Tour guiado por las minas de sal de Wieliczka y el Museo Auschwitz-Birkenau

Day 1- Wieliczka Salt Mine Guided Tour and Auschwitz

Going down the 380 steps into the salt mine you may have the impression of entering a magical underground city, full of mysterious caves, amazing underground lakes, majestic designs, and unique salt carvings.

The tourist route in the Salt Mine, included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978, is almost 3 km long and consists of winding corridors, 800 steps, and a descent to a depth of 135 meters underground. It begins at the Daniłowicz Shaft, where the visitors meet their guide who, while showing them around, will tell them about the history and secrets of the mine, the forces of nature that rule the mine, and the ethos of hard work of many generations of miners.

Going down deeper and deeper, the visitors will see unusual places, take pleasure in watching the light spectacle on the banks of one of the saline lakes, and learn the famous legend of Princess Kinga, who brought a wealth of salt into the Polish soil. In the middle of the route, there is St. Kinga's Chapel, a wonderful chapel dedicated to the patron saint of salt miners, decorated with extraordinary salt artwork.

• Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum

KL Auschwitz – between 1940-1945, the biggest Nazi concentration and death camp in occupied Europe. Located 70 km from Kraków in the town of Oświęcim. The Auschwitz Memorial Museum, founded in 1947 was inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1979.

Highlights

• Learn about the origins of the camp and its tragic history

• Hear harrowing stories about the everyday life of the prisoners

• Visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex and museum

Take a scenic and comfortable 60-minute journey toward Auschwitz and learn about the harrowing history of the former concentration camp with an informative documentary that uncovers the history of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp and the first days after it was liberated. Upon arrival, you will take a short break to stretch your legs before starting the tour of a place that became a symbol of the Holocaust and Nazi crimes committed against Poles, Romani, and others. The tour comprises both parts of the former concentration camp – Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau. There will be approximately 90 minutes dedicated to discovering Auschwitz I and the same amount of time will be spent on getting to know Auschwitz II-Birkenau.

At Auschwitz I, you will visit the camp for men and women established by the Nazis; it was the place where the first experiments of killing using Zyklon B took place, the first mass transports of Jews being murdered, the first criminal experiments on prisoners were conducted, and the majority of executions by shooting were performed. It was there, in block 11, where the central detention camp for prisoners from all parts of the camp was housed, as well as the main camp commandant office and most other SS offices. The camp authorities supervised the further expansion of the camp from there.

Next, take a 3-kilometer bus ride to reach Auschwitz II-Birkenau. In the Birkenau camp, the Nazis built most devices of mass destruction, with which about 1 million Jews were murdered. At the same time, Birkenau was the largest concentration camp (nearly 300 primitive, mostly wooden barracks), where in 1944 there were over 100,000 prisoners: Jews, Poles, Romani, and others. Today, in the area of approx. 200 hectares you can see preserved ruins of the gas chambers and places filled with human ashes, as well as primitive barracks for prisoners.

Requirements

Not accessible for wheelchairs and people with walking difficulties.

The tour is not appropriate for individuals with claustrophobia.

This tour involves a fair amount of walking. Comfortable shoes are recommended.

Infants, 0-2 years old must sit on laps.

Not suitable for pregnant women or people who suffer from back problems.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

This route/ activity is moderately arduous. Good physical condition is needed