Laughing
Well-known member
Yeah finny, did nothing for me. I did speak to a few guys at work before I went, and they all said don't bother.
Krakow
- Thread starter Thetfordboys
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festa5
Well-known member
I've been to Auschwitz twice. The second time was to accompany someone who hadn't been before, otherwise I'd say once is definitely enough (although everyone should do it once given the chance). It's a powerful place.
Agree re: going for the guided tour and it's quite a relaxed pace, you won't feel rushed.
Also I can't remember exactly what time of year I went, but it was absolutely baltic both times. Depending on weather, I'd wrap up warmer than you might expect you'd need to.
Agree re: going for the guided tour and it's quite a relaxed pace, you won't feel rushed.
Also I can't remember exactly what time of year I went, but it was absolutely baltic both times. Depending on weather, I'd wrap up warmer than you might expect you'd need to.
LessoftheLip
Well-known member
Birkenau when we went in December. It's fair to say the snow and the overcast conditions just amplified the bleakness of the place 
.
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speckyget
Well-known member
I'd suggest very warm clothing. I visited Auschwitz in December and it was minus 30C. Really brought home how the inmates will have suffered in their striped cotton rags.
gregorgregorovich
Well-known member
Exactly the same weather for the 1st time I went and you're spot on, it really did amplify the affect of the place. I just sat in the snow and cried my eyes out at the horror of it all. Yet I still went back a 2nd time.Birkenau when we went in December. It's fair to say the snow and the overcast conditions just amplified the bleakness of the place
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1finny
Well-known member
Birkenau when we went in December. It's fair to say the snow and the overcast conditions just amplified the bleakness of the place
View attachment 71476
For those of us who have been that pic is both poignant and atmospheric - appreciate you sharing it
Fantastic city and generally great people. I loved the food, it’s a while since I went so I can’t recommend anywhere really but have a google for the best places for traditional polish food. Bigos, their soup and Pierogi being the obvious ones. I still make Bigos at home for the family to this day.
Emmersons_BrazillianDong
Well-known member
Are those from that Hexagon Kiosk place? It was always busy when we were in that area.
Laughing
Well-known member
They served bigos in the staff canteen when I worked there, it's very nice. I would have classed it as a stew rathern than soup though.
Norman_Conquest
Well-known member
Yeah, and due to it being so busy I decided not to get one. The guide we had for the school told us it was worth waiting in the queue and I went to a shop and bought a sandwich instead I was so jealous when she came back with hers.
I want GingerTravel to arrange flights and accommodation for me so I can go back and get one.
RedAsABeetroot
Well-known member
We stopped in Kazimierz a few years ago and had a fantastic time. If you want somewhere nice to go on a night but don't want to be in the thick of it then there's some great places there and it's not too far to walk to the centre for a change of scenery.
RedAsABeetroot
Well-known member
On my list for our next visit.
That was meant to read as three different things to try, apologies! Bigos, Soup(Zurek?), Pierogi!
A word of caution !
Whilst driving around trying to find Auschwitz, I pulled up in a campervan in a small village close by to ask for directions as
my wife and I were totally lost. I spotted an old man tending to his garden. He noticed me and approached my van and as
he did, I simply said Auschwitz with my arms outstretched as if to say, where is it.?
His response seemed quite aggressive as he yelled something like Ozvichim.
I had no idea what he was saying so I tried again but this time saying it the germanic way Auschvitz Auschvitz.
This seemed to anger him even more and he burst out in a louder voice OZVICHIM OZVICHIM and pointed down the road.
As I took off I looked towards the missus and said " I wonder what's up his ar* e ? "
I was later to find out that Auschwitz was the Germanic name and it was then that I realised what an awful mistake I had made and
now fully understood the old mans anger.
Please don't make the same mistake.
It doesn't seem right to say that I had a wonderful time in Krakow or the region in such a heart wrenching and humbling place
but we did. It was an amazing experience and one that I think, every person in the entire world should experience.
I think the world would be a better place if they were to, as many lessons will be learnt, by everyone that visits.
Whilst driving around trying to find Auschwitz, I pulled up in a campervan in a small village close by to ask for directions as
my wife and I were totally lost. I spotted an old man tending to his garden. He noticed me and approached my van and as
he did, I simply said Auschwitz with my arms outstretched as if to say, where is it.?
His response seemed quite aggressive as he yelled something like Ozvichim.
I had no idea what he was saying so I tried again but this time saying it the germanic way Auschvitz Auschvitz.
This seemed to anger him even more and he burst out in a louder voice OZVICHIM OZVICHIM and pointed down the road.
As I took off I looked towards the missus and said " I wonder what's up his ar* e ? "
I was later to find out that Auschwitz was the Germanic name and it was then that I realised what an awful mistake I had made and
now fully understood the old mans anger.
Please don't make the same mistake.
It doesn't seem right to say that I had a wonderful time in Krakow or the region in such a heart wrenching and humbling place
but we did. It was an amazing experience and one that I think, every person in the entire world should experience.
I think the world would be a better place if they were to, as many lessons will be learnt, by everyone that visits.
HolgateCorner
Well-known member
As said above Krakow is a fantastic city.
We couldn’t get in Schindler’s factory because it was fully booked and Auschwitz was also very busy so make sure you book ahead.
The concentration camp is harrowing, my missus was a bit disturbed by it. The gas chambers were just near where the victims got off the train. It’s like nothing else you will ever visit, or ever want to visit. I note the comment above about the old fella wanting the name spoken in Polish, it must be very strange living with that place in your neighbourhood.
We couldn’t get in Schindler’s factory because it was fully booked and Auschwitz was also very busy so make sure you book ahead.
The concentration camp is harrowing, my missus was a bit disturbed by it. The gas chambers were just near where the victims got off the train. It’s like nothing else you will ever visit, or ever want to visit. I note the comment above about the old fella wanting the name spoken in Polish, it must be very strange living with that place in your neighbourhood.
joeydiaz
Well-known member
Fully agree, absolutely brutal.Birkenau when we went in December. It's fair to say the snow and the overcast conditions just amplified the bleakness of the place
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Norman_Conquest
Well-known member
I understand what you mean about Krakow and have struggled to explain how I felt about the place.
Regarding Auschwitz, I felt going there changed me as a person and my outlook on life. In the processing room, one of the students asked why they brought photos with them and I explained that many people carried photos of their loved ones. I went into my wallet to show her that I still carried photos of my wife, sons and the two foster children we had, then it hit me and I had to fight to hold back my tears.
It was 95 when I was there and I was 40 at the time so obviously knew about Auschwitz but nothing could have prepared me for what I was witnessing.
At the time the old man was probably in his 70s or 80s and it was only when I found out about the bastardisation of Oswiecim ( pronounced ozvichim ) that
it dawned on me the atrocities that the old man must have witnessed and fully accepted and understood the old mans rage.
We were travelling around Europe and SE Asia for the entire year and within a couple of months we were in Greece where we visited another place where another
atrocity had taken place but this one I was totally unprepared for.
We had been lazing around on a beach for a few days when my wife handed me the "Lonely Planet " and asked if we should do this tomorrow.
It was a rack and pinion train trip through a gorge to a village named Kalavytra which was to be spectacular and scenic.
When we got off the train we were walking past a church and we noticed that all the clocks on the two spires were stopped at the exact same time and as we passed, an old
lady dressed totally in black gave us a wave and a hello. We walked a little further and the aroma of lamb cooking on a spit drew me towards the village square.
My wife grabbed my arm and pointed to a sign that pointed to "the site of the massacre.
In retaliation to the killing of German soldiers by the Greek resistance, the Germans rounded up the population of the town and took the women and girls to a school
and the men and boys to a field. The Germans set fire to the school with all the females inside and made the men watch on. They then machine gunned down the men
and boys.
Before leaving they destroyed the town and burnt to the ground the local monastery. There was over a thousand women and girls murdered and seven hundred men and boys.
We learnt that the clocks were stopped at the exact time of the massacre in remembrance and haven't moved since.
It's hard to put into words or to explain the anger, sadness and emotions that ran through me whilst standing there reading the large marble commemorative stones with the
names of the slaughtered Greek locals on them whilst being in such a stunningly beautiful place. A place that I will never forget alongside Oswiecim.