10 Best Things to Do and See in Oświęcim
Exploring Oświęcim on foot is one of the best ways to feel the city’s atmosphere, connect its landmark places and discover its neighbourhoods at a more natural pace.
In this guide, you will find the attractions not to miss when planning a walking route in Oświęcim, with simple reference points.
To go further, you can also enjoy a private guided tour in Oświęcim. It is a smoother way to connect places, understand details you might miss on your own and enjoy a more human, personal discovery adapted to your trip.
1. Auschwitz II-Birkenau Memorial, German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp
In Oświęcim, Auschwitz II-Birkenau Memorial is a powerful remembrance site dedicated to the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp. Discover its vast grounds, barracks, ruins, and preserved remains.
2. Entrance to Auschwitz II-Birkenau Camp
The entrance to Auschwitz II-Birkenau Camp in Brzezinka, in the Oświęcim commune, is one of the most recognizable points of the Auschwitz-Birkenau historic site. It opens onto a vast, highly austere space where the camp’s layout remains readable despite the disappearance of many original structures. This place helps visitors understand the scale of the complex, its location near Oświęcim, and its central role in the memory of World War II. The entrance itself serves as a threshold to a visitor route marked by sobriety, preservation, and remembrance.
3. Auschwitz Concentration Camp
Located in Oświęcim, Poland, Auschwitz Concentration Camp is a major memorial site that helps visitors understand the scale of persecution and extermination during World War II. Visitors can see preserved buildings, barracks, personal belongings, documents, and exhibitions that bear witness to the daily lives of deportees and the violence of the concentration camp system. A sober and moving visit, it invites reflection on history, human dignity, and the need to preserve this memory.
4. Rynek in Oświęcim
Rynek w Oświęcim, in the heart of Oświęcim, is a pleasant central square to explore and experience the local atmosphere. Its open urban space is lined with buildings, cafés, and shops, making it a popular meeting point for locals and visitors alike. It is a great place to take a break, admire the city center architecture, and walk to other sights nearby. Its friendly atmosphere reflects the everyday rhythm of Oświęcim and makes for an easy but worthwhile stop on any visit.
5. Auschwitz-Birkenau – “Judenrampe”
The Judenrampe at Auschwitz-Birkenau is a memorial site in Oświęcim, Poland, linked to the wider historic Auschwitz-Birkenau complex. This former unloading and selection point helps visitors understand the camp’s organization and the role of railway infrastructure in deportation. On site, visitors find a sober space marked by history, with traces of the original location and interpretation elements. The visit invites reflection on the violence of the concentration camp system and the fate of the victims.
6. Muzeum Castle in Oświęcim
Muzeum Castle in Oświęcim, in the Polish town of Oświęcim, invites you to discover a historic castle turned museum. Explore its rooms, architecture, local history, regional heritage, and the city's evolution.
7. Jewish Museum and Synagogue
The Jewish Museum and Synagogue in Oświęcim offers a cultural and memorial visit in a place closely linked to the city’s Jewish history. Visitors can explore a restored synagogue and a museum space with objects, documents, and testimonies about local Jewish life. The visit gives a better understanding of the heritage, traditions, and place of this community in Oświęcim before World War II. It is a calm, informative, and respectful experience that helps reveal the city’s historical identity.
8. Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum Visitor Center
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum Visitor Center is the main reception point for the famous memorial museum in Oświęcim, Poland. Find practical information to plan your visit, along with services for visitors before entering Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau. The center helps you understand how the museum works, prepare a meaningful remembrance visit, and find your way around this vast and deeply moving historic site. It is a useful first stop for approaching the visit with respect and clear guidance.
9. The Remembrance Museum of the Residents of Oświęcim Region
The Remembrance Museum of the Oświęcim region offers an evocative look at local history and the memory of the people who lived in this part of Poland. Through documentary exhibitions, everyday objects, photographs, and testimonies, it highlights residents’ lives, the city’s changes, and the hardships the region went through. This reflective place helps visitors better understand Oświęcim’s human heritage and approach its past with sensitivity, from both a historical and memorial perspective.
10. “Arbeit Macht Frei” Sign Gate
The "Arbeit Macht Frei" gate marks the entrance to the historic site of Auschwitz I in Oświęcim, Poland. This wrought-iron gate, simple yet deeply symbolic, is one of the site’s best-known features and immediately recalls the camp’s role during World War II. Seeing it helps visitors understand that the visit takes place in a place of memory, where the preserved buildings, fences and site layout bear witness to a tragic past. It is a place for reflection, remembrance and contemplation.
Antony M
During my travels, I looked for guides who spoke my language. This search turned out to be long and tedious. That is why I created MYTOGU (My Tourist Guide): a matching site between tourists and professional tourist guides.
