You will find bars and restaurants in the Kazimierz (Jewish) district are generally cheaper than old town, it’s only a short walk from one to the other. Saying that Pijalnia is a great little cheap bar in the old town.

The Kazimierz has a few historical sights if your interested in seeing them, like a small amount of the old ghetto wall and heroes square, Schindler’s factory is worth a visit which isn’t too far.

There is a castle to see and it has some big old churches/cathedrals. Just wandering around the old town and Kazimierz is a nice way to spend a few mornings or afternoons.

Auschwitz is a harrowing place but is well worth visiting, it’s a full day trip out of Krakow, as is the salt mines that you can visit.

Auswitz is worth it alone. I have no shame in admitting I cried. The Jewish quarter is mint as are the salt mines

It's a beautiful city - if you're at all interested in architecture, keep your eyes up; Krakow came through the wars mostly unscathed, so the old gothic and baroque buildings are still intact.

You will be spoilt for choice if you're bar-hopping - and some of the underground ones have amazing interiors; if you're a foodie, Trip Advisor has some great recommendations - but I also had some really good street food, which was dirt cheap.

As others have said, Auschwitz is a must - but be prepared for a very emotional experience; I went on day 1, and found it really difficult to shake off how it left me feeling for the rest of the trip.

Enjoy!

If you're there for a week get down to Zakopane.

I hated auschwitz. Holocaust as Disneyland.

Long snakes of people going from but to hut.

‘Ooh there is the hair, ooh there are the suitcases, when do we get to see the gold teeth ? “

It was awful. No respect or contemplation just naked tourism.

I found Belsen more haunting nd meaningful.

My experience was nothing like this.
Everyone was very respectful and solemn when I visited.

I saw a stat on bbc news recently that said 50% of German schoolchildren did not know what Auschwitz was. Everybody should visit as part of learning about what happened and remembering IMO.

We went in November and I thought this, one couple in front of us must have taken a picture every five seconds. Similar thing happened at the 9/11 museum a couple of years ago, hated it.

Back to Krakow, to lighten the mood the day after Auschwitz we spent a few enjoyable hours at the Pinball Museum (a good few classic arcade games there too)!

Lol@the 2 idiots complaining about Auschwitz. Did the fact they charge you to get in not give it away that it’s a tourist attraction? Or the fact you even went there whilst visiting Poland.

I’ve always though that, a bit grim that people would visit it. Taking selfies and bragging about how it moved them, so they’ll get more likes on whatever social media platform they post it on. I’ve been to Krakow but didn’t fancy Aushwitz at all.

So you have no regard for history, fair enough.

You are of course free to do what you like with your own free time - but I don't think the poor souls who ended up there 'fancied it' either - which is rather the point; we commemorate and remember these things, despite the discomfort, so they don't happen again?

I must have rattled your cage if you’re following me on other threads.

Where’s next on your holiday list? The killing fields of Cambodia? What about the catacombs?

You don’t have to visit the place to know that gassing 6,000,000 Jews is bad m’kay?

You don’t have to visit to know what happened is bad, but sadly a lot of people don’t know what happened at Auschwitz. Visiting is certainly educational no matter what your prior knowledge is.

If someone visits with the mindset of it been, fun to see, they are obviously a complete moron. If someone chooses to visit to solemnly pay their respects and learn more about the atrocities that took place, I don’t see how anyone can have an issue with that.

It’s just like the war cemeteries that are all over Europe or the annual parades at the cenotaph, or the war memorials in most towns and villages across the country.

If atrocities are not remembered in a few generations they will be forgotten, visiting can be a part of that. There is a quote on the wall at Auschwitz that says “those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it”

Because people think they are cool and edgy to put people down who go exactly for that reason whilst claiming it was rubbish when they went They could go to Mars and claim "nah rubbish mate, ive been to a better one"

It is not a "tourist attraction" but a sombre and melancholy memorial and warning to history of the evil of which amnkind is capable.

The Polish authorities are not responsible for the behaviour of visitors. If people behave inappropriately here, then one despairs, but what do you suggest? Arrest them for taking photos or talking?



Visitors in groups are required to engage an Auschwitz Memorial guide, but Individual admission to the grounds of Auschwitz-Birkenau is free of charge. For better understanding the history of Auschwitz-Birkenau they suggest a visit with an educator/guide and as a reasonable tour of the site would take I would say at least 4 hours, I would heartily recommend it, as the guides/educators are very knowledgeable. But you do not HAVE to pay, you are free to enter and spend all day there for nothing if you don't want a guide.

It is a pity it can't be made compulsory to visit. The place leaves something of an indelible mark on most visitors, and while some may mock at the mountain of shaved off human hair, (and when we went, we never encountered even a whisper of poor behaviour from the many hundreds around the site) I felt despair at the thought of what that hair was, and the awful fate of the human beings to which it once was attached.