Germany and Poland (Aushwitz visit )

[Hotel California]

As in follow of the coming factory visit in april
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/thread...nover-april-18th-2017-booking-now-open.15758/
we are looking in to extending the trip a bit :
the plan is to head via Wolfsburg (autostad )
http://m.autostadt.de/app/en
to Poland to vistit the Auschwitz camp (or/and Birkenau)
https://www.bezoekkrakau.nl/bezienswaardigheden-krakau/auschwitz-museum-plan-your-visit/
and back thru maybe Tsjechie (Prague?) - Germany to Belgium .
Plan is two weeks leaving easter weekend to Hannover where the factory visit would mean staying until wednesday as part of the support team and then head of to Wolfsburg for a day visit there .
You can stay longer but do not need to see the whole site inside out , a day would do i think.
From there in to Poland and get to see the sites/museums regarding the concentration camps.
For some this may not seem as holliday's , i agree , but personal me and the wife are having this on the list off things you must have been once ....
Never been to Poland or Tsjechie so any advise most welcome.
For those who don't know me well "we" means two adults ans a dog.... , we are not necesary looking to spend each night at a campsite and love nature .
Also driving longer distances is no problem for me as i see it as part of the trip....
Love to hear others thoughts on this.

 

[Stoneybroke]

It is an emotional visit to Auschwitz.
The enormity of the Holocaust is plain to see, but the visit is not complete until you go to Birkenau, when the vast area covered by rows of the remains of the huts speaks for itself. The camp that bears the Auschwitz name is small by comparison.
English speaking tours are available by knowledgeable guide. That is to be recommended.

Krakow is a beautiful city. Well worth some time there.

The Wieliczka Salt Mine, nearby, is wonderful. A vast underground labarynth, with statues and reliefs carved from the salt by the miners. The underground cathedral carved from the salt is wonderful.

 

[Velma's Dad]

If you;re in that area the old Tyskie brewery (in town of Tychy) has a very good tour. We had an extremely knowledgeable guide. Just plan ahead who's going to be 'designated driver' because the beer at the end of the tour is fresh and gorgeous and moreish.

On a more sober note, if visiting Auschwitz you could decide to arrive quite early in the morning and then stay ahead of the crowds. We felt we already knew a fair amount about the history of the Holocaust and the site, so we opted not to have a guided tour. That worked well for us.

 

[GrannyJen]

I am going to Auschwitz in May.

A very emotional and atmospheric trip. As an Historian I still find the holocaust to be one of the most challenging events to comprehend.

Detouring coming back to go to Ravensbruck and pay my respects to a great auntie that I never knew who was murdered there.

 

[Hotel California]

@luki170279
I am shooting some Q's as we heading to Poland next month afther the Hannover factory visit.
Witch is a good route to head from Hannover going to Auschwitch?
Direction Liepzig and then Dresden , head in Tsjechie and than Poland or stay in Germany as long as possible and than in to Poland?
Can you reccomend some sites on the way from German border to the Auschwits site? We probally stay camped up at Auschwitch parking for one night for the visit .
Maybe also Brikenau and the salt mines
Any good campsites you have been?
Then back home i do not know yet ....maybe .....Tsjechie visit Prague , Germany and so back to Belgium
Any advice would be appreciated ...
Also tips on driving in Poland , getting diesel ? Is it cheaper in Poland than Germany or Tsjechie ?
Things i need to know specific driving in Poland , Tsjechie? Toll-tags?

Lot's of Q's thanks in advance

Anyone else who can share experience please do

 

[Velma's Dad]

As far as I remember, the A4 from Katowice to Krakow has toll booths, but no need to pre-buy any kind of tag. Driving in Poland generally is very straightforward. Like most things in Poland, diesel is cheap.

You probably already know, but Auschwitz camp and Birkenau are very close to each other, about 10 mins drive between them as far as I recall. There is not so much to see at Birkenau compared to the main Auschwitz camp, it's mainly the railway siding - which however is very haunting.

Krakow is a fantastic city to visit, if you have time while in southern Poland. It's about an hour beyond Auschwitz (the town is actually called Oswiecim, in Polish)..

 

[Tony Beretta]

Taking notes. I want to do this trip from Luxembourg these Christmas.

 

[Hotel California]

Taking notes. I want to do this trip from Luxembourg these Christmas.

Prepare for cold and snow i guess , but on the other hand the winter feeling could be a plus on such a trip.

 

[bvddobb]

Taking notes. I want to do this trip from Luxembourg these Christmas.

We are considering the same trip, somewhere last week December 2017, first week January 2018. Intention to visit Auschwitz, Majdanek and Sobibor.

We were just wondering about campsites in winter in Poland. Will there be any that are open then? Does anyone know?
E.g. the campsite in the garden of the Dialogue & Learning Centre in Auschwitz only opens in April, we just checked.

 

[bvddobb]

We are considering the same trip, somewhere last week December 2017, first week January 2018. Intention to visit Auschwitz, Majdanek and Sobibor.

We were just wondering about campsites in winter in Poland. Will there be any that are open then? Does anyone know?

OK. the situation is not that bad. We checked on campercontact.com, and there are still campsites and camper aires open in winter in Poland, even one close (15 km) to Auschwitz and one near Lublin (Majdanek/Sobibor):

 

[Hotel California]

We used the learning center to spend two nights ....very nice and quiet and walking distance to Auschwitz camp , but the showerblok has open roof so probally closed in wintertime...
You can use the aire on the parking at Auschwitz i guess . No facilyties but two minutes from camp entrance

 

[bvddobb]

Indeed the Learning Centre camping is closed till April. The aire across from the camp is just a mix parking, that is not so nice a place to be. We may opt there for Molo campsite, some 15 km from Auschwitz.