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To the tell the truth, I wasn't sure that I wanted to see Auschwitz, even though it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. I thought it might be so depressing that it would ruin a few days of our vacation. The Rick Steve's guidebook to Eastern Europe says: "Why visit a notorious concentration camp on your vacation? Auschwitz-Birkenau is one of the most moving sights in Europe, and certainly the most important of all the Holocaust memorials. Seeing the camp can be difficult: Many visitors are overwhelmed by a combination of sadness and anger over the tragedy, as well as inspiration at the remarkable stories of survival. Auschwitz survivors and victims' families want tourists to come here and experience the scale and the monstrosity of the place. In their minds, a steady flow of visitors will ensure that the Holocaust is always remembered - so nothing like it will happen again. Auschwitz isn't for everyone. But I've never met anyone who toured Auschwitz and regretted it. For many, it's a profoundly life-altering experience - at the very least, it will forever affect the way you think about the Holocaust" What sticks in my mind the most from our visit is the tremendous scale of Auschwitz. I had read about Auschwitz, but actually seeing huge rooms filled with eyeglasses, shoes and human hair, and having the guide tell us that these were just a small fraction of all the items collected by the Nazis was stunning. Auschwitz II looked immense to me, the camp looks enormous - and then the guide told us that the Nazis were building an Auschwitz III until the end of the war - because Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II wasn't big enough to handle all the people they wanted to kill. Auschwitz is a long way from Krakow. We drove our rental car and followed the most direct route (63 Km, as defined by Google Maps) and still took us more than an hour and a half. We had prepurchased tickets for a 9:30 AM English speaking tour. We were a little bit late for the tour, because it turns out that you can't carry a small backpack into Auschwitz and so we had to deal with the baggage check station. We were given a headset that had a wireless receiver so that we could hear the English speaking guide, even when she was out of sight. This worked well; the headset allowed us to hear her remarks even when she was out of sight, which happened frequently in the tour of the crowded barracks in Auschwitz I. The tour itself is pretty disturbing. How were so many Germans convinced to commit these barbaric crimes? I don't think Germans are any more evil minded than any other nationality, which means that the same type of crimes could happen in any country ruled by a murderous leader. It's a thought that bothers me a lot, how fragile the veneer of civilization is for all the countries of our world; and how vulnerable humans are to committing the most awful atrocities. Auschwitz ia not a pleasant visit, it is scary in its depiction of the worst of humanity. When I think back to our tour Auschwitz, what I remember most is the stunning scale of the place. Such an enormous crime was commited there. Panorama Photos:
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Single Click on any thumbnail to begin the slide show at that photograph Auschwitz Photos 
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