This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy, I may make a commission at no cost to you.
Auschwitz, a word that is synonymous with terror and genocide, was the largest extermination camp in the Nazi arsenal and consisted of three main camps: Auschwitz I, the former prison camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the extermination camp, and Monowitz/Buna, the site of IG Farben’s industrial plant. I have studied this camp for over 10 years and spent time in Poland researching WWII and Holocaust information for a unit I teach my students that centers on a Holocaust survivor’s memoir. The best advice I can give travelers who are going to Krakow is to make sure and hire a private guide to go to Auschwitz for a full day. I booked my tour through Viator, an online broker that I absolutely LOVE. I use this company on just about every trip I take.
It is easy to make the mistake of going with a bus full of tourists, but trust me, if you want to really learn from this tour, a private guide is the way to go. As a teacher, I insist on this. The camp location is close to Krakow, easy to get to, and a learning experience like no other. Friends and colleagues have asked me if it was sad; they have also adamantly rejected the idea of going stating that they just couldn’t do it. My opinion is that the camp serves as evidence of what actually happened in the history of this world, and as a learner, it was important for me to experience it first-hand. Of course, it is sad, but education is power and brings perspective. That excursion made me want to be a better human being and spread more kindness, and that is what learning is all about.
