Auschwitz-Birkenau is the most infamous Nazi concentration and extermination camp complex. Established during World War II, it stands as a reminder of the atrocities committed and the millions of lives lost. Today, it serves as a place of remembrance, education, and reflection.

The Auschwitz-Birkenau camp complex includes Auschwitz I, the original concentration camp, and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, the much larger extermination camp. Together, they form a powerful memorial with preserved ruins, museum exhibits, and monuments honoring the victims of the Holocaust.

So, do you want to know How To Visit Auschwitz-Birkenau This Year? Keep reading!

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Brief History of Auschwitz-Birkenau

Auschwitz I was established by Nazi Germany in 1940 near the town of Oświęcim, Poland. It initially held political prisoners and other groups targeted by the Nazi regime. The camp expanded with the addition of Auschwitz II-Birkenau in 1941, a much larger facility built for mass extermination.

From 1942 to 1944, Auschwitz-Birkenau was central to the Nazis’ implementation of the “Final Solution,” where over a million people, mostly Jews, were killed. The camp was liberated by Soviet forces in January 1945, ending its operation as a site of imprisonment and murder.

World Heritage

Did you know that the Auschwitz-Birkenau – German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp was part of Poland’s second set of inscriptions on the UNESCO World Heritage List? The 3rd session of the World Heritage Committee took place in Luxor (Egypt), between October 22nd and 26th, 1979.

Only one other Polish site was announced in the session: the Białowieża Forest.

Nowadays, Poland is the ninth country in Europe and the eighteenth country in the world with the most UNESCO sites, tied with Czechia and Portugal. It has seventeen heritage assets (both cultural and natural) inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

In the meantime, I’ve already had the opportunity to visit three of them:

• Auschwitz-Birkenau – German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945) (1979)
• Historic Center of Kraków (1978)
• Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines (1978)

How to Get to Auschwitz-Birkenau

Like I mentioned before, Auschwitz-Birkenau is located near the town of Oświęcim in southern Poland. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is about 70 kilometers west of Kraków, the nearest major city, which provides the main gateway for visitors.

From Kraków, you have several options to get to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The most common way is by organized bus tours, which include guided visits and transport. If you prefer to travel independently, you can take a train from Kraków to Oświęcim, followed by a taxi or bus ride to the museum entrance.

Opening Hours & Ticket Prices

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum is open every day of the year, except on January 1st, December 25th, and Easter Sunday. While the site always opens at 7:30 am, its closing time depends on the season: 3:30 pm (in December), 4:30 pm (in January and November), 5:30 pm (in February), 6:30 pm (in March and October), 7:30 pm (in April, May, and September), or 8:30 pm (from June to August).

WARNING: The last entrance hour happens 90 minutes before closing time (for example, at 2 pm in December or 7 pm from June to August)!

Entry to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum is free, but visiting with a guide-educator requires booking a paid tour. Guided tours are available in different languages (Polish, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Czech, and Slovak) and take approximately 3.5 hours.

TIP: I strongly recommend booking your ticket or tour a few weeks in advance through the Auschwitz-Birkenau’s official website!

What to See at Auschwitz-Birkenau

Auschwitz I

Entrance Gate

The Entrance Gate to Auschwitz I features the infamous slogan “Arbeit Macht Frei,” meaning “Work Sets You Free”. This phrase was used by the Nazis as psychological manipulation, giving prisoners false hope. In reality, Auschwitz-Birkenau was a site of forced labor, suffering, and systematic murder.

This Entrance Gate has become one of the most recognizable symbols of Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Holocaust. It stands as a stark reminder of the cruelty inflicted on millions and sets out an important point of reflection for anyone arriving at the camp.

Block 4

Block 4 contains the exhibition “Extermination”, which presents how Auschwitz-Birkenau became the center of the Nazi regime’s mass murder system. It explains the reasons behind the deportation of prisoners, with a particular focus on the extermination of European Jews.

The exhibition “Extermination” includes documents, photographs, maps, models of gas chambers and crematoria, as well as original items such as Zyklon B canisters and metal fragments from destroyed crematoria. One of its most haunting displays is a room containing the hair of victims.

Block 5

Block 5 contains one of the most impactful exhibitions in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Titled “Evidence of Crime”, this permanent exhibit displays thousands of personal belongings confiscated from deportees upon their arrival at the concentration and extermination camp.

The items on display — eyeglasses, prosthetics, crockery, shoes, suitcases, and more — offer concrete proof of the scale of the horrors committed. Each object represents an individual life disrupted or destroyed. Collected in vast quantities, they reflect the calculated dehumanization of human beings.

Block 6

Block 6 presents the exhibition “Life of Prisoners”, which explores the everyday reality faced by those imprisoned in Auschwitz-Birkenau. It covers the procedures that began upon arrival at the camp, such as registration, prisoner classification, and the assignment of numbers, clothing, and footwear.

The exhibition “Life of Prisoners” in Block 6 includes original items and visual materials that reflect life inside the camp. Enlarged prisoner photographs are also displayed, showing names, camp numbers, occupations, and the dates of birth, arrival, and death.

Block 10

Block 10 was used by Nazi doctors for cruel medical experiments on prisoners, which caused immense suffering and death. It consisted of a series of laboratories and rooms where inhumane procedures, including sterilization and testing of drugs and diseases, were carried out without consent.

Inside Block 10, you can find exhibits documenting these medical atrocities, with detailed explanations and historical records. It’s one of the most important pieces of evidence of the extreme abuse and violation of human rights that occurred in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Death Wall

The Death Wall was used by the Nazis to execute prisoners, many of whom were shot against the wall between Blocks 10 and 11. It’s a courtyard that witnessed countless acts of cruelty and punishments, presenting a powerful testament to the camp’s brutal history and system of terror.

These days, the Death Wall remains protected as part of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, allowing not only to see the physical evidence of the camp’s violent history but also to reflect on the lives lost and the harsh realities faced by those imprisoned during World War II.

Block 11

Block 11, also known as the “Death Block,” was the most feared barrack in Auschwitz-Birkenau. It functioned as the internal prison, where inmates were subjected to harsh interrogations, brutal punishments, solitary confinement, and summary executions.

The basement of Block 11 includes dark cells, standing cells, and starvation cells — each designed to inflict maximum suffering. It was also in the basement of Block 11 that the SS carried out the first experimental killings with Zyklon B before beginning mass exterminations elsewhere in the camp.

Block 16

Block 16 houses the exhibition “Auschwitz Prisoners from the Czech Lands”, which documents the fate of individuals deported from the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. Additionally, it addresses the historical background of the Nazi occupation and the process of arrest and deportation.

The exhibition “Auschwitz Prisoners from the Czech Lands” occupies the entire first floor of Block 16, with displays of photographs, documents, and personal belongings. In the meantime, the ground floor accommodates another exhibition called “The Tragedy of the Slovakian Jews”.

Crematorium I

The Crematorium I was the first crematorium constructed in Auschwitz-Birkenau. It included a gas chamber and multiple ovens used to cremate the bodies of prisoners. This brick building was a key facility in the early implementation of the Nazi regime’s mass extermination plan during World War II.

The Crematorium I remains largely intact and contains exhibitions detailing the methods and scale of the atrocities carried out within the camp complex. It provides important historical information about the systematic killing and disposal processes used in the camp.

Auschwitz II-Birkenau

Gatehouse

The Gatehouse of Auschwitz II-Birkenau, often referred to as the “Gate of Death,” is where trains carrying prisoners arrived. This entrance led directly into the largest extermination camp within the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex, facilitating mass deportations as part of the Nazi regime’s Final Solution.

The Gatehouse reveals the infamous railway tracks extending into the camp, which allowed the efficient transport of tens of thousands of victims. Today, this site best illustrates the scale and organization of Nazi atrocities during World War II.

International Monument to the Victims of Auschwitz

The International Monument to the Victims of Auschwitz is located near the ruins of Crematorium III. Unveiled in 1967, it pays a tribute to the millions of people who were murdered in Auschwitz-Birkenau from May 1940 to January 27th, 1945.

The International Monument to the Victims of Auschwitz presents a large concrete structure with symbolic reliefs and inscriptions in a huge number of languages, honoring the diverse nationalities, religions, and ethnicities affected by the Holocaust.

Crematorium II

The Crematorium II was one of the larger extermination facilities conceived to increase Auschwitz-Birkenau’s killing capacity. Unlike the Crematorium I, it didn’t have a gas chamber inside the building itself; instead, the gas chamber was located in a separate and nearby structure.

The Crematorium II was part of the rapid expansion of the camp’s extermination system during the height of the Holocaust. With multiple ovens used for burning the bodies of victims, it played a central role in the mass murder and disposal of prisoners during the Nazis’ systematic campaign of genocide.

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