Auschwitz. A name that needs no further explanation.
A destination you don’t choose lightly.
And an experience that, honestly, changes you.
While traveling through Poland, I made the decision to visit the most iconic concentration camp of the Holocaust. I had imagined it many times. I had read, watched documentaries, heard stories. But nothing—absolutely nothing—can prepare you for what it feels like to set foot in Auschwitz-Birkenau, to feel the kind of cold that cuts through your bones… and your soul.
From Kraków to Auschwitz: The Silence Before the Storm
As I wandered through the lively streets of Kraków, part of me was already there. I kept picturing the train tracks, the guard towers, the barracks. I wasn’t only wondering how I’d feel upon arrival—I was already thinking about how I’d feel when leaving.
Auschwitz is divided into two main sections:
- Auschwitz II – Birkenau, the larger and more iconic site.
- Auschwitz I, the original camp with preserved buildings and museum exhibits.
I started at Birkenau, blanketed in winter snow. It felt like the white landscape was trying to soften the brutal history beneath—but there’s no weather or scenery that can ever truly cover it up.
Cold in the Air, Cold in the Soul
I walked through the main gate tower, the one we’ve all seen in photos. I followed the snow-covered tracks—the same ones where countless people unknowingly walked to their deaths.
I visited the women’s barracks, saw the primitive toilets, the unimaginable conditions, the remains of crematoriums. Everything I’d ever read about… was now in front of me, and it was worse.
The cold was unbearable—not just physically, but emotionally. My hands shook as I filmed. Every step felt heavier.
At the end of the tracks, a memorial of stones symbolized the graves that never existed. The ruins of gas chambers and brick chimneys were all that remained of what once was an industrial-scale death machine.
The Destroyed Evidence
As the war neared its end, the Nazis began systematically destroying the camp to hide the evidence. That’s why many of the barracks, crematoria, and gas chambers are in ruins today. Just traces of what used to be.
One of the most haunting parts I saw was the so-called “Death Barrack,” where women who were no longer “fit for labor” were held without food or water. Many simply died waiting for their execution. Sometimes there were so many bodies, they had to pile them up outside.
Auschwitz I: Where Pain Is Organized
Then I visited Auschwitz I.
If Birkenau hit me hard, this part broke me.
I saw the infamous “Arbeit macht frei” sign at the entrance.
The orchestra that played to keep prisoners calm as they arrived.
The death wall, where executions took place, hidden from view with covered windows.
The blocks where Mengele conducted human experiments.
And finally, the gas chambers—with fingernail marks on the walls.
I stood still, unable to speak. I didn’t want to. I felt a weight that words can’t describe. A kind of sadness that takes over your body.
An Unimaginable Scale of Horror
In 1944 alone, around 400,000 people were deported from Hungary. Over 70% were killed upon arrival.
It’s estimated that between 1,000 and 10,000 people were executed per day.
Roughly 100 bodies were burned every day.
But beyond the numbers, what impacted me most was the design: every corner of Auschwitz was engineered to kill.
Final Reflection: More Than Just History
People say visiting Auschwitz is important to remember the past. But it’s more than that.
Being there means facing the darkest side of humanity. Asking yourself questions you may never be able to answer.
Wishing none of this had ever happened.
Wondering if it could still happen again.
While the world continues with war, power struggles, and political interests, Auschwitz remains—silent, motionless, and waiting. Waiting for someone else to see it, to listen, to try to understand.
I truly hope, as I said in my previous video in Kraków, that all the good in this world one day buries all the bad. And that this moment isn’t so far away.
Historical Context: What Was Auschwitz?
Auschwitz was a complex of concentration and extermination camps established by Nazi Germany in 1940 near the Polish town of Oświęcim. It became the largest and most notorious site of the Holocaust.
It consisted of:
- Auschwitz I – The original camp, with administrative buildings and the first gas chamber.
- Auschwitz II – Birkenau – The largest, most lethal camp, built for mass extermination.
- Auschwitz III – Monowitz – A forced labor camp tied to German industry.
More than 1.1 million people were murdered in Auschwitz, mostly Jews, along with Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners, and others.
Since 1947, it has operated as the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, and in 1979 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Practical Info: How to Visit Auschwitz from Kraków
🚌 How to Get There:
- Best option: organized day tours from Kraków with transportation and guide.
- DIY: train or bus to Oświęcim + walk or short taxi to the camp.
🎟️ Tickets:
- Entry is free, but you must book in advance at auschwitz.org.
- Guided tours are strongly recommended.
🕐 Time Needed:
- Guided tours take 3 to 4 hours.
- Including transport from Kraków, plan for 7 to 10 hours total.
🥶 What to Bring:
- Warm clothes (in winter, temperatures are extreme).
- Comfortable shoes.
- And above all, respect and silence—this is not just a tourist site. It’s a place of memory and mourning.
🙏 Final Note
If you’re traveling through Poland, don’t skip Auschwitz. But more importantly: don’t go as just another tourist.
Prepare yourself. Stay present.
Let the place speak.
And when you leave, take something with you: a deeper awareness of what must never happen again.