Państwowe Muzeum Auschwitz-Birkenau, Southern Poland, Poland

4.5 (14.5k reviews) Sunday: 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM Spent More than 3 hours Ranking #1 in Southern Poland Historic Sites • History Museums

Harrowing experience, guide is a must

Established by the Nazis in 1940, Auschwitz-Birkenau has become a symbol of terror, genocide and the Holocaust. Although the exact number of victims is unknown, many Jews, Poles and gypsies died here. The museum consists of two parts: Auschwitz I, the first and oldest camp (the number of prisoners fluctuated around 15,000, sometimes rising above 20,000) and Auschwitz II, Birkenau (which held more than 90,000 prisoners in 1944). The greater part of the apparatus of mass extermination was built in Birkenau and the majority of the victims were murdered there.
Southern Poland review images

Address

ul. Wiezniow Oswiecimia 20 Entrance to the Museum is located at Stanisławy Leszczyńskiej Str. no. 11, Oswiecim 32-603 Poland

Mobile

+48 33 844 80 99

Website

http://auschwitz.org

Email

[email protected]

Working hours

Monday : 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday : 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday : 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday : 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday : 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday : 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday : 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM

Current local date and time now

Sunday, May 05, 2024, 6:31

User Ratings

4.5 based on (14.5k reviews)

Excellent

81%

Good

14%

Satisfactory

Poor

Terrible

Reviews

5Alex H 5:00 PM Nov 12, 2022
Harrowing experience, guide is a must
We took an English tour of Auschwitz and Birkenau, and the experience from start to finish was harrowing. Despite it being common knowledge as to what generally happened, It’s a real eye opener actually being there and seeing some of the aftermath first hand. Be prepared for some horrifying sights and stories from the guide. Total time was around 3 hours so recommend bringing water and a small snack to eat in between travel from Auschwitz to Birkenau. We used Discover Krakow bus company (€5) to get from Krakow to the site and this went smoothly, highly recommend.
5Lottie 5:00 PM Feb 3, 2023
Worthwhile and Important to Witness
I found describing the trip to friends difficult and can understand how it's now something you truly have to just experience to understand. Given the nature of the museum and history, I can't use the words good or excellent but rather use worthwhile to describe this experience. We went as part of a group tour, the guide was informative about each aspect - the only downside was that it felt rushed at time (in that didn't get to spent any time reflecting on what you were seeing) but more because there is so much to cover in terms of information. It's certainly somewhere I think I would need to revisit to gain full benefit. A couple of my tips/notes... I would recommend people prepare for the cold (especially if going in winter) as Auschwitz II is very much exposed and there is little warmth anywhere. We were able to take photographs in many of the places visited, so long as it remained respectful. There is a lot of uneven ground and some steps/stairs.