Anyone visited Auschwitz?

I went on a guided tour which included coach transport from Krakow - it wasn't *that* expensive, and the guide was young, spoke great English and was very knowledgeable. Well worth whatever it cost.

It was March when I went, and snowing heavily.

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I didn't "enjoy" it, but I'm very glad that I went.
 
I did for my 30th last year with a guide. She was excellent, very well delivered and informed and would welcome questions. I did not regret getting the tour and wouldn't want to spend another minute in that place - it's incredibly grim by the time you get to Birkenau and stand in spots where people last saw their loved ones. Just typing that brings tears to my eyes...

I got there using a bus from the Krakow bus station - if IRC it was 48 zloty for two of us (return) which is super cheap.
 
koolpc;30496600 said:
I really could not bring myself to take photos. Didn't seem right.
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I agree. What happened there was so beyond comprehension that having seen photographs of people posing by the gates like it's some kind of amusement park leaves me massively uncomfortable.

It is not somewhere I ever intend to visit, but I can understand why some people feel they might need to see it.
 
rexehuk;30496295 said:
You have to do a guided tour. You can not roam around without a tour guide. That is at least my understanding due to the thefts/damage that has been done over the years.

But yes do a guided tour (externally imo) as it won't be that great without all the context a guide can provide. We ended up shopping around and paying less than going alone (and getting a guide there).
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Must be a recent change as we didn't have a guide?
 
A few of us broke away for a few hours last year on a stag weekend, we were loud roudy and drunk the whole weekend, but as soon as we pulled up on the train, our mood changed dramatically, there was just something in the air, really hard to explain, it sent a cold shiver down my spine as soon as we set foot inside. It is an awe inspiring place and one I urge anyone to visit should you get the chance, it really hammers home the horror people went through when you see the scratches on the walls made by finger nails. Truly horrific, but part of history.
 
Just to echo what people have said, it's not an enjoyable trip by any stretch of the imagination, but one that I'm glad I made, not sure how to explain it any better.
 
Greebo;30496244 said:
Agreed on that it affects you deeply. We went on a stag weekend. That night there was no banter and everybody was really quiet.
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Exactly this, 23 lads on a stag weekend and the 7 of us that broke away for a few hours just didn't feel up to it later on, and neither did a few of the other lads once we told them how we 'felt' and what we saw. Horrible, yet fascinating experience.
 
Went a number of years ago when the company I used to work for moved a number of positions over to Poland.

It's a very surreal place to visit especially after partying very hard the night before, its disturbing, sobering, yet in a very eerie way impressive at the same time and by that its crazy how they managed to kill so many people with that level of efficiency and detail.

As for a tour guide we didn't use one but found so much information available.

Some photos I took at the time:- https://www.flickr.com/photos/andybakeruk/albums/72157615146367928

Oh and as above, the salt mines are also worth a visit.
 
The guided tour is well worth it, in my opinion. My wife and I did a tour which included the camps in the morning and the salt mines in the afternoon. One of the most memorable days on holiday that we've had, I'd recommend it to anyone. The two trips were vastly different, but both utterly fascinating.

I can also heartily recommend the free walking tours in Krakow town centre. Do youself a favour and go on one of the walking tours on your first day there - they start at different times, but if you head for the main square for 09h45, you'll find there will be one before long. I can't remember the name of the company, but they had a big orange logo - we did two tours with them - the standard one, and the jewish quarter one (this one included visiting locations from Schindler's List - and the factory itself) - and then you choose to tip or not at the end. You learn so much about the city and the guides are excellent.

The food and beer there is amazing :D
 
It's something I've always wanted to go but to be honest I'm not sure I have the stomach for it. I studied at A Level and saw plenty of photographs and videos - certainly enough for one lifetime, but I probably should make the effort.
 
I'd love to do it. Human history is made up of all sorts and learning from where wewent wrong is part of doing it better in future. It was an awful time and the suffering there must be immeasurable but by seeing it and learning from it we can at least hope to gain something out of it.

Quite a crap silver lining but what else is there?
 
Have been twice (once myself and my wife, who is Polish and lost some family at the camp) and the other when we were showing my family around her home town and Krakow following our blessing over there following our wedding.

The time with my family we hired a guide, and would certainly recommend it as you do get a lot more from the experience. It is very harrowing and until you are there standing on the sites where the atrocities happened and you see the scale of it and certainly at camp 2 you can get a sense of the "extermination machine" it was. It really is one of things that people must not forget happened in our relatively recent history.

Certainly recommend the salt mines, although a lot of places offer tours to do salt mines and Auschwitz in a day, i would recommend not trying to cram both in as wont get the best from either.

As for Krakow itself, a fantastic city and lots to see and do. The Schindler factory people have suggested previously is well worth a visit, walking around the jewish quarter, the empty chair memorial near the jewish ghettos, being in the square when st marys bugal call is played, wawel castle...to name a few!

Plenty of organised tours, my step dad particularly enjoyed the cycle tour of Krakow which was well organised and hosted excellently.

Try and have a Zapiekanka from "Plac Nowy" too! Nom nom...
 
Dave2150;30499754 said:
Remember to ask to visit the swimming pool there, they don't tend to include that in the normal tour.
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Are you on about the 'swimming pool' at Aushwitz Berkenau in my second video above around 3mins 10secs?
 
Went back in November, i think we went with the tour company Krakow Direct. Do both the Auschwitz and Birkenau tour, as they are separate sites, also don't cram the salt mines into the same day, as in my opinion both take almost a day each. Choosing the Auschwitz/Salt Mines tour means you'll be rushed around it - Especially as Auschwitz is about an hour from Krakow.

Would definitely recommend a guide though, we had a lovely old lady that spoke great English.
 
DONOHUE07;30497083 said:
A few of us broke away for a few hours last year on a stag weekend, we were loud roudy and drunk the whole weekend, but as soon as we pulled up on the train, our mood changed dramatically, there was just something in the air, really hard to explain, it sent a cold shiver down my spine as soon as we set foot inside. It is an awe inspiring place and one I urge anyone to visit should you get the chance, it really hammers home the horror people went through when you see the scratches on the walls made by finger nails. Truly horrific, but part of history.
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I think the room with all the human hair was one of the most sobering. And quite rightly you arent allowed to take pictures. That and the ovens which handled 340 bobies per 24 hours.

We sort of did a tour, we booked "polish elvis" and he picked us up in a minibus suv and took us to both parts of Auschwitz so we saw everything.

And I think everybody should visit there once in their life.
 
Interesting videos SexyGreyFox.

Thanks all for the input, it's been really useful. I have booked up the 6 hour study tour, I think it will be the best way not to miss out on any information. I need to be there for 8:45 and will make my way there via the bus, it's going to be a long day I feel and likely very emotional.
 
Was meant to go last summer but didn't in the end as I was at the other end of Poland and the road network is shocking unless you are going from Warsaw to Berlin. Would have been a 7 hour drive but I will most likely make the effort in the following years. I did go and see Wolf's Lair though which is equally eerie but for different reasons. Was also surprised by the amount of Germans visiting.
 
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