During our trip tp Berlin we booked a flight to Krakow, Poland, and stayed downtown for a couple days. Auschwitz-Birkenau is located 66 kilometres west of Krakow. I purchased tickets online before we left Canada that included a shuttle from our hotel. 

The tickets gave us access as part of a tour group. We all wore headphones to listen to our guide as walked us through the camp. 

I’ve read about the holocaust since I was young but there’s obviously nothing that can prepare you for what you’ll see here. The gallows, the execution wall, Block 10. Seeing the gas chambers and crematorium is something I’ll never forget. Industrialized mass murder.

This was a haunting experience.