Auschwitz - Oswiecim & Birkenau About a 3 hour train journey with one change will get you to Oswiecim central station. From here you must walk or get a taxi the 1 km to the Auschwitz museum. There are 2 main camps which make up the Auschwitz complex, the first and most famous is Auschwitz itself, and the second is Birkenau.
Birkenau is the less famous but more harrowing of the 2 camps. This is where most of the people exterminated at the Auschwitz complex met their death.
There is only really one way to get the most out of your trip to the museum, make sure you ask for an English speaking guide at the reception upon arrival. They are very informative and reveal all sorts of things you wouldn't see without them.
Be prepared for what you'll see. Its not a nice place. Over 1 million people died there. All Polish school children go to Auschwitz as an educational trip, many never go back. Olsztyn Castle On the south eastern outskirts of Czestochowa lies a tiny village called Olsztyn. Up on the hill are the ruins of an old castle. Once you get up there you can freely walk around the castle ruins. Its not to big but the view is excellent on a nice day. Take your camera. Walking in the Tatras Just an hours train ride to the south and you can go walking it the Tatra hills. The southern boarder with Slovakia and Czech Republic is dominated by the monstrous Carpathian mountain range. This area, especially around Zakopane and the Tatra national park is very popular with skiing tourists. During the summer the Tatras are a beautiful place to visit. Jurassic park Czestochowa is located in a Jurassic region of Poland. Mineral water comes from these parts and is sold in a bottle bearing a fossil on its label. Krakow About 2.5 hours on the train gets you to Krakow. The old capital of Poland. With its world famous market place and countless bars and people speaking English, this is my favourite Polish city. Definitely worth a visit!!
"All Polish school children go to Auschwitz as an educational trip, many never go back"
"With its world famous market place and countless bars and people speaking English, Krakow is my favourite Polish city"
Jasna Gora The Jasna Gora monastery is Poland's spiritual centre. Every year millions of pilgrims from all over the world come to visit this magnificent place. The church in Poland is very rich, this is reflected in churches all across the country. Some of the most amazing I've ever seen are in Poland.
Polish people are incredibly religious. They take the whole thing very seriously. I've never seen anything like Jasna Gora on a Sunday morning.
