Mauthausen
Mauthausen, Upper Austria, 4310
Mauthausen was one of the largest concentration camps in the Nazi-controlled part of Europe during World War II. It was the last camp to be liberated by the Allies, with at least 90,000 people estimated to have been murdered there. The main camp at Mauthausen, located outside the titular town in Austria, has served as a museum since 1975.
The basics
The Mauthausen Memorial is mostly visited as a day trip from Linz or Vienna, with tours generally only providing transportation to and from the site. Inside the memorial are several permanent and temporary exhibitions with information on the camp’s history, accounts from former prisoners, photographs, and films. You can choose to explore independently, with a virtual or audio guide, or by guided tour. Visiting the memorial takes most people one to two hours.
Things to know before you go
- Visits for children under 14 years of age are not recommended by the museum due to the subject matter.
- Admission to the museum is free, however guided tours do require tickets.
- Virtual guides are available through a smartphone app, while audio guides come with a fee.
- The visitor center has a reference library, book shop, and a bistro.
How to get there
The Mauthausen Memorial is located northwest of Mauthausen town center, roughly 12.5 miles (20 kilometers) from the city of Linz. From Linz train station, you can take either the #360 bus to the Mauthausen Linzerstraße/Hauptschule stop or the #361 bus to the Mauthausen Linzerstraße/Wasserwerk stop. Both are located approximately 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) from the museum. Between April and November, the #361 bus runs several times a day to the museum entrance.
When to get there
Although the Mauthausen Memorial is open year-round, those planning to see the outdoor memorial sculpture garden may prefer to explore the museum in the warmer months. Visiting first thing in the morning is a good idea to get a start before tour groups roll in, but generally the memorial isn’t too crowded.
The Gusen Memorial near Mauthausen
The Mauthausen concentration camp was the main hub for acts of persecution committed by Nazis in Austria, but there were other subcamps around the country that served as its branches. Several of these camps now host memorials to their prisoners and victims, including the Gusen Memorial, located just a couple of miles from the Mauthausen Memorial. Not much of the Gusen concentration camp remains, but there is a visitor center with exhibitions in its place.
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