Oświęcim

Oświęcim is a town in Małopolskie Province in southern Poland, 60 km west of Kraków. It's better known by its German name of Auschwitz, and from 1940 to 1945 over a million people, mostly Jews, were slain in the nearby camps. The two principal camps have been preserved as museums and are the main reason to visit. Most visitors come on day-trips to the camps and don't go into town, so the separate Auschwitz-Birkenau page describes the camps and the practicalities of visiting. The present page describes Oświęcim town, in case you want to stay over: there are several other attractions here which are overshadowed by the infamous surroundings.

Understand
Oświęcim lies at the western edge of Małopolskie Province and in 2023 had a population of 34,000. The Soła river flows through town centre to join the Vistula, which nowadays marks the boundary with Silesia. When Poland was partitioned in the 18th century, Oświęcim along with Kraków was seized by Austria, while Silesia became part of Prussia. The area was industrial, based on coal and chemicals, with a substantial German-speaking population. The majority of townsfolk were Jewish, and they called it Oshpitzim (Yiddish: אָשפּיצין‎). In 1918 the area became part of newly-independent Poland, but in 1939 the Nazis annexed it into the Gau of Upper Silesia (a "Gau" being a province ruled by a Gauleiter). They sought to make it a "second Ruhr", an industrial heartland beyond the reach of Allied bombing, and to rid it of unwanted inhabitants. The camps were built and began the industrial genocide of Jews and others first from Germany, then from anywhere in Europe within Nazi control.

By plane
Kraków 50 km east or Katowice  50 km north are the obvious airports.

By train
Trains from Kraków run hourly and take one hour. Most are regional trains; an occasional faster train is heading for Prague or Vienna.

Direct trains from Katowice run every 2 or 3 hours and take 50 min, with other connections via Trzebinia.

is 2 km west of town centre. It's within 2 km of both Auschwitz camps: this is not by chance. Buses and taxis wait to meet the tourist trade.

By road
Buses run at least every 30 min from Kraków, taking 90 min. By car, Highway 44 passes through Oświęcim en route between Kraków and Katowice; don't be on A4 which passes far to the north.

Get around
The sights of Oświecim town are close together and easily reached on foot. Take a bus (several lines) or taxi to the camps as these are 2 km from town and from each other, there's a lot of walking once you reach them, and you'll run out of time if not of energy.

A free bus runs between Auschwitz I and II: see Auschwitz.

See

 * See Auschwitz for details of the two extermination camps on the west edge of town:
 * is 2 km south of the railway station
 * or Birkenau is 2 km southwest of the station. There's nothing to see at Auschwitz III or Monowitz.


 * is the main market square, with most of the town amenities and sights clustered around. Many of its buildings including Town Hall (below) were rebuilt in the 19th century after a couple of disastrous fires, so there's a pleasing unity of style.
 * Combi tickets for Town Hall Museum, Castle and Tunnels are 25 zł.


 * Tunnels drill beneath the castle. The first was dug by the Austrians late 18th century from Zabowka to Bulowy street. In the 1940s the Germans extended this and added a cross-tunnel (north-south) for air raid shelters. You watch an introductory video then go below (bring a sweater) and have to solve puzzles (in Polish) to get out, so it's a sort-of family friendly escape room. Booking via castle essential, adult 12 zł.
 * is a striking modern RC church on Aleja Tysiąclecia.
 * , dating from mid-18th century, is a bosky place at the corner of Dąbrowskiego and Brzegi. Smashed up by the Nazis in 1941, it was repaired post-war but no further burials took place.
 * , dating from mid-18th century, is a bosky place at the corner of Dąbrowskiego and Brzegi. Smashed up by the Nazis in 1941, it was repaired post-war but no further burials took place.
 * , dating from mid-18th century, is a bosky place at the corner of Dąbrowskiego and Brzegi. Smashed up by the Nazis in 1941, it was repaired post-war but no further burials took place.

Do

 * Ice hockey: TH Unia Oświęcim play in Polska Hokej Liga the top tier. Their home rink is 500 m east of town centre.
 * has a cinema and theatre. It's at Śniadeckiego 24, corner of Tysiąclecia.
 * is an amusement park on Zaborska, 500 m southeast of town centre. It's open M-F 15:00-20:00, Sa Su 10:00-20:00.
 * and are two other amusement / theme parks 20 km east near the village of Zator.

Buy

 * Convenience stores are dotted about, Biedronka and Żabka are the main chains.
 * Convenience stores are dotted about, Biedronka and Żabka are the main chains.

Eat

 * Rynek the market square and vicinity has several eating places. These include Restauracja na Rynku, Mała Czarna, Manufaktura Zapiekanek, Antalya at Romana Mayzla 5, Itamae Sushi at Klasztorma 2, and Da Grasso at Solskiego 2.
 * Portobello is 200 m south of Rynek at Jagiełły 27, open daily 12:00-22:00.

Connect
As at May 2024, Oświęcim and its approach roads have 4G from Play and Plus, and 5G from Orange and T-mobile.

Go next

 * Kraków is a must-see for its walled inner city.
 * A slow route through the hills to Kraków or Zakopane leads to Wadowice, birthplace of Pope John-Paul II, and Kalwaria Zebrzydowska a pilgrimage centre.
 * Katowice and its surrounding towns have a rich industrial heritage.