Auchwitz & Krakow Weekend

After taking about an eight hour overnight bus ride (commitment) down to Krakow on Thursday, three of my friends and I got up nice and early on Friday to go on a tour to the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps. It truly was an eye-opening and sickening experience.

 We started in Auschwitz we we got systematically shown through the major parts of the museum. It took a little while for it to hit me, the gravity of what had happened here, and it took even longer for me to comprehend that this had happened to actual, once living, human beings. I still struggle to comprehend that it was caused by human beings. It was a little bit harder to go into each building as the tour progressed, knowing that some other horrible reality was inside. But at the same time, I felt obliged to. If I can pay respect to the countless victims of this terrible event by hearing their stories told and seeing the remains of what happened to them, then, in this small way, I will do it. 

A carriage used to transport people to the Birkenau Camp

On the way from Auchwitz to Birkenau, understandably, none of us spoke. Birkenau wasn't as jarring as Auchwitz had been, perhaps because not much of it was left. But still, to be able to see the places which, in photographs, had been populated by people condemning others to unspeakable fates of one sort or another, was surreal. At the far end of the Birkenau camp, a monument has been erected in memory of the victims of what happened here and in other concentration camps across Europe and as a reminder to all nations, so that nothing like this ever happens again. It was a moment of stirring reflection for all of us. 

The rest of the day was quite different. We met up with a lot of our other friends a bit later on, who were staying at a hostel. After meeting other travellers there, one of the guys from the hostel took us out to sample the night life. It almost feels like it was two different days, the contrast between that morning/afternoon and evening are almost too great.

One of Krakow's major theatres

Sculpture inside the Old Town Square, that only became popular after the artist died

Saturday morning - Valentine's Day - dawned and soon most of us were up and ready to go on a walking tour of the old town of Krakow. Since I had mostly just been hanging with my host family or the gap fam up until this point, it was nice to finally do some proper touristy stuff. The tour started in the beautiful Old Town Square, where we were told the fascinating stories of the buildings in its centre, then continued out of the old city walls (also full of history) to the Krakow Papal window and an internal courtyard of an old university. The latter two sights were cool to see, as I completely would have missed them without a tour guide. Our walk finished in the Wawel Castle grounds, where we were surrounded on three sides by beautiful buildings, which all looked out onto a view of Krakow the Vistula river below. 

The internal courtyard of one of Krakow University's original campuses

Inside a beautiful church

The tour concluded and we ambled our way down to the riverside below the castle, where the fire-breathing Wawel dragon lives. Yeah, ok - it's a statue, but  he does have his own cave, and every so often breathes real fire! 

Wawel Castle

View from the castle grounds

The Wawel Dragon

Lunch was - you won't believe it - New Zealand burgers. No, they weren't shipped here from half way around the world (ew)... we went to a place called Moaburger, a burger joint set up by some kiwi dudes to make burgers the only way kiwis know how - substantial and tasty. Even though they didn't come with an egg (you can't have everything), these burgers were the perfect compliment to our day of sightseeing in sunny Krakow. 

But the noshing wasn't over yet. After a bit more walking, we had afternoon tea at a cupcakery. It was a tough decision, but I finally chose the 'chocolate-dipped strawberry' cupcake and never looked back. De. Lish. That night was a bit more low key than the previous one, and a few of us went to a karaoke bar and had heaps of fun chatting and singing along to likes of 'Come On Eileen' and 'Mr Brightside'. It was a great time, before a (comparitavely) early night before an early bus back to Gdansk on Sunday morning.

Omnomnomnomnom.

I leave you with some final snaps of the beautiful Krakow. It is one of my favourite Polish cities as yet, and if you were to ask me the best places to visit in Poland, this would be at least top 3 (might do a "My Top [#] Polish Cities" post a bit closer to the end of my placement... we'll see ;)).

Love,
Addie
xoxo

Church in the main square. One tower is higher than the other