Oświęcim

Visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau, from booking to the barracks and the ramp

Reserve a timed entry to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial online before you travel, and consider a museum educator. Allow at least half a day. Start at Auschwitz I, whose brick barracks hold the main exhibitions, then take the free shuttle bus about 2 km to Birkenau, the vast site of the ramp and the ruined gas chambers.

Auschwitz I. Start here. The brick barracks of the former army camp hold the main exhibitions, arranged by theme across several blocks. Some rooms contain material that many visitors find hard to face, and it is fine to step outside. Photography is not allowed in some places; staff will tell you where.

Birkenau. Take the free shuttle bus about 2 km to Auschwitz II, where the scale of the site is the point. Walk the length of the railway ramp to the International Monument at the far end, then along to the ruins of the gas chambers. There is very little shelter, so bring water, layers and rain gear, and wear comfortable shoes for several kilometres of walking.

Afterwards. Many people want quiet afterwards. Food options at the sites are limited; a meal in the town afterwards, or a slow train back to Kraków, gives time to take in what you have seen.

An afternoon in Oświęcim town

Most visitors leave without seeing Oświęcim town. Take a bus or taxi from the memorial to the Rynek, the market square rebuilt after 19th-century fires, where the 1870s town hall holds a local museum, then walk down to the 13th-century castle tower by the Soła river. Chata na Zaborskiej cooks traditional Polish food.

Walk down to the castle by the Soła, a 13th-century Gothic tower with later additions. You can climb to the top, and a short tour leads through the tunnels beneath, first dug by the Austrians in the late 18th century and extended in the 1940s as air-raid shelters. A few minutes away, the Auschwitz Jewish Center and its synagogue tell of Oshpitzin, the town where Jews were once the majority.

Where to eat. Chata na Zaborskiej, on Zaborska, cooks traditional Polish food and is the best sit-down meal in town. Around the Rynek, Manufaktura Zapiekanek specialises in zapiekanka, the open baguette baked with mushrooms and cheese, and Restauracja na Rynku has tables on the square. Rapsodia on Śniadeckiego does good pizza and ice cream, while La Rossa on Konarskiego is the smarter choice. For a drink, Pub Vinyl is on the square and Pub Arkada, by the castle, brews its own beer.

Oświęcim weather, seasons and anniversaries

Birkenau is an open site, so dress for the weather. April and September to October are the most comfortable months. On 27 January, the anniversary of the camp's liberation, large commemorations are held.

Winter is harsh. Wear proper winter clothes, boots and gloves, and expect to be outside for hours. Many visitors feel the cold and the emptiness help them understand the place.

Late spring to summer is the wettest stretch: May and June each bring around 100 mm of rain and July about 114 mm, often as heavy afternoon storms. Carry a waterproof even on a bright morning. Summer highs of about 23°C can feel hotter on the shadeless open ground, so bring water and a hat. These are also the busiest months, when reservations go weeks ahead.

Two dates bring large commemorations. On 27 January, the anniversary of the camp's liberation in 1945 and International Holocaust Remembrance Day, survivors and officials gather at the memorial. In spring, usually April or May, the March of the Living sees thousands walk from Auschwitz I to Birkenau. Expect restrictions and crowds on both days.