After our breakfast we head over to the train station to buy tickets on the night train to Vienna for tomorrow night.  This time we book a private compartment so that we won’t have the issue of compartment mates disembarking at a different station.    Mission accomplished!

We are taking a tour of Auschwitz today so head over to the place where we will be picked up.  The Old Town of Krakow is surrounded by a park.  We will be picked up near here so we take some time to enjoy the green space (even though they are jack hammering the street near by)

Our bus takes about an hour and a half to drive to Auschwitz.  The process to get in seems very complex.  They have tours in many languages and limits on numbers of people in each group.  A Security check lineup is also part of the deal.

We learn that there are actually 3 camps at Auschwitz.  Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II (Birkenau) and Auschwitz III (Monowitz).  We are visiting I and II today.

 

The tour group is almost silent for the whole 3 hours.  Very little conversation and no questions for our guide.  The displays in the museum are mind boggling.

 

We think we knew the story of this place, but we only knew the tip of the iceberg!  Auschwitz I was the testing grounds for Auschwitz II which was built on a MUCH LARGER scale.

 

 

These are from Birkenau.

 

 

 

 

They show the vastness of the camp.