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I'm thinking about having a trip to Aucshwich late September/October,
can anybody give me any tips eg: where to stay, distance to nearest town, or their opinion of their trip if you have been.
Cheers
Keith.
______________________________________________________________ I´m more like I am now, than when I was 30
Auschwitz is located in the town of Oświęcim and we visited it three weeks ago and it a mind numbing experience that comes in two parts, Auschwitz and Auschwitz-Birkenau located a short distance away. The is no charge to visit the memorial, and the is a free return bus service from Auschwitz to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The only charge we incurred was a 7 zloty carparking fee within the memorial grounds. All motorhome are parked in one area and we felt reassured that the van was in safe hands.
Where to stay depends on a number of things. Some people prefer to find a campsite then visit the memorial, others prefer to take one of the coach tours from Krakow. There is a campsite very close to the memorial in the next street " Makymiliana Kolbena " it's a new building at the bottom of the street next to the roundabout.
We arrived at Oświęcim mid morning having driven a short distance from a campsite in the Czech Republic, and had intended statying at Christian Leaning Centre but decided as it was only an hour or so from Krakow we would travel on and find a site nearer the city. We chose Korona Camping at Gaj and can thoroughly recommend it. Our only tip is, dont travel on road 44 bweteen Oświęcim and the area to the south of Krakow.
The road is a nightmare. Take the main A4 motorway and pay the two tolls at 6.50 zloty's each, much kinder to the van and your nerves.
My Impression of the Memorial
The images of Auschwitz will last with me forever, it's not a tourist attraction and should never be thought of as such. I still don't fully understand what compelled me to visit. It's not that I ever doubted
it happened. Steven Speilberg and his film Schindlers List has a very poinent message. At the beginning of the film, which was made in B/W, there was a little girl in red coat. She stood out in the crowd because of her dubbed colouring of her coat. Then she dissapeared from view and I thought it's a black an white film, why a little girl in a red coat. Anyway I continued to watch and forgot all about her untill the very end of the film and she reappeared amongst a pile of corpses wearing her red coat.
I've often wonder why Mr Speilberg did this. The only answer I can come up with is, you may forget about the 6,500,000 people who died in the holocaust, but you'll never forget the little girl in the red coat.
Yes Auschwitz is a place to be visited once in a lifetime.
People will never forget, but sadly the politicians of the world already have, and continue to allow atrocities to continue around globe.
I've often wonder why Mr Speilberg did this. The only answer I can come up with is, you may forget about the 6,500,000 people who died in the holocaust, but you'll never forget the little girl in the red coat.
Zozzer
He did this because it was specifically mentioned as a memory in the book. The little girl was well known for always wearing red and she left a roundup and went to hide.
I agree with everything you've said on Auschwitz. To be respected and never forgotten.
We also visited Auschwitz a couple of years ago - nothing can prepare you for the emotion of the visit.
The photos of the prisoners lining some of the corridor walls showing the dates they entered and the date they died (many didn't survive for more than 3-months), the reconstructed special punishment (standing) cells, the punishment yard and 'firing-squad' wall between blocks 10 & 11 ??, the displays of prisoners belongings - all absolutely harrowing. Then you go on to visit the Birkenau camp - and the entrance gateway and floodlight tower, the unloading area, the reconstructed huts, the ruins of the gas chambers and the memorial - its an experience that I will never never forget.
The point of my note however is this: some advice - take the guided tour around the main camp Auschwitz 1 - the tour was very informative but was a little bit rushed - it was quite busy the day we visited. If we go again, it will be during the winter months.
Read up on the history of the camp especially Birkenau before you visit - there are many articles and photos of the camp (and the events that happened there) on the web.
Its a visit that everyone should take at least once in their lifetime.
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