Auschwitz +++

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Hey folks,

This week we visited our third concentration camp and certainly the most famous and important one. Last year, we visited Dachau and earlier this year, KZ Sachsenhausen. I can already tell you that I will not visit any other concentration camp in the future. Visiting a sight like Auschwitz is not fun. Most of the time in life you try to do fun thing as much as you can, even more when you travel. However, it is right to say that visiting Auschwitz make things more real and makes a lot of people understand how horror and evilness have been a way to easy way out option in the world history. It is certainly right that you need to remember the worst moment in our history to not repeat them. Hopefully, anyone that has visited one of those tragic site will understand the effect that certain actions have.

Auschwitz is the most known concentration due to the major Jew killing that occur there. I will not state in this blog any facts or estimate the number of death that occur in the Auschwitz complex. There are many websites talking about this place and I am sure anyone who is interested about it, would find information very easily. I also do not think putting a number up will make things better or worse. A visit in Auschwitz is more about understanding and most important questioning yourself . A visit in a concentration camp is a unique experience. Everybody has is own way to experience it. A lot of people do tours and ask as much question as they can. Others do it at their own pace and quietly. Some just stand in front of the complex and read a book or watch people getting in and out. There is no good way to experience it. I think the hardest thing about visiting a sight like this is trying to understand not the victims, but the Nazis. It is very hard to understand the mind set the SS were living in, it is also hard to understand the whole philosophy behind it.

You can get to Auschwitz via a tour from Krakow or Warsaw. It will cost you around 25 Euros. You can also get there by train for 13 Zloty one way. The cheapest option is the bus. It leaves you directly in the Auschwitz I Museum. It costs 10 Zloty one way and leave every hour. It takes about one hour and a half to get there. Before three, you have to visit the museum, which is the entire Auschwitz concentration camp with a guide. It costs about 12 euros and last three hours and a half. The tour guide, will take you around the first camp for two hours showing you some barracks, the crematorium, the death stripe/wall, the gas chamber and some of the proof that were not destroy before the soviets walks in. I do not recommend the visit of the museum to kids. Some of the so-call proof are the likes of parts of the boots, glasses, clothes, cooking gears and even the hair that was used to make tissue.

Once the visit of the museum is done, the tour guide takes you to Auschwitz II. It is the biggest camp in the complex. To get there, you can use the free bus that leave the museum every hours or walk the three km between them. There is also many cabs in the museum parking. The visit of the second camp is very different. Auschwitz II is the real death camp. It is way bigger that the first one and the selection was at his best. The train uses to get the deported victims directly in the middle of the camp where the German doctor was doing a selection. The twins and some kids were sent to the Hospital for the experience, the Jew were mostly sent to the four Gas chambers near the forest and the most fit to work were sent to work. By the way, the German doctor, just died of natural death in Argentina at the age 92. He never get sentence and work has a doctor after the war until he retired. The visit of the second camp is shorter. After the guide shows us two of the remaining barracks, she took us all the way down the train tracks and explain to us how things were working at the time. By the time she was explaining this, I most admit, very painful story, we were grated with a view of two of the gas chambers.

To make things even harder, you have a very thoughtful two hours bus ride back to the city after the tour. Do I recommend a visit in Auschwitz? I really do not know. I big part of me think it is a very rich experience and will help anyone seeing the world a better way. Another part think it is not at all a fun experience and we do not travel to be sad. I think it is a most to the one that likes history and to the once, like me think you need to see the worst to feel how good is our life. However, I also think a visit to another concentration like Dachau or Kz Sachsenhausen is an easier experience and have as good effect on you.




Krakow is a very different city that Warsaw. It is way more touristic and small. You can easily understand why it is more touristic. The proximity of Auschwitz and the very famous Salt mine is the biggest reason. You can also visit the pretty Tatar Mountains National park not to far. Aldo Krakow is very small, the city has a lot of charm. The medieval buildings are beautiful. You can visit seven beautiful synagogue. You can also visit the Wavel Castle or eat and drink a good pint at the main square. We visit the castle and most of the main square. We also enjoyed a free concert under the rain. Do not ask me who was singing, I do not understand anything. I wish we had time to do two more day trips. The mine who are very expensive look great. I always love those kinds of things.

I will write something about Budapest very soon. I love the city.

ttyl,

Nick

The hostel:

Krakow: Aston Hostel: Very, very quiet. In a very good location...only five minute away from the main square and train station. Nice staff and cheap private room. Only met two other guess...so not much fun tho.

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Photos

Worst way too died
they used this cell to kill people by not giving them any food

Work will set you free...
not the real sign...it was stolen years ago and they found it recently...the guide didnt know if they will restore the original one.