Practicalities
To get to Auschwitz-Birkenau from Krakow by train , services to Oswiecim are fairly frequent (6 daily from Krakow central station; 12 from Plaszow station). Return services can be inconvenient, though, which combined with the decreasing number of departures as the morning progresses makes an early start a good idea. Overall, it's definitely advisable to check current timetables before setting out. Buses run less frequently and several terminate at the main bus terminal 2km east of the centre of Oswiecim. Either way, it's a ninety-minute journey. Most people choose to visit Auschwitz first (the site of the main "museum" displays), before heading for Birkenau, 3km to the northwest. From Oswiecim station, it's a twenty-minute walk (turn right outside the train station and follow the signs) or short bus ride (numerous municipal services make the journey; details are posted at the train station exit) to the gates of Auschwitz. An hourly bus service operates between Auschwitz and Birkenau (April-Sept only; 2zl); otherwise taxis are available, or you can walk there in 35 minutes. You can then catch the hourly bus back to Auschwitz, followed by a municipal bus back to the train station - or simply walk direct from Birkenau to the train station (30min). As you can appreciate from the above, walking the whole circuit (train station-Auschwitz-Birkenau-train station) can be time-consuming, but many people prefer to do it this way, because it gives them time to ponder the enormity of what it is they're visiting. Bear in mind however that you'll be walking along unshaded asphalt all the way - not particularly comfortable in high summer. The trip back to Krakow can be done by either train or bus - departures for the latter are from the terminal opposite the train station in Oswiecim. Departures are a bit unpredictable, particularly during the afternoons, so you'd be well advised to check both sets of timetables on arrival in the town. In the unlikely event that you'd want a place to stay over, you have several options. The church-run Centrum Dialogu i Modlitwy (Centre for Dialogue and Prayer) at ul. sw. M. Kolbego 1 (tel 033/843 1000; 90-120zl/GBP16-22/US$22.50-30, reductions for students), used by visiting pilgrim and tour groups, is peacefully located ten minutes' walk south of the Auschwitz site. The Miedzynarodowy Dom Spotkan Mlodziezy , ul. Legionow 11 (tel 033/843 2107, ; 90-120zl/GBP16-22/US$22.50-30), due east of the train station, and within walking distance of Auschwitz, is an International Youth Meeting Centre run by a reconciliatory German Protestant organization and offers decent accommodation in en-suite doubles, triples and quads, although it's often booked to capacity by groups. Hotels include the Olimpijski , opposite the main bus station at ul. Chemikow 2a (tel 033/842 3841; 120-160zl/GBP22-29/US$30-40), and the Glob , just outside the train station at ul. Powstancow Slaskich 16 (tel 033/843 3999; 120-160zl/GBP22-29/US$30-40), both of which are reasonably businesslike options with average en-suites. All these places have their own restaurants or canteens, while the large cafeteria inside the Auschwitz camp area also provides basic meals. Auschwitz-Birkenau is unfathomably shocking. If you want all the specifics on the camp, you can pick up a detailed official guidebook (3zl; in English and other languages) with maps, photos and a horrendous array of statistics, along with other volumes detailing aspects of its history. Alternatively, you can join a guided group , often led by former inmates (40zl per person; apply at the clearly signed desk inside the entrance). It's important to remember that both sites are as much living memorials as museums, visited by many people - both Polish and foreign - whose relatives were murdered here, a fact testified to in the mass of candles, flowers and notes you'll find at such places as the execution wall and the crematoria. Although the ban on children under thirteen entering the complex has been lifted - even school parties visit Auschwitz now - you'd be well advised to consider seriously before exposing young people to such a potentially traumatizing experience.
Your Tip for Oswiecim
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Oswiecim - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Oswiecim - visit the main Oswiecim forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Oswiecim webguide section below! Thanks.
|
