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Place in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland
Photo: Beata Piela, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl via Wikimedia Commons
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.
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This 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.
Ratusz
Local history museum within the town hall, which was built in the 1870s. It is a branch of the larger museum in the Castle.
Museum Zamek
13th century Gothic defence tower with 16th and 20th century extensions, near the river - too near, as many of the fortifications have been washed away. With small museum, and you can climb to the top of the tower.
Drilled 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.
This is a striking modern (1983) Catholic church near Aleja Tysiąclecia
Auschwitz Jewish Centre
Museum about the former Jewish population of Oshpitzin, which in Yiddish means "guests". Includes the Chevra Lomdei Mishnayot synagogue and Cafe Bergson. Online booking essential.
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.
Great Polish trad food.
Good Italian pizzas and ice-cream, reasonable prices.
Smart restaurant with wide-ranging menu.
Atmospheric pub on market square.
Friendly pub with micro-brewery.
Międzynarodowy Dom Spotkań Młodzieży
Hostel and cultural centre for groups.
Pleasant small hostel in town centre.
Clean comfy hotel by the castle and river bridge in town centre.
Mid-range hotel with spa, often used by tour groups. Clean and comfy with good Italian restaurant.
Decent mid-range hotel, good restaurant.
Small simple hotel, cleanliness varies.
Extensive supermarket.
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.
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.
The sights of Oświecim town are close together and easily reached on foot.
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