9) Field Trip, Krakow

            We have been on several trips during this program and the trip to Poland was one of my favorites. During the course of about three days we visited the salt mines, Krakow, and we went to Auschwitz and Birkenau. All of these places were very fascinating and gave me a deeper understanding of the region.  

            The Wieliczka Salt mines were our first stop outside of Krakow. Salt was first mined here in the 13th century and almost all of the mining was done by hand. Huge Caverns were dug out by hand, salt being chipped out in huge blocks. We saw old wooden machines that lifted the heavy blocks from level to level. I was even able to collect some salt off the walls and tasted it. Of course it was just salty.... We also saw a large chapel that was carved out and filled with sculptures and reliefs. Our guide told us that they even have wedding occasionally. It was very amazing to see!

The wooden lift for mining salt. 

A beautiful chapel in the mine. I want to have a wedding there!

            After we went the historical center of Krakow that we stayed for two nights. The square of the old town is the biggest square in Europe and has a big medieval market and lots of shops and bars. It seemed like a combination of Venezia and Praha. It was more beautiful than I expected and I was dazed by the beautiful surroundings there. Having a glass wine in one of the outdoor bar completed my beautiful night of Krakow. 

One of my favorite squares, Krakow! 

            One of the memorable visits was the trip to Auschwitz. I have been studying Holocaust and visited to Terezin to learn more about it. Auschwitz is one of the most famous concentration camps; it was a horrible and cruel place. Auschwitz and its satellite camps, Birkenau was one of them, were more horrible than I could ever imagine. Seeing it first hand was moving and shocking, many of the things that I saw will stay with me forever. Over 3 million people, mostly Jews, were murdered here. I couldn’t say anything when I saw the pictures and especially woman hairs that Nazi people used for making fabrics. I am disgusted by what the Nazi did for all innocent people. As the tour guide said, it is a message to humanity to never repeat such horrors.

Piles of shoes in Auschwitz museum

Destroyed gas chambers in Birkenau.