Krakow, Poland –
My main purpose for visiting Krakow was not to see the city itself but I was pleasantly surprised. My hostel was centrally located in the old city which is surrounded by a wall dating back to the 14th century. The old city consists of an array of buildings – different cookies, styles and histories that could take days to explore. The history in the city is incredible and walking through the twisting and turning streets with the assistance of Wikipedia /google maps I felt I was only beginning to grasp it.
My main purpose for coming to krakow was to see auschwitz. After seeing the genocide memorials in Rwanda and Cambodian and the holocaust museum in Jerusalem I felt that it was important to see it in order to figer cement how horrific events like that can happen. I won’t speak much to this as I believe the history is well known – but after seeing auschwitz I am more than ever before simply shocked at the sheer brutality and planning that was instrumental in carrying out the holocaust. Learning about the history is one thing but seeing in person how the site was designed to kill, dehumanizes and abuse those who entered was both eye opening and horrific.
What visiting reminded me was that all times, but especially now with the political and social situation we live in it is so important to seek understanding instead of misunderstanding and compassion instead of hatred.
Tips:
– Stay in the old town
– Eat pirogies (so cheap, so delicious)
– If you do an auschwitz tour as a student the most you should pay is 99PLN. You can also take the train but there are specific times guided tours start and for most parts the specific auschwitz guide is required so I recommend the tour as most convenient
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