Auschwitz Jewish Center

The basics

Most travelers visit the ordinary little Polish town of Oświęcim independently: The nearby Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum draws travelers from around the world more than the city itself. No ticket is required to visit the memorial park, and the café is open to all, but there is a charge to visit the museum and the synagogue or join a tour that includes the cemetery. You need to reserve visits to the museum, synagogue, or cemetery online.

The memorial park, with its scarred gray sandstone slabs, makes a moving place to contemplate the tragedy of the Holocaust: It commemorates the destruction of Oświęcim’s Great Synagogue in 1939. From here, the logical next step is the synagogue and the museum. After a break for coffee and cake in Café Bergson, it’s just a 15-minute walk to the cemetery.

Things to know before you go

• The Auschwitz Jewish Center is an excellent choice for history buffs and anyone who’d like to learn more about the Holocaust.

• The synagogue is an active place of worship, so leave the short shorts and crop tops at home. They’re not appropriate for a death camp, either.

• As always with memorial sites, be respectful when taking photos.

• The cemetery is kept locked, so don’t plan on stopping by. You can pick up a key at the museum but must book in advance.

• The memorial park is accessible to people in wheelchairs, but the historical attractions are not.

How to get there

The museum, café, and synagogue cluster close together in Oświęcim’s historic center, about a 1-mile (1.5-kilometer) walk east of the train station, which has good links to Krakow. The memorial park is close by, and the cemetery is a 15-minute walk away. You can travel to or from the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum on the No. 3 or 8 bus or walk for about 30 minutes.

When to get there

The Oshpitzin Jewish Museum and the synagogue are open daily from late morning to early evening but are closed for Jewish holidays such as Passover and Yom Kippur. These follow the Hebrew calendar, so dates change yearly. Café Bergson is open when the museum is open. The memorial park is open year-round. The cemetery can only be visited by reservation.

Café Bergson

Named for the philosopher Henri Bergson, Café Bergson is an airy, minimalist space with an outdoor terrace that serves excellent coffee, cakes, bagels, and Polish beer. You can learn more about Oświęcim by viewing its photo displays or buying books at the gift shop. The building was home to Oświęcim’s last Jewish resident, Szymon Kluger, who died in 2000.