Dove right in. After breakfast at the hotel, we took a tour of the concentration/extermination camp.
We went to the first camp, for nearly 2 hours. We were in a group of about 25 so they had the guide talk through headsets. It was nice because we didn't have to be super near her to hear her. We went through the museum, which consisted of barracks, prisons, punishments, gas chambers, "hospitals" and the crematorium. The second camp was much bigger (×8 approx) and was built more for extermination but also had a women section.
A bit of background, auschwitz-birkenau is actually made up of a few sights; Birkenau being the largest, most modern and the only one that wasn't finished being built. It was built around 1940. In 1945, when knowing the soviets were coming, burned much of the sites especially the gas chambers. They did this to cover up their crimes.
So unlike other camps I've been to this was not an intact and some of it was actually rebuilt for emphasis. The museum was actually opened barely two years after the war ended, pushed by the prisoners, to never forget.
After the museum we went back to Krakow and toured a bit around the old town for a bit. Then hit up wawel castle and even got to see a 12 million years old cave that supposidly held a dragon. We then had dinner in a beer garden and we were back at the hotel by 830.
Steps-20k
Tired-5/10
Food-hotel breakfast, breaded pork chop
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