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Auschwitz Artifacts to Go on Tour, Very Carefully

By Joanna Berendt

• July 26, 2017

WARSAW — More than 72 years after the liberation of Auschwitz, the first traveling exhibition about the Nazi death camp will begin a journey later this year to 14 cities across Europe and North America, taking heartbreaking artifacts to multitudes who have never seen such horror up close.

The endeavor is one of the most high-profile attempts to educate and immerse young people for whom the Holocaust is a fading and ill-understood slice of history. The Anne Frank House, the Jewish Museum Berlin, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and others all find themselves grappling with ways to engage an attention-challenged world with a dark part of its past.

Yet anything that smacks of putting Auschwitz on tour instantly raises sensitivities. Organizers of the exhibition, which include the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum itself, took pains to explain that, yes, visitors would probably be charged to enter in at least some locations. But officials at that museum and the company behind the exhibition say that their intent is not to create a moneymaker out of the suffering of millions of Nazi victims.

Several prominent Jewish leaders expressed support for taking pieces of Auschwitz to people who might not otherwise see this history. They said that they were not overly concerned about an entrance fee; organizers said that they would ask for it to be small, if any, and for admission to be free for students.

“If you’re telling me, ‘Gee, they’re coming out and they’re going to be millionaires over this,’ I would object,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier, who founded the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human-rights organization. “But if they’re making what is normally considered to be a fair amount of profit since the final end is that hundreds of thousands of people maybe in different places all over the world will see the exhibit — I think that’s quite legitimate.”

The exhibition — announced on Wednesday by the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and the organizer, the Spanish company Musealia — will include pieces from the museum such as a barracks; a freight car of the same type used to transport prisoners; letters and testimonials; and a gas mask, a tin that contained Zyklon B gas pellets and other grim remainders from the complex’s gas chambers.

Seven years in the making, the exhibition is a response to growing anti-Semitism in Europe and elsewhere, those involved with it said.

“We have never done anything like this before and it’s the first project of this magnitude ever,” said Piotr Cywinski, director of the state museum, which is on the site of the former camp, in southern Poland. “We had been thinking about this for a long time, but we lacked the know-how.”

Even though the Holocaust remains a major focus of study by historians and is a staple of school curriculum in many countries, knowledge about the camps is fading for younger generations, he said.

The exhibition will make its first stop in Madrid, aiming for an opening around December, and then tour for seven years. Precise dates and locations will be announced in about a month.

It is no longer enough to “sit inside four walls, stare at the door and wait for visitors to come in,” Mr. Cywinski said, so museum officials decided to reach out to a more global audience.

The exhibition was broached in 2010 when Musealia, a family-owned company whose shows include artifacts from the Titanic, approached the museum.

Luis Ferreiro, the company’s director, said the idea came while he was grieving the death of his 25-year-old brother. He had found consolation in “Man’s Search for Meaning,” a book by a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, Viktor E. Frankl , about his experiences in four extermination camps after his pregnant wife, his parents and brother all perished.

Inspired by the book’s lessons for spiritual survival, Mr. Ferreiro said he decided to try to make the subject of the Holocaust closer to those who might never have a chance to visit the museum.

It took time for Mr. Ferreiro to gain the trust of the board of the Auschwitz museum, which was surprised to receive such a request from an exhibition company outside the museum world.

The museum demanded that the artifacts be kept secured at all times and that the exhibition comply with the museum’s strict conservation requirements, including finding proper transportation and storage, as well as choosing exhibition spaces with sufficient lighting and climate control.

The museum also insisted that the artifacts be presented in historical context, especially because many aspects of World War II are only vaguely understood by younger generations. For instance, in Spain, asking about the history and place of Jews in Europe “would probably get some strange answers.” The exhibition will show that Spain — which during the war was led by Francisco Franco, a dictator and ally of Adolf Hitler — was not home to large Jewish communities and did not have extensive connections with the Holocaust; yet there were notable exceptions, like Ángel Sanz Briz, a Spanish diplomat who saved more than 5,000 Jews in Hungary from deportation to Auschwitz.

“In other words, we want to show that the Franco regime was certainly very sympathetic to the Nazis,” said Robert Jan van Pelt, a history professor at the University of Waterloo in Canada and a Holocaust scholar who has been working on the exhibition. “But individual Spaniards could make, and made, a difference.”

As for the morality of charging money to see artifacts from a death camp, and potentially turning a profit, Mr. Ferreiro said that traveling exhibitions like this one usually generated huge expenses. Putting the display together has already cost more than $1.5 million, and there are no guarantees “the exhibit will even be sustainable,” Mr. Ferreiro said.

Musealia will offer museums that want to host the exhibition a flat fee for transportation, installation, design and all the content.

“We need to earn an income to sustain ourselves and keep the enterprise going,” Mr. Ferreiro said, “but our goal is to focus on larger social goals such as enlightenment and education.”

The Auschwitz museum will get a fixed amount that will be given to it yearly to cover any expenses arising from the project, though neither museum officials nor Musealia specified how much. If the exhibition is profitable, the amount the museum receives will be increased, Mr. Ferreiro said.

The story of Auschwitz, as told through the artifacts, will cover the physical location of the camps and their status as symbols of structuralized hatred and barbarity. The exhibition will begin with the history of Oswiecim, the Polish site of the German camps, whose population was about 60 percent Jewish before the war. That history will be followed by the origins of Nazism after World War I.

Of the 1,150 original pieces to be displayed, 835 will come from the state museum. The rest have been lent by other institutions, like Yad Vashem in Israel, or directly by survivors and their families, much of which has not been displayed before.

Each artifact, however, was chosen to help lay out the history of the Holocaust. Mr. van Pelt mentioned a brown blanket that belonged to Siegfried Fedrid, a Jew born in Vienna who was a prisoner at Nazi camps in Lodz, a city in central Poland, and Auschwitz. The blanket is on loan to the exhibition from the Holocaust Center for Humanity in Seattle, which got it from the family of Mr. Fedrid, who died in 1963.

Mr. Fedrid shared the blanket with five other prisoners, probably saving their lives during a grisly winter march.

Rabbi Hier said that the Holocaust artifacts must travel the world to make sure memories of the era do not fade away.

“We’re in the period of the last remnants, last decades, where personal survivors or witnesses, who can describe the events, are living on this planet,” he said. “We will soon have no survivors.”

Mr. Cywinski, of the Auschwitz museum, said he expected the exhibition to be provocative, with some patrons drawing connections between the rise of Nazism and events around the world today. He mentioned populism, propaganda, institutionalized hatred and an international community that he regarded as sometimes seemingly blind to these social forces.

“Memory that is intelligent, reflexive, is not limited to the past, but allows you to define the reality and project the future,” he said. “Otherwise, why would we even need memory?”

An earlier version of this article referred incorrectly to admissions at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. Visitors are charged a fee if they tour the memorial with a guide, not simply for entering the grounds.

How we handle corrections

Sopan Deb contributed reporting from New York.

Arts and Culture Across Europe

New productions of “Macbeth” and “Hamlet” in Paris follow a French tradition of adapting familiar works . The results are innovative, and sometimes cryptic.

The internet latched on to 16-year-old Felicia Dawkins’ performance as The Unknown at a shambolic Willy Wonka-inspired event . Now she’s heading to a bigger and scarier stage in London.

When activists urged Tate Britain in London to take an offensive artwork off its walls, the institution commissioned Keith Piper  to create a response instead. The result recently went on display.

The new National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam has been in the works for almost 20 years. It is the first institution to tell the full story  of the persecution of Dutch Jews during World War II.

At a retrospective of John Singer Sargent’s portraits in London, where the American expatriate fled after creating a scandal in Paris, clothes offer both armor and self-expression .

The street artist Frank “Frankey” de Ruwe has been delighting Amsterdam with his whimsical, witty pieces .

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Warsaw, Budapest, Vienna & Prague – Honoring the Jewish Heritage

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EXPERIENCE WITH TAUCK

Prayer and a Q&A with a Rabbi during exclusive, private access in the Frankel Synagogue in Budapest

TAUCK VALUE INCLUDES

Visits to the Warsaw Ghetto Memorial, Umschlagplatz, the Jewish Historical Institute, Nozyk Synagogue and the Museum of the History of Polish Jews (POLIN)

Visit to Plaszów concentration camp in Kraków

Visit to Poland's poignant museum and memorial at Auschwitz-Birkenau

Private piano recital of Chopin music in Warsaw

Walking tour of Budapest's Jewish Quarter; Dohány & Kazinczy synagogues

SEE WHAT YOUR JOURNEY INCLUDES

Active components such as hiking, bicycling and walking longer distances may be included, and hills and/or uneven terrain may be encountered on several days. Guests should be able to walk two to three miles and stand for long periods of time with no difficulty.

Often robust – may include long days, active sightseeing, early starts, evening activities, significant travel times.

Along Europe's Scenic "Yellow Roads"

Become immersed in the cultural legacies and poignant history of the Jewish communities of Warsaw, Budapest, Vienna and Prague on this special Jewish heritage tour. Emotionally stirring, historic sites are inextricably linked to their Jewish heritage, offering a chance to learn, in depth, reflect and remember the sacrifices that were made there.

Visit warsaw's holocaust memorials and polin, in warsaw, explore the warsaw ghetto memorial, nozyk synagogue, polin and more.

Before World War II, Poland was once home to the largest Jewish community in Europe, which had thrived for centuries in an environment of religious tolerance. Your time in Poland's capital, Warsaw, includes visits to Holocaust memorials including Nozyk Synagogue, the only one of Warsaw's 400 synagogues to survive the war; the memorial to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943; the Umschlagplatz (the "taking away place"), the deportation point for thousands of Warsaw's Jewish Holocaust victims; and the internationally-acclaimed POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, built on the site of the Warsaw Ghetto, which immerses visitors in the 1,000-year history of the Jews in Poland through interactive exhibits, reconstructions, and multimedia.

The Plaszów memorial and more

Your travels in kraków include the former schindler factory and the plaszów concentration camp memorial.

In Kraków's industrial district of Zablocie on the right bank of the Wisla River stands the former enameled vessels factory once operated by German industrialist Oskar Schindler, whose efforts to protect the lives of his Jewish workers was portrayed in the film, "Schindler's List." Today the former factory is a branch of the City of Krakow Historical Museum chronicling life in Krakow under German occupation, and includes several exhibits involving the story of Schindler and his workers. After a brief visit here, you'll continue on to pay your respects at the remains of and memorial to victims of Plaszów, the infamous forced labor camp turned concentration camp from which Schindler managed to save more than a thousand Jewish workers.

A poignant visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial

Visit the auschwitz-birkenau memorial outside kraków, and tour of the sites of both infamous camps.

Dating back to 1335, a re-emerging Kazimierz – Kraków's historic Jewish Quarter – thrives anew today with cafés and bistros, antique shops, museums and galleries… despite being nearly destroyed by the Nazis during the Holocaust of World War II. On a guided tour of the district, you'll visit the 15th-century Old Synagogue museum where exhibits showcase the history and traditions of Polish Judaism. Then, journey some 40 miles southwest of Kraków for a poignant visit to the memorial and museum at the former extermination camp complex at Auschwitz-Birkenau – including Blocks 4, 5, 7 and 11 at Auschwitz – followed by a tour of the Birkenau site.

Private luncheon cruise in Prague and Q&A with a Holocaust survivor

A private luncheon cruise on prague's vltava river and a q&a with a holocaust survivor.

For many of Europe's greatest cities, the rivers that flow through them are often their lifeblood and their defining feature. So it is with Prague, ancient capital of the Czech Republic, split by the Vltava River but joined by the historic Charles Bridge (and 17 others!). And there's no better or more unique way to experience the heart of this timeless city than aboard a private luncheon cruise on the Vltava through Prague's Lesser Town and Old Town. Also during your time in Prague, you'll be joined by a Czech concentration camp survivor for a poignant discussion of the Holocaust in wartime Czechoslovakia, followed by a memorable Q & A session.

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Travel Documents

If you are a U.S. citizen traveling internationally, you will need a passport for six months beyond the completion of your Tauck journey to enter Poland, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic; however, you do not need a visa for the short duration of this tour.

The U.S. State Department advises that: "All foreigners seeking entry into the Czech Republic must also carry proof of a medical insurance policy contracted for payment of all costs for hospitalization and medical treatment while in the Czech Republic. According to the Czech Government, if you have a health insurance card or an internationally recognized credit card with health insurance included, it will generally be accepted as proof of insurance to enter the country."

Tauck offers insurance that is considered sufficient for this purpose. Please refer to the Tauck Travel Protection Product section above on this webpage for further details.

If you are a citizen of another country traveling internationally, you should contact an embassy or consulate of Poland, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to determine what travel documentation is required.

Please note that longer stays abroad for any purpose may require additional travel documentation.

We recommend that you make at least two photocopies of all the travel documents that you bring with you. Include copies of the photo page of your passport that contains the date of issuance, the date of expiration and your citizenship. Secure one set of copies in the safe in your room while traveling and leave one set behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your documents are misplaced, lost or stolen.

To facilitate Travel Requirements, destinations are increasingly utilizing online forms that require digital proof that you've successfully completed your submission (via an email, QR code, etc.) To ensure smooth travels and peace of mind, we strongly recommend all guests carry a personal smart phone and sign up for international data plans before traveling overseas.

TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN AS A GUARDIAN: If you are traveling as the guardian of a child/children, we strongly suggest that you carry a letter from both parents of the child authorizing emergency treatment in the event of illness or accident. For travel abroad, many foreign countries have specific entry requirements for children under 21 who are traveling internationally without BOTH parents. (These requirements are in response to the increased incidence of children being abducted and taken abroad.) PLEASE NOTE THAT TAUCK IS NOT RESPONSIBLE for the disruption of travel caused by improper documentation for children traveling without both parents.

How to Book a Tour

See your travel advisor, or call Tauck at 800-468-2825 to make a reservation.

At the time of booking, please have the following information ready for all members of your party:

• Tour Name and Departure Date
• Traveler's Name: First and last names as they appear on your passport or driver's license
• Traveler's Address(es)
• Email Address*
• Traveler's Phone Number(s)*
• Emergency Contact Information: Please provide the name and phone number  of a relative or friend (not travelling with you) whom we could contact during the tour in the unlikely event of an emergency
• Interest in purchasing a travel protection plan (US and Canada)
• Interest in extending your trip by staying in a Tauck recommended hotel before your trip begins or after it ends
• Interest in our specially negotiated airfares

* Required Fields

Deposits & Final Payment

Deposits and fees for the optional Protection Plan or Cancel Fee Waiver [CFW] coverage are due at time of booking.

The deposit amount is $600 per person

Final Payments:

Final Payment is due to Tauck  60  days before departure for lands trips, and  120  days before departure for cruises and rail journeys. If your deposit was made by credit card, final payment will be automatic unless you opted out at time of booking. Bookings without full payment at this time may be subject to cancellation without notice. Failure to make payment will be a considered a cancellation by the guest and all applicable cancellation fees will apply.

Travel Protection Plan

Effective for plans purchased as of July 1, 2021:

Tauck's Guest Protection

Tauck's Guest Protection provides you with cancellation protection before your journey begins as well as insurance benefits while you are traveling. Guest Protection includes the following:

Cancellation Waiver – Provided by Tauck:

Under Tauck's Cancellation Fee Waiver you can cancel your tour for ANY REASON up to the day before departure and receive a money-back refund (except in Extreme Circumstances*) on the land tour cost, based on your original method of payment.

*Extreme Circumstances:  In the event of an act of God, war (whether declared or undeclared), terrorism, accident, natural disaster, outbreak of disease, or other event or circumstance beyond our control that contributes to or results in cancellation rates above our historical cancellation rates in the absence of such event or occurrence, Tauck reserves the right to issue a credit to you in lieu of a money-back refund, applicable to a future Tauck journey.

Travel Insurance Benefits – Underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company.

• Trip Cancellation –  If you must cancel your tour due to a covered reason, the plan provides coverage for the amount you paid for your travel arrangements. Since the non-insurance cancellation waiver takes care of the land package cancellation fees already, this benefit reimburses the airfare cancellation charges up to the value of your original airfare purchase.
• Trip Interruption –  If you have to interrupt your tour for covered reasons, the plan provides reimbursement to catch up to your tour or return home.
• Travel Delay –  Provides reimbursement for missed, prepaid travel arrangements if you are delayed by a common carrier, natural disaster, unannounced strike, or other reasons as cited in the plan.
• Medical Expense –  Reimburses covered medical expenses incurred in the event you become injured or sick during your trip. 
• Baggage / Personal Effects Protection –  Provides reimbursement in the event your luggage or personal effects are, lost, stolen, damaged or delayed during your trip.
• Worldwide Emergency Assistance Services –  Provided by Carefree Travel Assistance; 24-hour emergency telephone assistance hotline for medical and travel related problems.

The cost of Tauck's Guest Protection is: $559  per person

This protection provides insurance coverage that applies only during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this policy with your existing life, health, home and automobile policies. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer, insurance agent or broker.

This optional Guest Protection must be requested at time of booking and fee must be included with initial payment. Fees are based on costs as of July 1, 2021, and are subject to change. Details will be provided with written confirmation of your tour reservation. Guest Protection does not protect travel agent commissions. Reimbursements will be made according to original method of payment. The amount of any refund shall be reduced by any recoveries obtained by you from any third parties.

The Guest Protection plan waives cancellation fees outlined below, provided we are notified of cancellation before your tour departs. Tour cancellation fees are waived regardless of reason, without written notice, and Tauck will refund land tour cost.

To obtain your state-specific Certificate of Insurance that contains the complete terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the certificate, visit  affinitytravelcert.com/docs/TACGPPINTL .

If You Have To Cancel

If you cancel within 10 days of initial deposit Within the first 10 days after you place your initial deposit, you may cancel your reservation for any reason with no cancellation fees. If you cancel more than 10 days after initial deposit Regardless of reason, cancellations result in costly charges from our travel and hotel providers covering penalties and fees incurred by canceling confirmed bookings. These fees vary from tour to tour. Therefore, the following fees apply.

Cancellation Fees with Tauck's Guest Protection Plan:

Loss of Guest Protection fee, per person 

Cancellation Fees without Tauck's Guest Protection Plan :

60 days or more before departure = $600 per person

59-8 days before departure = $900 per person

7-1 days before departure = $1500 per person

Time of cancellation will be when notice is received in our Wilton Woods, CT office.

In the event of an unforeseen circumstance beyond our control, Tauck reserves the right to amend the cancellation terms outlined herein.

Note:  All Guests, regardless of residency, who book a Tauck journey have the option of purchasing the Cancellation Waiver provided by Tauck in the event they need to cancel their trip after making their reservations. Tauck's Guest Protection, which includes both the Cancellation Fee Waiver and the Travel Insurance Benefits and Assistance Services described above, is not available to residents of Puerto Rico.

Travel Terms and Conditions

Click here  to find Tauck's Travel Terms & Conditions.

Travel Requirements For This Tour

Luggage Handling and Restrictions

AIRFARE: Airfare to and from this destination is not included in the journey cost. If purchasing your air elsewhere, it is very important to provide us with your confirmed arriving and departing flight information no later than 3 weeks before your arrival date. Flight information can be submitted to Tauck (or verified, if you've already provided it) in the My Account section of Tauck.com.

TAUCK AIRPORT TRANSFERS are included at the start and end of the journey between the airport and the Tauck hotel. Airport transfers are available for any pre tour or post tour hotel stays immediately consecutive to the tour, providing flight information is received in the Tauck office no later than three weeks in advance. Details on locating your transfer upon arrival to the tour start city will be included in your final documents.

AIRLINES and CHECKED LUGGAGE: Due to space limitations during your Tauck journey, we ask that you please limit your checked luggage to one average-size suitcase per person. Besides complying with the Tauck restriction noted above, you should also be sure to research and comply with all airline baggage restrictions relating to your flights to and from your Tauck journey. Airlines have become much more strict in enforcing size and weight limits in recent years, and are free to revise luggage policies without notice. Researching and complying with airline luggage restrictions is the responsibility of the guest, and Tauck cannot be held responsible for any costs or disruptions to travel caused by the failure to research and comply with airline policies. PLEASE NOTE that if you are booked on a tour that includes on-tour flights, the checked luggage weight restrictions for these flights may be lower than the weight restrictions for your international flights.

Checked Luggage – General

Due to space restrictions, we ask that you please limit your checked luggage to one suitcase per person weighing no more than 50 pounds (23 kg) and with overall dimensions (length + width + height) not exceeding 62 inches (158 cm).

Besides complying with the Tauck restriction noted above, you should also be sure to research and comply with all airline baggage restrictions relating to your flights to and from your Tauck journey. Airlines have become much more strict in enforcing size and weight limits in recent years, and luggage exceeding airline standards for size or weight may result in expensive overage fees or other consequences.

Airlines are free to revise luggage policies without notice, and certain airlines have different baggage allowances for different classes of service. Researching and complying with airline luggage restrictions is the responsibility of the guest, and Tauck cannot be held responsible for any costs or disruptions to travel caused by the failure to research and comply with airline policies.

Tauck luggage tags will be provided by your Tauck Director on Day 1 of your itinerary. Please do not attach a Tauck luggage tag to any carry-on items, as the Tauck tags designate luggage that is to be handled and transferred by ground operators and hotel staff during your journey.

Carry-on Luggage - General

Although oversize bags and wheeled, carry-on luggage are popular for airline travel, they are often not convenient or appropriate for motor coach travel or for many on-tour flights. Most modern sightseeing motor coaches offer limited space for numerous or larger items. Space under seats or in the overhead rack is typically small, and designed to accommodate items like coats, hats, purses, and small camera bags, etc.

For your day-to-day travel while on tour, we recommend that you limit your hand luggage to a small, soft-sided carry-on piece, and that you bring only those items you need handy during the day such as make-up, medications, cameras, film, etc. Items too large to fit under the motor coach seat or on the overhead rack must be stored in the luggage bays beneath the motor coach, and may be inaccessible during daytime travel.

Health, Safety and Mobility

HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS

Please check with your health insurance provider to determine whether you are covered while traveling. If you will not be covered under your current policy, we strongly suggest that you arrange for adequate coverage while on tour.

If you have a medical condition that might limit your participation in activities, please consult your physician for pre-departure health advice and notify us as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. We will advise your Tauck Director accordingly.

VACCINATIONS  

If you are a resident of the U.S. traveling internationally, no vaccinations are currently required for travel to Poland, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. For complete vaccination and inoculation information, contact your physician, the public health service in your area, or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. The Travelers' Health Section of the CDC operates a 24-hour "Travelers' Health Hotline" at 800-232-4636 (toll-free in the U.S.). You may also log on to the CDC website by clicking here .

If you are a resident of another country traveling internationally , please contact an embassy or consulate of Poland, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to determine what vaccination(s) may be required for your travel.

SPECIAL DIETARY REQUESTS

The restaurants, hotels, caterers and numerous other partners we work with all do their best to accommodate special dietary requests from Tauck guests. However, given the diverse nature of those food providers (from small wineries to grand hotels to world-famous restaurants in more than 70 countries worldwide), some of our partners are better able than others to accommodate such requests. We therefore cannot guarantee that all dietary requests can be accommodated at every meal. Also, please note that where dietary requests can be accommodated, choices will frequently be limited.

To enjoy this tour, you should be in good health and able to walk reasonable distances, often over unpaved and uneven surfaces. Some of the most memorable sightseeing can only be accomplished on foot. The amount of walking you do, however, is at your discretion.

PLEASE NOTE:  We regret that this Tauck itinerary cannot accommodate wheelchairs or motorized scooters.  Likewise, we regret that we're unable to provide individual assistance to guests with walking difficulties or other personal needs.  The responsibility of the Tauck Director who accompanies your trip is to ensure that the larger group enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing individual assistance to any one guest.  Guests requiring such individualized assistance must be accompanied by an able-bodied companion who can provide it. While drinking water is generally safe at all our hotels, bottled water will be available wherever the local water is not fit to drink. We also provide bottled water on the motor coaches.

Reading List

We have compiled a reading list of recommended books to give you more information about the destinations you will be traveling to on your upcoming journey!

You can view the reading list  here.

The weather in this region of Eastern Europe is temperate and unpredictable. Generally, average high temperatures range from 54 to 75°F (12 to 24°C) from April through June and 60 to 85°F (16 to 29°C) from July through September. Rain falls fairly evenly throughout the year, with the heaviest amounts arriving during the summer. Prague averages 50% more rainfall per year than any of the other cities visited.

To read about current weather conditions, we suggest you log on to the Internet website by clicking here.

What To Pack

Bringing the right clothing for your trip is important – we've partnered with New Headings who provide an "easy-to-use, one-stop shop" for your Tauck travel needs, specifically selected for this trip. Click here to visit their site .

The weather in this region of Eastern Europe is temperate and unpredictable. Your journey is designed with leisure in mind. Dress for comfort and convenience with a wardrobe that is adaptable and allows for layering. Generally, during the day, casual, comfortable, cotton clothing is recommended. Cool weather at higher elevations or at night will require warmer, layered clothing.

In Europe, especially in finer restaurants, it is generally customary to dress somewhat formally. Slacks or a dress for women and a jacket for men are acceptable dining attire. It is advisable to avoid wearing jeans, sneakers or shorts for dinner. You may also wish to dress up a bit for the welcome reception and the farewell dinner, but by all means be comfortable.

You will find a hair dryer located in your guest room. Irons and ironing boards are available on request. Valet laundry and dry cleaning services are also available for a fee.

We recommend that you pack an adequate supply of your prescription medication in its original container to last through your entire journey, together with a copy of your doctor's prescription or a letter from your health-care provider on office stationery explaining that the medication has been prescribed for you, a list of the generic names of your medication, your travel documents and a change of clothing in your carry-on bag to avoid any inconvenience in the event that your flight or luggage is delayed.

Following is a list of recommended items to pack for your trip to Eastern Europe:

• Casual daytime wear – shorts, slacks, long and short-sleeved shirts
• An optional jacket and tie for men
• Casually elegant evening wear for ladies
• Sunglasses, sunscreen, hat
• A light sweater or jacket for higher elevations or a breezy night
• Binoculars (7x50 preferably)
• Insect repellent
• Camera, lenses, batteries, memory cards and chargers
• Lightweight, comfortable, sturdy walking shoes that have already been broken-in
• Travel alarm clock/cell phone with alarm function (many hotels do not have clocks in the rooms)
• Rain poncho and collapsible umbrella
• Reusable zipper-lock bags or other waterproof bags
• Daypack for camera equipment
• Sundries and toiletries that may be difficult to find en route
• Copies of your travel documents that should be secured in the safe in your hotel room while traveling

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Virtual Tour

Auschwitz i, in the neighborhood.

• Oprowadzanie zdalne PE MCEAH
• Auschwitz-Birkenau - Alte Judenrampe
• Auschwitz II-Birkenau
• Panorama of Auschwitz I - a bird's eye view
• 'Arbeit Macht Frei' gate
• View from a watchtower
• March Of The Living 2013
• SS barracks
• Camp buildings
• Camp blocks
• Roll-call square
• Camp hospital
• so-called birch lane
• Group gallows
• Camp kitchen
• Block 10. Corridor
• Block 10. Toilets
• Block 10. Prisoners' room
• Block 10. Dissection room
• Block 10. Second floor
• Block 11. Court
• Execution wall
• Execution wall - ceremony of the anniversary of liberation
• Block 11. First floor corridor
• Block 11. SS office
• Block 11. Summary court room
• Block 7. Exhibition. Prisoners' bunks
• Block 11. Exhibition. Drawings of executions
• Block 11. Portable gallows
• Block 11. Cellars
• Block 11. Prison cell
• Block 11. Standing cells
• Block 11. Starvation cell
• Gallows where camp commandant was executed
• Crematorium I
• Interior of gas chamber and crematorium I

Basic information

•  Admission  to the grounds of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial is free of charge. The entry cards should be reserved on visit.auschwitz.org . For better understanding the history of Auschwitz we suggest a visit with an guide-educator

• The fees are charged for  engaging a guide-educator . Visitors in groups are required to engage an Auschwitz Memorial guide.

• While on the grounds of the Museum, you are required to observe the appropriate solemnity and respect. Before the visit please read " the rules for visiting  ".

• Due to overwhelming demand, please book in advance and arrive at the Memorial at least 30 minutes before the start of the tour due to security checks. The main car park and entrance to the Museum is located at  55 Więźniów Oświęcimia Street .

• The grounds and buildings of the Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau camps are open to visitors. The duration of a visit is determined solely by the individual interests and needs of the visitors. As a minimum, however, at least three-and-a-half hours should be reserved.

• The maximum size of backpacks or handbags brought into the Museum does not exceed dimensions: 30x20x10 cm.

• Visitors may leave their luggage in paid luggage storage. The dimensions of the luggage storages expressed in centimeters are 90x50x22, 60x50x22 and 85x65x42, internal dimensions are: 90x50x30, 60x50x30 and 90x65x50, and their maximum load is 30 kg.

Taking pictures  on the grounds of the State Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oświęcim for own purposes, without use of a flash and stands, is allowed for exceptions to a room with the hair of Victims (Block 4) and the basements of Block 11. Material may be used only in undertakings and projects that do not violate the good name of the Victims of Auschwitz. Photography and filming on the Museum grounds for commercial purposes, at spaces closed to visitors or with a drone , require prior approval by the Museum.

• Guides . Visitors in groups are required to engage an Auschwitz Memorial guide; individual visitors may also  engage a guide-educator . For them we offer  organized tours .
• Groups of more than 10 people  are required to hire a headphone guiding system.
• Disabled . Because of the need to preserve the historical authenticity of the site of the Memorial it may be difficult for dissabled persons to move around the grounds and buildings. In order to help visitors with disabilities wheelchairs are available free of charge at the Visitor Service Centre. More information...
• It is not recommended  that children under 14 visit the Memorial

While on the grounds of the Museum,  you are required to observe  the appropriate solemnity  and respect.

• via @auschwitzmuseum" aria-label="Udostępnij na Twitter">

Images from www.auschwitz.org may be used only in publications relating to the history of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau or the activities of the Auschwitz Memorial. Their use must not tarnish the good reputation of the victims of KL Auschwitz. Any interference in the integrity of the images – including cropping or graphic processing – is prohibited. The use of the images for commercial purposes requires the Museum’s approval and information about the publication. Publishers undertake to indicate the authors and origin of the images: www.auschwitz.org, as well as to inform the Museum of the use of the images ([email protected]).

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Highlights of Eastern Europe (Classic, End Vienna, 14 Days)

• In-depth Cultural
• Fully Guided
• Coach / Bus

Places You’ll See

• Admire the facade of Matthias Church
• Delve into culture and indulge in traditional cuisine
• Discover fairytale Budapest on a cruise of the Danube
• Journey through the breathtaking Low Tatra Mountains
• Spend reflective moments in the iconic Auschwitz camp
• Introduction
• Day 1 Welcome to Budapest
• Day 2 Delve into Budapest Relaxed Start
• Day 3 The Mountains to Kraków
• Day 4 The Damsels and Dragons of Kraków Relaxed Start
• Day 5 Auschwitz and on to Warsaw
• Day 6 The Polish Capital of Warsaw Relaxed Start
• Day 7 Wielkopolska to Berlin
• Day 8 The Spirit of Berlin Relaxed Start
• Day 9 Dresden and Golden Prague
• Day 10 Prague, City of a Hundred Spires
• Day 11 Bohemian Český Krumlov Relaxed Start
• Day 12 Stately Vienna Relaxed Start
• Day 13 The Habsburgs of Vienna
• Day 14 Depart Vienna

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What's Included

• Accommodation
• Additional Services

Where You'll Stay

Customer photos.

Operated by Insight Vacations

When you travel with Insight Vacations every second is magical. You won’t just see a destination, you will meet it, feel it and taste it. Travel in style and stay at premium hotels in the right location. Discover new cultures and people with authentic dining experiences that take you to the heart of a destination. Welcome to the art of traveling in style!

Sustainability Initiatives

Reduce Carbon Emissions

Animal Welfare

Supporting Destinations

Sustainability Programs

Customer Reviews

• Overall Rating Excellent 5.0
• Itinerary Excellent 5.0
• Guide Excellent 5.0
• Transport Excellent 5.0
• Accommodation Excellent 5.0
• Food Excellent 4.8
• Tour Operator Insight Vacations 4.5

Dates & Availability

Pay-by-instalments

Take advantage of our 0% interest instalment plan on selected departures. Learn More

• Upcoming departures
• August 2024
• September 2024
• October 2024
• August 2025
• September 2025
• October 2025
• Get Instant Confirmation Saturday 27 Apr, 2024 Friday 10 May, 2024 English Multiple Room Types €4,450 Confirm Dates
• Get Instant Confirmation Saturday 11 May, 2024 Friday 24 May, 2024 English Multiple Room Types €4,675 Confirm Dates
• -10% Get Instant Confirmation Saturday 18 May, 2024 Friday 31 May, 2024 English Multiple Room Types €4,675 €4,207 Confirm Dates
• Saturday 8 Jun, 2024 Friday 21 Jun, 2024 English Almost Sold Out Multiple Room Types €4,995 Confirm Dates
• -10% Get Instant Confirmation Saturday 22 Jun, 2024 Friday 5 Jul, 2024 English Multiple Room Types €4,975 €4,477 Confirm Dates Hold space for 48h
• Get Instant Confirmation Saturday 29 Jun, 2024 Friday 12 Jul, 2024 English Multiple Room Types €4,795 Confirm Dates Hold space for 48h
• Saturday 13 Jul, 2024 Friday 26 Jul, 2024 English Almost Sold Out Multiple Room Types €4,295 0% Interest Instalments Confirm Dates
• -21% Get Instant Confirmation Saturday 27 Jul, 2024 Friday 9 Aug, 2024 English Multiple Room Types €4,295 €3,395 0% Interest Instalments Confirm Dates Hold space for 48h
• -21% Get Instant Confirmation Saturday 3 Aug, 2024 Friday 16 Aug, 2024 English Multiple Room Types €4,295 €3,395 0% Interest Instalments Confirm Dates Hold space for 48h
• -21% Get Instant Confirmation Saturday 10 Aug, 2024 Friday 23 Aug, 2024 English Multiple Room Types €4,295 €3,395 0% Interest Instalments Confirm Dates Hold space for 48h

Frequently Asked Questions

This tour starts in Budapest and finishes in Vienna.

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Good to Know

• Currencies € Euro Austria and Germany Kč Czech Koruna Czech Republic Ft Forint Hungary zł Zloty Poland

As a traveller from USA, Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa you will need an adaptor for types C, E, F.

• These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
• Tick-borne encephalitis - Recommended for Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Ideally 6 months before travel.
• Hepatitis A - Recommended for Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.
• Hepatitis B - Recommended for Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Ideally 2 months before travel.
• Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
• Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
• For any tour departing before 14th June 2024 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after 14th June 2024, a minimum payment of €200 is required to confirm your booking with Insight Vacations. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 65 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
• Some departure dates and prices may vary and Insight Vacations will contact you with any discrepancies before your booking is confirmed.
• The following cards are accepted for "Insight Vacations" tours: Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal. TourRadar does NOT charge you an extra fee for using any of these payment methods.
• Insurance Unless otherwise mentioned, TourRadar does not provide travel insurance. We do however recommend purchasing it through our tried and trusted partner, World Travel Nomads .
• Accessibility Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveller, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team , who are ready and waiting to help you.
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