Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Salt Mines

If there is one piece of history that should not be forgotten, it's the Nazi concentration and extermination camps of WW2.

Auschwitz-Birkenau is situated around 70km West of Krakow so we decided to join a tour and combine it with a visit to the Salt Mines. The bus picked us up at 7.30am and drove us straight to Auschwitz; we arrived at 9am so there was only a small queue where they checked our passports. The guide was waiting for us on the other side, and thanks to the headsets we were given, it was easy to hear and follow exactly what was being said.

We started the visit in Auschwitz 1; we were taken around many of the blocks, the torture and gas chambers and saw thousands of items belonging to people who were imprisoned. It was a harrowing site, but Birkenau was much worse. The complex really is an important piece of history, but it is emotionally draining. 











We spent around 4 hours visiting the site before walking back to the bus where we were given our packed lunches; we had 20 minutes free time before jumping back onto the bus and driving to the salt mine. It was another hours drive, so I had a mini-nap.

On arrival at Wieliczka Salt Mines, we were taken to the entrance where we followed our guide down 400 steps and into the first chamber. We were then ushered along the various tunnels where we learned about the history of the mines and role it played in the prosperity of Krakow. There are lots of amazing sculptures and the chapels inside the mine are beautiful; the majority of the carvings having been done by miners. We explored the 3 kilometres of tunnels which are open to the public before taking the lift back up to the surface; now if you are claustrophobic, I don't advise it!

The journey back to the hotel was around 30 minutes due to rush hour; we dropped off our bags before heading back to the old town for dinner and a few drinks. We found the weirdest restaurant which had traditional Polish food; I say weird because there was a person dressed as Archduke Franz Ferdinand (his murder signalled the beginning of WW1) trying to lure us into the cellar restaurant .

The restaurant was called Piwnica Pod Zlota Pipa and the food was excellent; I had sour soup and baked ribs, another Polish favourite.





After dinner, we went to the Wódka Cafe Bar to try some shots of vodka. It was a tiny little place, and the clientele at the time were a little rowdy (to say the least). We had an initial tasting set then decided to have a few more....


We left slightly drunken, so decided to wander back to the hotel. As we got closer, we thought we might as well try another bar or two. We went to a bar in Plac Nowy, one of the squares in the Jewish district. We only had one drink there before heading to another bar around the corner; it was a huge bar but pretty quiet. We had a drink, then decided it was time to have one more.....For some reason, we ended up speaking with the bartender about whisky and that ended up with us having another shot of vodka and a cocktail, followed by a shot on the swing! 


We left the pub drunk, but happy, and ready for bed!



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