Overview

This is a review of Auschwitz-Birkenau, an extermination camp, which was in operation during World War II. Some people might find the text and photos in this review upsetting. Auschwitz is the smaller but better preserved of the two camps. If you can manage the steps, there is lots to see inside the individual buildings. A short ride away is Birkenau which was the larger camp but not so much survives as the Nazis tried to destroy it to hide their atrocities, so a lot it is open ground. Both sites are emotionally and physically demanding to navigate. I went on a guided tour which was organised by Krakow Direct. However, there are many similar companies which offer similar tours.

Transport & Parking

Auschwitz-Birkenau is about a hour's drive from Krakow. When I was researching it, I found it was possible to do the trip independently using public transport. I personally decided against this and chose to go as part of a guided tour as I thought it would take a lot out of me emotionally and physically and I didn't want the stress of having to make my own way there and back. Having been I feel I made the right choice. The company I went with was Krakow Direct but there a many companies offering similar trips from Krakow and these run on a daily basis. I went as part of a group tour and this cost about £45 (2019) and everything was included. I was picked up near my accommodation, joined a small minibus which had 3 - 4 steps with grab rails. the seating layout was 2 seats an aisle and a single seat, and I found the journey was comfortable. On the way there a video in English was played on a screen which was about the history of Auschwitz-Birkenau. This provided some useful background information. As well as the driver there was an English speaking guide who explained the practical aspects of the day. The company I went with parked the minibus in a restaurant and toilet area opposite the entrance of Auschwitz and it was a short 2 - 3 minutes to cross the road (no drop kerb) to arrive at the entrance.

Access

Auschwitz When we arrived prior to going inside the camp there is some outdoor bench seating. There was also a temporary exhibition board display which was at standing height (when I went it was June, which was the month Auschwitz opened so there was a display about its first prisoners. Before entering there is also a building housing toilets, a couple of food and gift stalls. There is a ramp to access the building. It was outside the entrance that we met our guide. She was a local English speaking Auschwitz-Birkenau museum guide and she remained with us throughout the visit. Only for Auschwitz we were each given a headset at the start and this made it easier to hear our guide, as the buildings were busy and filled with other groups. I often found myself at the back of our group, due to my mobility, and this meant that I was still able to hear my guide. The headsets were returned at the end of the tour. We went through airport style security to enter Auschwitz. The guided tour of Auschwitz lasted about 2 hours. Our group was quite large about 20 - 25 people. I thought the guide was excellent as she was very knowledgeable but she was also very empathetic about the people who were sent to the camp and she referred to photos to personalise the story and make you think about how life and death was like for people living there. My guide was good at describing the photos we were looking at. I visited when it was very hot, early 30 degrees, and the paths were difficult as they consist of loose gravel and broken cobblestones. Although the area is flat the surface is uneven and I had to watch where I walked. I would imagine it would be more difficult when I had rained as the ground could become muddy and going up the short external staircase to the individual buildings could be tricky. There are many buildings in close proximity in Auschwitz and many of them can be visited by the public. However every building is only accessible by a short flight of about 5 stairs. All these staircases are external and none had a hand rail. I found as I went around that most of the steps were very warn and uneven, and I found it easier/ felt safer to go sideways when I was descending the stairs. At most of the entrances there were wheelchair users by the steps and I heard one of the other guides say to them that they would still be able to hear the commentary through their headset. Once inside there were narrow corridors and either large rooms or a series of smaller rooms depending on which building you were in. the buildings usually have public access to the ground and first floor or basement. There is an internal staircase with a handrail on the inside only. You are expected to stay on one side or another depending whether you are going up or down, so sometimes you are expected not to have a hand rail. However like the outside steps these steps are also badly warn and uneven in places. I knew I could not manage the stairs without a handrail in either direction. I would stand by the hand rail explain why I needed it and I was touched with how helpful and understanding everyone was and let me access by the handrail, as people would automatically move out of my way. Sometimes it was extremely slow to move from one room to another due to the sheer numbers of people. However there was a signposted route so everyone was heading in the same direction. The guide would wait at the exit of each building until the group were together before setting off again. Inside there are photographs, information boards, artefacts in glass cases in the style of a traditional museum. However, there are some rooms which contain specific personal artefacts and these are deeply moving. There is a room full of human hair, a room full of artificial limbs and crutches, another full of shoes. Personally I found these the most distressing as it put into context the scale of the brutality. In another area you can visit one of the early gas chambers. The guide explained that people were sent from all across Europe, as far away as Greece to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The conditions if the train carriages they travelled in, van style with no windows where people were crowded in without food or water and with one bucket for a toilet, meant that many died before they reached Auschwitz-Birkenau. On arrival they were "inspected" by an SS doctor on the platform and selection was made, based on a visual assessment alone people were either seen as capable of working and they would work in awful conditions at Auschwitz-Birkenau until they dropped dead or if they were perceived as being disabled they would immediately be sent to the gas chamber. Even German, non Jewish people, who were considered disabled were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau to be murdered. Everyone's worth was based on whether or not they were disabled or not. Visiting here was extremely emotional and distressing, it was even more significant as a disabled person and thinking about the mass murder committed towards our community and also reflecting on how ableism, lack of access and prejudice still impact on disabled people today. At the end of the tour you return your headset and exit via a turn style but there is also a gate for wheelchair users. On leaving Auschwitz we had about 10 - 15 minutes to go to the toilet and get back to the minibus before we set off for Birkenau. The journey between the 2 camps took about 3 - 4 minutes on the minibus. Birkenau Arriving at Birkenau the minibus parked in a car park, where there were toilets and shop. It was then about a 5 minute walk to the entrance of Birkenau. This felt like quite a distance as I was already feeling tired after walking round Auschwitz for 2 hours, without a break or a seat. Birkenau is the larger, less well preserved camp and there is less to see. There was only one building that we went inside on the tour. Again the area was flat but uneven, there was gravel paths and even a railway track to navigate. By this time I was needing a rest and I was struggling to keep up with our guide and our group. The guide was extremely good as she would wait until I arrived before she started talking, and although no one said anything I felt like I was holding the group up. As there is less to see a guide here is even more important to explain what was there previously and to convey the history of the site. In the building we went into the floor surface was very uneven and it wasn't well lit. Our group did a big circle so we exited at a side gate, rather thank having to walk back.

Toilets

Auschwitz Outside Auschwitz's entrance there is an accessible toilet with grab rails in the basement. However I only saw stairs to get to it. Where the minibus parked there were signs for toilets including an accessible toilet. It was clean and reasonably spacious. There is a small charge for using the toilets. I didn't notice any signs for toilets inside Auschwitz camp itself. Birkenau In the car park about 5 minutes from the entrance there are toilets including accessible toilets, but I did not use these. I didn't notice any signs for toilets inside Birkenau camp itself.

Staff

I've already mentioned my tour guide, however apart from at the entrance and exit I didn't see any other staff.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

Auschwitz has been on my must do list for a long time as it's a place I have felt compelled to visit. It's not an easy experience, it is not a tourist attraction, it is a place where people were killed on a mass scale. I have heard from others that they need some quiet, reflective time to process what they see and hear after the visit. For me here are a few tips/ suggestions. I would suggest going with a guide, either in a group or private tour, as they are able to help you process what you see, and will help you to make the most of your visit, especially Birkenau, where there is physically very little to see. This is a relatively "easy" tour to do practically, as so many companies in Krakow offer this, where they will pick you up and drop you off near your accommodation, and transport you between the Auschwitz and Birkenau sites. Particularly on the way back I appreciated that I could sit quietly and not worry about how to get back to my accommodation. It is frustrating, particularly given that so many disabled people were murdered here, that there is not better disabled access. The sites have been turned into museums and a decision made not to alter the historic infrastructure, this means that unless you can manage some stairs you will not be able to get into any of the buildings. Interestingly I noted that in a couple of buildings we exited at a side rather than front door, although these were not step free the majority of the steps were inside, where there was a hand rail and this made it a bit easier to access. From the outside Auschwitz is made up of former army barracks and apart from the barbed wire and a couple of information boards there isn't much externally which would necessarily make you think that you were in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Be practically prepared. Unless you have medical reasons, food is not to be consumed in Auschwitz-Birkenau. However, you can take in bottles of water, and I would recommend making sure you have this as there are no stalls inside the camps. You may not feel like eating after your visit but as the trip lasts about 6+ hours so bring some food/drink with you, maybe eat something before you go in and you can leave it on the coach/ car so you don't have to queue up for food later. A lot of the tour is outside so dress appropriately for the weather. They are very strict about the size of your bag, it needs to be no bigger than A4 size. When you go through security at the entrance they will send you away if your bag is too large. This means that you will have to queue for one of the paid lockers/ storage by the entrance or return the bag to your bus/ car. Then once you've done that you will need to queue again at the entrance and re-do security check. This may mean that you miss your booked tour. I would suggest going with 2 bags. In the A4 size bag just take the essentials, what you need for 2 hours, valuables, camera, glasses, medicines, etc. Leave the 2nd larger bag on the bus/ car with extra water, food,etc. I took a small handbag and put a bottle of water in it for Auschwitz, and left another bottle on the bus, and exchanged them so I took the 2nd bottle of water into Birkenau and I had a 3rd bottle for travelling to/from Auschwitz-Birkenau from Krakow. I would suggest that non essential things are left in your hotel/ accommodation and you only take the things you really can't do without. Photos for personal use are permitted, apart from 2 places which are clearly sign posted and which your guide will remind you of. Initially I planning not to take too many photos, but I ended up taking a lot. The tour was relatively quick at each building and there was a lot to process and take in. Taking photos helped me reflect on what I saw. Emotionally and physically Auschwitz-Birkenau is a challenge, look after yourself. I was extremely tired, we had started out 6.15am and the tour was over 6 hours. I went back to my room and I slept for 5 hours. It's now 3 weeks later and I am still getting higher levels of back pain than usual and that's after upping my meds, and that's because physically it took a lot out of me and my body still feels it's recovering. However, I feel privileged that as a disabled person I visited and I survived. It has given me a lot to reflect and think about and I'm thankful I had the opportunity to visit. If this is somewhere you have thought about visiting I would say do it.

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