A bleak but essential day trip, the Auschwitz death camp is 55 miles west of Krakow and is the grave of an estimated 1.1 million people, most of whom were gassed as part of the Nazi German ‘Final Solution’. The journey takes approximately 90 minutes by train, or mini-bus (marked for Oswieciem), which stand by the bus station on ulica Bosacka (just behind the train station). Alternatively, visit the awesome Wieliczka Salt Mines (www.kopalnia.pl). Dating from the Middle Ages the underground shafts are home to fascinating carvings and statues made from salt. The ten-mile journey can be made using local trains, or buses from the bus station.

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