Travel: Auschwitz

No words carry such potent horror as "Auschwitz".

Today, visitors from throughout the world take trips to the Nazi death camp, which is in easy reach of Krakow.

Auschwitz is known as the most notorious place of genocide during the Holocaust. Between 1940 and 1945, about 1.5 million people were killed at the Auschwitz camps. Most were Jewish, but Russian POWs, Poles and Gypsies were among those sent to gas chambers designed to look like showers.

Auschwitz trips take you to the exact location of the camps about 50km west of Krakow. Both the grounds and the camps are open to visitors and there is a museum. During your Auschwitz trip you will learn about the terrifying life the prisoners led while incarcerated before their deaths.

Many of their personal belongings are on display, providing a very raw human element.

The museum also provides historical documents about the many who died through mistreatment, disease, starvation, forced labour and executions.

The museum provides a stark insight into the way nations can turn against one culture or another with an end result of extreme evil.

The best way to visit Auschwitz is by bus. You can catch the bus at the main terminal station in Krakow.