About
The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum is a memorial and museum built on the site of the former Nazi concentration and extermination camp in Oświęcim, Poland, in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It is known in Polish as Państwowe Muzeum Auschwitz-Birkenau. Its purpose is to preserve the memory of the people who were murdered there during the Holocaust.
What a visit is like
This is a serious and sober place, and most visitors come to listen, look and reflect rather than to browse. The museum occupies the grounds of the former camp, so the visit is closely tied to the physical site itself. Walking between the buildings and the remaining structures is central to understanding what happened here.
Plan ahead
- Address: Więźniów Oświęcimia 20, 32-603 Oświęcim, Poland
- Contact: +48 33 844 80 99
- Getting there: Oświęcim is a town in southern Poland, within the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, and is the base for any visit to the site.
Around the museum
Oświęcim is a small town, and many visitors combine a trip to the memorial with time in the wider region of Lesser Poland, which holds a number of other historic towns and sites. Because the subject matter is heavy, it can help to leave room in the day for quiet time afterwards.