps, as well as labor camps, on the island of Alderney.

While the British military investigated the camps after the war ended in 1945, the number of deaths there have been hotly disputed in the decades since. The British military put the death toll in the low hundreds, but amateur historian Marcus Roberts, who's spent years researching this forgotten chapter in British history, argues more than 10,000 must have died on Alderney. Roberts said his Jewish heritage has made him determined to count all of the dead.

"There is the Jewish instinct to, you know, leave no one behind," he said.

What happened on Alderney 

Nearly all of the residents of Alderney, an island about three miles long and one-and-a-half miles wide, decided to evacuate before the German troops arrived. The troops brought in prisoners of war and forced laborers to build giant fortifications — part of Hitler's Atlantic Wall to protect against Allied attack — that still stand today. A minority of the prisoners were Jewish. Others were from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Spain and other European countries. 

"So, undoubtedly, if you wanted to put a pin on the map, you could say, 'This is where the Holocaust happened on British sovereign territory,'" Roberts said.

One prisoner testified, "We were beaten with everything they could lay their hands on: with sticks, spades, pickaxes."

There's no evidence that gas chambers were used on Alderney, but there were summary executions, Dr. Gilly Carr, an archaeologist at Cambridge University, said. Prisoners built the Nazi fortifications on starvation rations.

"They were certainly seen as expendable," Carr said. "The aim was to get every ounce of work out of them. And if they died, it didn't matter, and that was kind of, perhaps, 'expected.'"

According to prisoner statements, some people were dumped at sea or thrown off cliffs. It's part of the problem when it comes to determining how many have died. 

"It is likely that some of the people in mass graves were Jewish. And according to Halakha, or Jewish law, you cannot disturb the dead," Carr said about the other reason for the document-focused approach.

What happened on other parts of the Channel Islands?

While nearly all the residents of Alderney evacuated before the occupation, people living on the other Channel Islands chose to stay. The locals mostly cooperated when the Germans arrived — often with little choice. Hitler's portrait was hung outside a cinema on the island of Guernsey. Nazi propaganda showed the British police working for German troops. A British newspaper on Jersey depicted the swastika and printed orders from Berlin.

At the official archives on the island of Jersey, Linda Romeril showed how British officials implemented Nazi policies, asking Jewish residents to identify themselves and then confiscating their assets.

Some resisted, risking punishment to paint anti-Nazi graffiti and illegally listening to British news on the radio. Louisa Gould, one member of the resistance, hid an escaped Russian prisoner in her home for nearly two years, relative Jenny Lecoat said. Lecoat said when her great aunt was finally caught, she was sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp in Germany and was killed in a gas chamber.

While her great aunt was not alone in resisting the Nazis, others "betrayed their own country," Lecoat said. It created what she described as a "confusing, messy, dirty mixed picture of the Channel Islands occupation."

"The British government, I think, were kind of ashamed," Lecoat said. "They were horrified it had happened, and they didn't really want to get too involved in what had gone on there."

Was there a cover-up?

It has taken nearly 80 years for the British government to reexamine what happened on Alderney and to make its report public. The official British investigations in 1945 were classified for decades. And unlike the trials of Nazi officials in Nuremberg, the British authorities failed to prosecute a single German officer who worked on Alderney — even though many of them ended up in British prisoner of war camps.

It's led Roberts and others to claim that the British government tried to cover up the extent of the atrocities on Alderney. Roberts and others believe more than 10,000 must have died on the island based on controversial calculations about the size of the labor force needed to build the fortifications.

Carr said it's possible that there was a cover-up, but a key document from the British War Office investigation that may explain why there were no prosecutions is missing; she said she has no idea where it is or what happened to it. 

"In order for me to say there was a cover-up, I want to see the decisions taken," Carr said. "I want to look through those steps and to make up my own mind."

Why might the British government have tried to cover up or whitewash what happened on Alderney and, more broadly, on the Channel Islands?

"There are some things that happened that might not, that the British government might not necessarily have wanted a wider audience to know about," Carr said. 

Roberts, for his part, is looking for some kind of an apology from the government. 

"I think it would be appropriate for them to recognize what should have been done, didn't happen," he said. 

Why they're reviewing what happened on the Channel Islands now

Most academics dispute Roberts' estimate of the death toll, but partly as a result of those disagreements, the British government appointed a team of researchers last year to comb through archives across Europe and more accurately count the number of prisoners who died on Alderney. Carr is coordinating the review. Their report on what happened on the Channel islands during the Holocaust is set to be published on May 22.

They're drawing on rich material; the Nazis were meticulous record keepers and British archives contain first-hand testimonies from survivors. 

The British government's effort to get the truth out by re-counting the dead was commissioned by Lord Pickles, a former Cabinet minister and now the U.K.'s envoy for post-Holocaust issues.

"The figures vary, not by a few hundred, not by a few thousand, [but] by tens of thousands," Pickles said. 

He's also asked researchers to put names to as many of those killed as possible.

"If you remember them as individuals, then it's another blow against Hitler," he said. "Hitler wanted to eradicate the memory of people."

A memorial opens on the site of a Nazi concentration camp for Roma after a pig farm was removed

PRAGUE — A new memorial opened on Tuesday in the Czech Republic on the site of a former Nazi concentration camp for Roma , after a communist-era pig farm was removed.

The official opening capped a process that took decades and was made possible after the Czech government agreed to remove the farm.

“It’s very positive news for me that the whole project was completed,” said Jana Horvathova, the director of the Museum of Romani Culture, whose organization is in charge of the memorial.

Roma and human rights activists had long demanded the removal of the farm from Lety, 60 miles (95 kilometers) south of Prague, where some 1,300 Czech Roma were sent between August 1942 and August 1943 during the Nazi occupation of what was then Czechoslovakia in World War II.

At least 335 people died there, according to the latest research, the museum said, while most of the others were taken to the Nazis’ Auschwitz death camp.

“Most of all, we’re here not to forget because to remember the horrors of the past is the best protection against living though them again,” Prime Minister Petr Fiala said at an opening ceremony that he attended together with President Petr Pavel.

The government acquired the farm, which had some 13,000 pigs and was established in the 1970s, in 2018 from a private owner for some 450 million Czech crowns ($19 million). Previous governments failed to do it, citing a lack of funding.

After an archaeological investigation, the pig farm was demolished in 2022 before work began on the memorial. The site houses the records of memories of survivors, as well as details from the effort to remove the pig farm, which began after then-President Vaclav Havel unveiled a monument nearby in 1995.

Only about 600 of some 6,500 Roma living on occupied Czechoslovak territory in 1942 are estimated to have survived the war. The current 250,000-strong Roma minority faces widespread prejudice.