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    Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Site
    Jacek7770 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Poland

    Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Site

    Point of Interest

    The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and State Museum is located on the outskirts of Oświęcim, west of Krakow (Kraków). German occupiers established the camp in 1940, and Auschwitz II-Birkenau was built from October 1941.

    by Felix Gillen

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    9. Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Site
    The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and State Museum is located on the outskirts of Oświęcim, west of Krakow (Kraków). German occupiers established the camp in 1940, and Auschwitz II-Birkenau was built from October 1941. According to estimates by the Memorial, approximately 1.1 million people were murdered in Auschwitz, about 1 million of them Jews. The victims also included approximately 70,000 Poles, 21,000 Sinti and Roma, 15,000 Soviet prisoners of war, and about 12,000 prisoners of other nationalities.On January 27, 1945, Soviet troops liberated the camp; since 2005, this day has been the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Polish Parliament founded the museum on July 2, 1947, and since 1979, the site has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The site covers approximately 191 hectares: the former main camp Auschwitz I and the much larger Birkenau, about three kilometers away; a free shuttle bus provided by the Memorial connects both parts. For a visit, you should allow at least half a day.

    Sights in Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Site

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Auschwitz II-Birkenau
    Museum

    1Auschwitz II-Birkenau

    Birkenau Camp, constructed from October 1941, is located approximately three kilometers from the Main Camp and, covering 171 hectares, comprises the largest part of the memorial site. A free shuttle bus connects both parts. The International Monument for the Victims has stood between the ruins of the crematoria since 1967. Here too, you should allow at least 90 minutes.
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    Auschwitz I (Main Camp)
    Museum

    2Auschwitz I (Main Camp)

    The main camp, established in 1940, has the 'Arbeit macht frei' gate. Its brick blocks house main and national exhibitions, displaying documents, photos, and personal items of the deportees. Tours begin here; plan at least 90 minutes.
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    Videos & Travel Reports

    Rick Steves' Europe: Poland

    An hour-long best-of-Poland special from the public television series Rick Steves' Europe. It starts in Kraków and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial, continues to Warsaw, Toruń and Malbork Castle and…

    Restaurants in Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Site

    1

    Cabin on Zaborska

    Restaurant with Polish cuisine at ul. Zaborska 40 in Oświęcim, with a parking lot and outdoor seating in summer.
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    History and Remembrance

    Site of the CrimeAuschwitz was the largest German concentration camp and the largest center for the immediate extermination of Jews. From 1942, it became the center for the murder of European Jews. Above the gate of the main camp Auschwitz I is the inscription “Arbeit macht frei”. Since 1960, countries from which people were deported to Auschwitz have displayed their own exhibitions in the blocks of the main camp; separate exhibitions are dedicated to the Shoah in Block 27 and to the Sinti and Roma.Conduct on the GroundsPhotography for private purposes is permitted without flash or tripod, but not in Room 5 of Block 4 and in the basement of Block 11. The courtyard of Block 11 is a silent zone. The Memorial recommends visits from the age of 14.

    Visit and Arrival

    Reservations, Guides, and RulesEntry is free, but only possible with a personalized entry card, which you must reserve online in advance at visit.auschwitz.org; no tickets are available at the ticket office. Free tickets for unguided visits are limited and can be reserved no earlier than 90 and no later than seven days before your visit. Groups must book a guide from the Memorial, while individual travelers can join a paid guided tour; the Memorial recommends booking tours approximately two months in advance. A standard tour lasts about three and a half hours. Arrive at least 30 minutes beforehand due to security checks. Bags must not exceed 35 × 25 × 15 cm; larger luggage should be left in your car or at the paid luggage storage facility at the main car park (5 Złoty per locker).The last entry time varies by month, from 2 PM in December to 7 PM in June, July, and August; you can stay for 90 minutes afterward. The site is closed on January 1st, December 25th, and Easter Sunday. Current rules are available at auschwitz.org.Getting ThereBuses and minibuses from Krakow and Katowice stop directly at the Memorial. Oświęcim train station is about 1.5 kilometers away. The main car park at ul. Więźniów Oświęcimia 55 is free; in Birkenau, there is a paid municipal car park. A free shuttle bus runs between Auschwitz I and Birkenau. Krakow-Balice and Katowice-Pyrzowice airports are both approximately 50 kilometers away.

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    Sources & method

    • Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Google Maps. Each photo carries its credit.
    • Place data such as addresses and ratings comes from Google Maps.
    • Video reportages: Rick Steves' Europe: Poland
    • The content is based on web research from public, traceable sources. How the content is made · The role of AI