Auschwitz And Salt Mines

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Geo: 50.0553, 19.9274

The horrible name of Auschwitz stirs emotions and reactions from all over the world, none more so than in Europe. It was a matter of debate when it came to doing this blog. I desperately want to respect everything but I also wanted to educate people.
Most of the photos were taken outside and the more serious impacting photos were not included.
But this blog also includes a lighter side from the Wielizcka Salt mine as this blog also promotes the areas around Krakow in Poland.

I decided to join a tour for both of these places. These tours were pretty much the cheapest in town when using the map at the end of the free walking tours for a 10% discount at Cracow City Tours. It was possible to go to Auschwitz on my own but I figured it would obviously be easier to join a tour.
We left around 12.30 and was shown a 30 minute video on the history.
The two ladies in front of me were already freaking out and we hadn't even set off. They both ended up taking sleeping pills for the trip to calm down.
An earlier tour is available at 8am, but I think the one we took worked out perfect as bus loads of students and other tourists were all clambering back in to their buses to leave, which meant Auschwitz was quiet.
Around the town of Oswiecim includes three camps. Auschwitz, Birkenau and another lesser known one that starts with M, but wasn't a death camp.
Auschwitz is definitely the most known one but so much smaller than Birkenau.
We started our tour at Auschwitz, going through the original barracks where prisoners were kept. We saw and heard things of unimaginable thought. Things like; No-one was ever tried for these crimes; we saw tonnes of hair from the victims, made in to blankets, sheets and clothing. Someone today might have an old blanket and not know it was made from the hair of deceased victims of death camps.
Somewhat Ironically the Germans were the last to occupy the Auschwitz camp as prisoners. It's a sombre feeling in which no amount of visualization can comprehend the scale of these crimes and what it was like in those times.

From Auschwitz we jumped on the bus and rode a few kilometers to Birkenau. A HUGE area covered in brick outlines of the former prisoner barracks. All burnt to destroy the evidence.
To think that thousands of people occupied the area and where trains regularly passed through, unloading unsuspecting people who thought they were headed for a new place to live and who had heard about the death camps but still refused to believe that something so horrible could occur. People were separated and a hand signal to the left or to the right signalled their fate. Many were dead within hours of this.
Birkenau housed 6 gas chambers that were all destroyed before fleeing.
I was touched when I saw the groups of Israeli students with flags, proudly and bravely being taught of their ancestors history. As we were leaving it was also touching to see a small group band together to sing songs of praise on the very train tracks where no praise was uttered.
We had another tour of Birkenau, although shorter it still included more horrible stories.
The tour was finished and we headed back to Krakow with a lot of information to sink in. I talked with an American to distract me.

Now to distract you....

Most people probably wouldn't know about the Wielizcka Salt mine until they got to Krakow or read a little bit in a guide book. But it is popular.
The whole mine area covers a huge area. The parts where the tourists are aloud to visit covers less than 1% of the mine and the tour is for two hours. Heading down the long staircase you follow the winding path stopping at salt sculptures and displays of the life and times of the workers. Impressive mini salt lakes or pools turn the water to a green appearance and a grand hall full of carvings and rooms towering 30 meters high.
It's impressive the mine, but not of a high scale for me. It would be definitely beneficial to avoid this place in peak season as there is not much room in certain areas.
I did the tour with the same company as Auschwitz and they were quite good. The guide was cool and funny and know his stuff. It was a shorter tour than Auschwitz but it is closer to Krakow, allowing for other daily activities if need be.

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Comments

[Jamie]

Wasn't this amazing?!