Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Auschwitz Birkenau, German Nazi Concentration And Extermination Camp (1940 1945), Inscribed 1979. The Largest Of The Nazi Camps And The Main Site Of The Holocaust, Where Over A Million People, Most Of Them Jews, Were Murdered. Now A State Museum And Memorial · Oswiecim, Lesser Poland

Auschwitz-Birkenau was the largest of the German Nazi camps and the main site of the Holocaust. Between 1940 and 1945 more than a million people were murdered here, about nine in ten of them Jews, along with Poles, Roma and Sinti, Soviet prisoners of war and others. The camp was liberated on 27 January 1945, and since 1947 the site has been a state museum and memorial in the town of Oswiecim, about 70 km west of Krakow. It has two parts: Auschwitz I, the original camp of brick barracks, now holding exhibitions, and Birkenau, 3 km away, the vast extermination camp of rail ramp, ruined crematoria and rows of wooden huts. It was inscribed by UNESCO in 1979. This is a place of remembrance, not an entertainment attraction. Visitors walk in silence, dress modestly and follow staff instructions. Allow a full day with travel and expect it to be heavy. Plan the pass, the transport and the bag limit before you leave, and keep the rest of the day light.

Ul. Wieznow Oswiecimia 20, Oswiecim, about 70 km west of Krakow; Birkenau lies 3 km away, Oswiecim, Lesser Poland, Poland

Open every day of the year except a few days such as 1 January, Easter Sunday and 25 December, with long hours in summer and a shorter day in winter. The last entry is well before closing, and Birkenau is normally visited after Auschwitz I. Entry to the grounds is free, but in the busy season from roughly March to October, and often all year, a timed entry pass is required for most hours, and it must be booked online weeks ahead for popular dates. Early morning and late afternoon slots outside the peak window are sometimes open to unguided visitors without a long wait. Guided tours run in many languages at set times. Confirm current hours, pass rules and closure days on the official museum site before travelling, as they change.

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