Auschwitz

Auschwitz (Oświęcim) offers different ways to explore the city: large-scale murals in various districts, historic sites, exhibitions, and a puzzle quest through the old town and along the Soła Boulevards. You can tailor your stay to your own interests, focusing on city history, public art, or a playful exploration. An annual festival held in May is also one of the offerings to consider when planning your trip.

Murals and themes of the city

Oświęcim has a unique collection of monumental murals on buildings in different parts of the city. The works are therefore not confined to a single location. Most address peace, overcoming cultural barriers and stereotypes, and tolerance. If you are interested in art and these themes, you can make the murals a focus of your exploration of the city. The collection is spread out, unlike a single exhibition venue: you will encounter the works on buildings in several districts.

Old Town, Piast Castle and traces of history

The city’s history can also be seen in different places and from different periods. Remains of the 16th-century town hall and a pre-war fountain have been preserved in the market square. The historic town plan, dating from the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, is listed in the monument register. These two traces of the city’s past help orient visitors with an interest in history, though they are not the same kind of evidence: individual architectural remains and a fountain have been preserved here, while the town plan is recorded as a historical document.

St. Hyacinth’s Chapel is a former Dominican chapter house dating from the first half of the 14th century. Piast Castle on the Soła houses the Muzeum Zamek w Oświęcimiu. Together with the traces in the market square, these sites offer a picture made up of different historical points of reference. This means you can focus your stay more on individual buildings, the historic town plan, or a museum visit, rather than combining all these aspects under a single theme.

Puzzle quest and exhibition

For an independent exploration, there is a free quest that can be played at any time. Follow clues and solve puzzles along the way. The route runs along the paths of the Soła Boulevards and through the old town. The puzzle game offers a different focus from a visit centered mainly on individual historic sites or exhibitions: it combines solving challenges with exploring these areas. Oświęcim also hosts the permanent exhibition “W przestrzeniach historii. Dzieje miasta Oświęcimia.” If you are interested in the city’s history, you can include this exhibition in your plans.

The Jewish Museum is located at Plac Ks. Skarbka. It gives visitors access to the Chewra Lomdei Misznajot Synagogue. Alongside Piast Castle and the permanent exhibition on the city’s history, this offers another cultural point of reference. The synagogue and museum form a focus of their own for travelers who would like to learn about this part of the cultural heritage.

A date in May

The Jarmark Kasztelański takes place every year in May. Its program includes historical performances, hands-on activities, and workshops for children. May is therefore a specific option for families who want to plan their trip around a festival like this. Alongside the historical performances, the workshops and hands-on activities give the market a distinctive, practical character. If you travel outside this period, you can instead plan your stay around the quest, which can be played at any time of year, the historic sites, and the exhibitions mentioned above.

More places: Babice, Trzebinia, Lgota, Chrzanów, Młoszowa, Alwernia, Żarki, Zagórze.

Back to the main travel overview: Chrzanów.