Oswiecim and Birkenau - Auschwitz

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Breakfast today was a quicker affair as today we were heading to Oswiecim and Birkenau, more commonly known as Auschwitz.

We got to the ticket office and before I could say where we wanted to go, a bored looking sales girl informed me about the buses to Auschwitz. We caught a minibus for 28pln return for both of us. (£5 approx) the journey took just over the hour.

Once at the museum centre we each bought a guidebook as we'd been told it was better to read that as we go around rather than pay for a guided tour. We looked around the first exhibit room and then headed back to the centre to watch an English documentary. From there we caught a shuttle bus up to Birkenau, looked around and then caught a bus back and finished off looking around Auschwitz.

It is very hard to describe the museums to people that haven't been, but we will give it a go. First impression was that you had just walked into a tourist trap of the greatest magnitude and that hoards of people would make a mockery of what should be a haunting experience. However when you submerge yourself in the exhibits it becomes a serious place which you can experience at your own pace. Unfortunately there was a ridiculous amount of guided tours going around which became rather irritating. The guides talking in different languages and putting their group right in front of the thing you were reading got annoying fast. We managed to dodge it rather well by going to Birkenau at one. By the time we got back to Auschwitz at half two, there weren't as many groups.

Birkenau is DEFINITELY worth visiting if you ever go. The size of the camp is enough to chill you to the bone. This camp hadn't been changed much since the Nazis retreated and tried to destroy evidence of their atrocities. In this camp you can follow the train line all the way through the camp to the gas chambers. The Nazi's destroyed the gas chambers and furnaces, but the ruins give you a very good idea of the size and vast organisation of the operation.

Back at Auschwitz we took our time visiting the different exhibits. By far the most daunting for me were the mounds of shoes that took up an entire room.

We managed to spend from half twelve till six at the two museums, and we could easily have used a few extra hours at Birkenau as we had to rush quite a bit. We got home on the busiest most cramped minibus you could ever imagine. There were approximately 35 of us squashed on, it was so cramped. We now have a revised answer to our previous blog question. How many people can you fit in a minibus? At least thirty five.

We ate dinner at the same cheap place that we did last night. The food was pretty good but it was washed down with a lovely bottle of wine. The whole meal cost less than £15, not bad at all.

We're both very tired now, so whilst I am finishing this Rob is winding up our radio so that we can fall asleep listening to music in our nice cosy double bed.
Night night.
Stob.

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Photos

Arbeit Macht Frei - Auschwitz Entrance
we heard many translations. Work sets you free. Work is liberating. Work is Freedom. All rather ironic for the entrance to Auschwitz

Bunks Inside a Prisoners Block
each cubby hole held from 2-6 people

The Ruins of a Furnace
The retreating Nazis destroyed any buildings that were incriminating.

Some of the Original Execution Wall
The Nazis dismantled it before they left Auschwitz, but it's been put back there for the museum. It is in an eerie courtyard and seeing the bullet holes in it is surreal and horrifying.

Us on the mini bus
oh, and another 34 people.