Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial

What it is

The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum is the memorial on the site of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp in Oświęcim, west of Krakow. It has two parts that should both be visited: Auschwitz I, the original camp, and Auschwitz II-Birkenau.

Entry

Admission to the grounds is free, but you need an entry card. Entry cards are reserved online at visit.auschwitz.org and are not sold at the entrance. Groups must be guided by one of the Memorial's guide-educators; individual visitors can go round on their own or join a paid guided tour. Fees are charged for a guide-educator, and the current prices are on visit.auschwitz.org.

How long to allow

The Memorial recommends at least about 90 minutes for each of the two parts. Its general guided tour takes about 3.5 hours and covers both camps; other tours run from 2.5 to 8 hours. With the journey from Krakow, most visits take most of a day.

Practical points

The Memorial is open all year except 1 January, 25 December and Easter Sunday. Opening is from 7:30, and closing varies by season, from 14:00 in December to 19:00 in summer. Bags taken into the Museum must not exceed 35 x 25 x 15 cm. The Museum is about 2 km from Oświęcim railway station.

Organised tours from Krakow bundle transport, the entry reservation and a guide. They cost more than reserving entry yourself.