Krakow (and more importantly Auschwitz-Birkenau) had been on my travel list for a while now. Ever since I had my eyes (and mind) opened in Berlin to the horrific events that took place, I have been wanting to put more of the pieces together by visiting them. Krakow was on Melissa’s travel list also, so we combined forces for the trip.
We arrived late afternoon and caught the train to Kraków Główny (the most central train station), and from there it was a short walk to our accommodation…thank goodness for global roaming and google maps! After getting settled in and connected to wifi (got our priorities sorted), we headed out in search of the local delicacy…pierogis! Now friends, these Polish staple are all kinds of amazing and, thankfully there are places to acquire them all over the city. They are the central and eastern european answer to the dumpling, made by wrapping pockets of unleavened dough around a savoury or sweet filling and cooking them in boiling water. They are just as delicious as you are imagining.
The following morning was a very early start for a very important day. We were heading to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Because our tour was the first one of the day, we had to get there for a 0900 start. Getting there is pretty straight forward. There is two main options; public bus or a coach. The public bus will drop you off just down the road from the main entrance and the coach service will go directly to the main parking outside the entrance.
Arriving at the grounds is eire and dark. Its so quiet and (understandably) the area feels lifeless. It’s almost like you can instantly feel the weight of where you are slap you straight across the face, making you take notice and remind yourself of the importance of where you are. Melissa and I arrived slightly early for our tour so got checked in with audio headset so we could hear our guide leading us around the grounds. We opted for the tour as part of Auschwitz-Birkenau itself (can be booked through the main website) as opposed to all inclusive tours…from what we had head from other friends of ours, this tour option was more thorough and allowed for more time in each location.
We started at Auschwitz, meeting our tour group and getting a brief rundown of what the day would entail. We had chosen the six hour option, consisting of three hours at both of the respective grounds…yep, they are separate (a five minute shuttle bus trip away). This was news to me…I was under the impression that it was just called Auschwitz and was only one place. Slightly embarrassing. Maybe I missed that history lesson?
Our time at the Auschwitz site was incredibly sobering and educational. Although the original structures remain, it has been turned into a partial museum housing history grouped into three main categories; general exhibition, national exhibitions and places of special interest. As we entered the main gate of the camp and around the site, it seemed like you were transported back into pockets of history…each room containing an insight to the horror that once transpired in the very place we stood. This was not more apparent than in the gas chamber/crematorium and ‘death block’. I’m not sure there are words to accurately describe the feeling when walking through them, but the one that creeps back into my mind is…cold. An instant chill came over me when entering these spaces. Block 11 aka ‘Death block’ was ‘a prison within a prison’. The ground floor and pillars are still preserved in their original form. A chilling reminder of the acts/experiments that played out within its walls.
Come to block 27 and there will be a new permanent exhibition, housing ‘the book of names’. Every name, birth date, home town and place of death has been printed on the meter-high pages, illuminated by a gentle strip of light that lies between each page. However, the monumental size of the exhibit of take your breath away, just as much as flicking through the individual pages. In total it is 58 volumes of 140 pages each, 500 names per page, measuring 2m high and 14m in circumference. The exhibition was designed by The Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem and will now remain in Auschwitz.
After a short break for lunch our tour group boarded the shuttle bus to Birkenau. Because I didn’t really know what to expect, I think the shock was greater. The camp itself is huge, and not as much of it has been preserved in comparison to Auschwitz. It covers 423 acres and once contained over 300 buildings. Now, 45 brick and 22 wooden remain intact. The rest were either burnt or demolished after the camp was liberated in 1945, however the outlines of the foundations are still clearly visible, showing how vast the area spread. We were led around some of the remaining ‘camp houses’, and seeing inside one of the brick barracks that was still standing. They were often built without foundations and housed the women prisoners, who slept on wooden slats in a ‘bunk’ style layout. As you can imagine, these were cramped and uncomfortable, housing up to 400 at maximum capacity.
I don’t think anything could have prepared me for the next part of the tour. For me, the most impactful and heartbreaking part of the day. I had seen photographs of the rail track and the unloading platform before on tv and in books at school, but now that I was in the space and atmosphere of the events that took place, I couldn’t ignore it or look away. On the very platform where I was standing would be the last place so many innocent people would have also stood before their fate was decided for them.
Continuing down further will bring you to the end of the rail line at Birkenau. Today, it is a place of remembrance and peace in the form of the International Monument to the Victims of Fascism. Ironically, its also located between the site where two of the crematoriums once stood. The monument was unveiled in April 1967. Looking directly down the rail line in the opposite direction is the tower/lookout over the grounds. Once at a height, you can really comprehend the vast space the the camp covered.
So, would I go back again? Yes, in a heartbeat, and here is why…to be reminded of the gruesome and heinous crimes that were committed across Nazi-occupied territories. To be reminded that this happened and should never happen again. To be reminded that every person is valuable, loved and has worth. When walking around, this quote by George Santayana make me stop at one of the exhibition entrances…
“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it”
I know I’ve seen it before in Berlin, Budapest and Amsterdam, but being in this place and feeling the weight of it all really made everything come together in my mind.
After an emotionally and physically exhausting day we got the coach back to the centre of krakow and picked up more pierogis before heading back to the accommodation to crash.
After a solid sleep we had to be up to get the bus in at 0900. We had booked in to see the Wieliczka Salt Mine, which consists of twenty historic chambers connected by two kilometres of passages. At the lowest point it was 135 metres and you seem to loose all track of time once your underground, as you can’t see the light to be able to work out what time of the day it is. The highlight of the tour is easily The Chapel of St. Kinga. Complete with giant chandlers and carved floor, its very easy to see why people hire it out for their own weddings. It is an impressive and one of a kind venue.
We arrived back into Krakow in the early afternoon, and because it was raining, had a quick look around the city and doing a spot of shopping before finding a great burger place for dinner. Check out Wawel Castle and the main market square, they are two of my favourite parts of the city. The helpful thing about the city layout is that everything is pretty close to each other. For good shopping, head to Galeria Krakowska, its directly above the central train station and has a mix of international brands and some Polish ones that were new to me. Think I preferred the Polish ones. If you are looking for a great cocktail bar for a cheeky bevy head to Movida. It’s not far from the main square and has a great selection of drinks and snacks to choose from. Melissa and I spent our final night there, relaxing and chatting about life and our travels. This was only made better when it started snowing on the walk back to our accommodation. I may or may not have done a little bit of snow dancing. Ok fine, I did. I’m going to blame it on Krakow…or the apple martinis.
Sending hugs & smiles,
Vanessa
