Trip to Austwitz

Hammy61

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Hi Everyone,
Just joined the GS forum and I'm planning on doing a ride to Poland and back, any ideas on POI's etc, I'm planning on a 10 -12 day trip and I've already been to Prague via Germany. I'm looking at returning via Holland to Dunkirk.

Cheers

M
 
Dunkirk to Auschwitz - at least spell it properly, it's only decently respectful* and looks lazy otherwise - (direct) is about 1,500 km. are you looking for POI's and roads to ride all the way there and all the way back? Here's a really useful tip to start: You'll need a decent map or two.

Inevitably, as you are apparently going to pass through Holland, you'll get the usual Arnhem museum tip, so I'll get that one in first. Ignore any tips you get about the Dutch TT, it will be miles off your likely route, unless you get very lost. If WW2 is your thing you could take in the little visited Dunkirk cemetery (everyone always does DDay) and if you are maybe planning on passing through the Harz mountains, you can visit the Nazi underground factory sites and their associated labour camps. There are though other things - some very odd - to see, not least as you'll be riding through the former eastern Germany. For instance, you can see preserved sections of the Iron Curtain, medieval towns the Communists never got around to knocking down (and sometimes being of no strategic importance in the last days of the war were not obliterated) plus assorted oddities like the ski jump to nowhere and the Russian spy stations on the hill tops. Then there's the steam train rides and..... A Google search of Harz will give you some ideas, as will a Google search of 'Riding / motorbiking to / in xxxx (insert destination)'; it's a fantastic if under used tool.

You could also trying living outside the box of where bikers always go, by travelling along the north German Baltic coast, before swinging down, maybe via Berlin and then south. Very different from southern Germany's Alps (obviously) but interesting just the same. It will add to your distance (and therefore time) but you could start your days earlier and / or scuttle back home quicker.

Other than that, it's probably Germany and (maybe) the Czech Republic for you, in basically a straight line, west to east or east to west on the way back.



* I've edited out your smiley face post marker, as that was in very dubious taste.
 
I will be setting off to auschwitz next friday the 23rd going via harwich to hooke, then making our way across Holland to the harz mountains where we stop for a few nights, planning to visit Belsen, Dora mittlebau, and A few of the towns and villages like goslar and kassel, then on to colditz for a night. from there we head to Terezín to visit the camp there, and then onto Prague for a couple of nights, from Prague we head to Krakow for 4 nights, from there onwards we have no fixed plans, just need to be back home before the 27th of June.
 
I will be setting off to auschwitz next friday the 23rd going via harwich to hooke, then making our way across Holland to the harz mountains where we stop for a few nights, planning to visit Belsen, Dora mittlebau, and A few of the towns and villages like goslar and kassel, then on to colditz for a night. from there we head to Terezín to visit the camp there, and then onto Prague for a couple of nights, from Prague we head to Krakow for 4 nights, from there onwards we have no fixed plans, just need to be back home before the 27th of June.

We will be blazing a trail for you. Setting off tomorrow on a similar tack to you. Through the tunnel and then Bruges, Antwerp, Arnhem, Hohne-Belsen, Hannover, Hildeseim, Harz Mountains and then south to Colditz, Munich, Lake Konstanz and the Black Forest. Up the Mossel and Rhein before heading for the Ardennes Forest and then returning via Cambria. 10 days. :D
 
The Harz appear to be coming up trumps, OP.


'Up the Mossel and Rhein' sounds like some sort of perverse act. You might like to check.
 
We will be blazing a trail for you. Setting off tomorrow on a similar tack to you. Through the tunnel and then Bruges, Antwerp, Arnhem, Hohne-Belsen, Hannover, Hildeseim, Harz Mountains and then south to Colditz, Munich, Lake Konstanz and the Black Forest. Up the Mossel and Rhein before heading for the Ardennes Forest and then returning via Cambria. 10 days. :D

leave us a trail of breadcrumbs to follow,
 
Thanks everyone for the advice, it has helped immensely, safe riding to this shortly on their way and my apologies if my question format offended anyone
 
Thanks everyone for the advice, it has helped immensely, safe riding to this shortly on their way and my apologies if my question format offended anyone

You've not been here long ..... you'll soon get used to the place :thumb2

Last time I went that way it was as follows:

Dover- Calais
Overnight in Mainz (on the Rhine so a nice ride )
Garmisch Partenkirchen ( 2 nights there)
Berchtesgaden ( Eagles Nest)
Across to Bratislava ( Ticked off Slovakia )
Up the western edge of Slovakia to Poland from the South
2 nights in Krakow ( Auschwitz is about 40km west of Krakow, you can take a taxi if you wish)
Across to Prague for another 2 nights
Up to Colditz for a night then back to Mainz for the last night of the trip :)
 
Be prepared to spend the day at Auschwitz, particularly if you are going to Birkenau as well. It's a very very very large place.
 
We did it like this a few years ago:

Main points:

Dachau - full day
Berchtesgarten - half day
Auschwitz/Birkenau - very full day (plus Krakow, another day)
Zagan (Stalag Luft III) (half day)
Colditz (full day)
Mohne dam (full day around others)

That was spread over 2 weeks, with time taken at various points to have a rest and visit places. It was done with the intention of being a one off, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat if there weren't so many other places to visit. Never say never, best trip of my life (to date). :rob
 
This was a good trip but mainly sightseeing than great roads:

1 Zeebrugge-Koblenz (via Nurburgring, Cochem/ Mosel)
2 Koblenz-Colditz Castle
3 Colditz Castle- Villa Tilia hotel via Zagan (Stalag Luft 3)
4 Villa Tilia- Krakow via Salt Mines
5 Krakow trip to Auschwitz
6 Krakow- Gdansk
7 Gdansk
8 Gdansk-Berlin
9 Berlin
10 Berlin-Rotterdam

Villa Tilia was just a a hotel somewhere but it was near the Church of Bones which I think Ewan and Charlie went to(thinks that's where I saw it). Not really worth the queue to get in, to be honest, but the hotel and nearby town were nice.
 
As someone else said you need a day at Auschwitz, I saw Auschwitz 1, which had been a Polish army barracks before WW2 and Auschwitz 2, which was the largest concentration camp. Use a guide to learn the maximum.

I think every school child in Europe should visit Ypres, Normandy beaches and graves them Auschwitz.
 
Hi there

I lived a couple of years in Krakow and travelled to Auschwitz a few times. It is a trip that should certainly be made, though perhaps only once. The Polish name for Auschwitz is Oswiecim; don't expect the German name that we are all familiar with. It is an extremely troubling place to visit. Do not be surprised and try not to be disturbed if you find happy smiling tourists posing beside the gas ovens!

In Krakow check out the old Jewish quarter around Kazimierz, some of the pavements are still surfaced with broken tombstones from the Jewish cemetery courtesy of the nazi occupation. For music lovers, when I lived there, the Ariel Cafe occasionally hosted a local Klezmer band called Kroke, if you are lucky enough to find them still playing, they're well worth a look. If the Ariel still have the rare wines on the menu costing thousands of pounds a bottle, these are leftover from Spielberg's time in the city.

A tip worth noting is the road surfaces tend to literally melt when the temperature rises anywhere above low-twenties, the road surfaces tend to develop major ruts from the larger trucks. It is not unusual to find them on the apex of bends strategically placed to seriously ruin your day.

Also, the children and old duffers spread every kilometre or so along the roadside along the old road into Poland from Germany are selling goats cheese. I'd strongly recommend trying one, they are delicious. However, these roadside family mini-businesses end abruptly and you then experience scantily dressed young women taking up similar spots along the road trying to flag you down... never sampled their wares though pretty sure they aren't cheesy... on second thoughts..!
 
Hi ph071241, thanks for the info, what is the situation regarding safe parking for a bike
 
Hi there

I lived a couple of years in Krakow and travelled to Auschwitz a few times. It is a trip that should certainly be made, though perhaps only once. The Polish name for Auschwitz is Oswiecim; don't expect the German name that we are all familiar with. It is an extremely troubling place to visit. Do not be surprised and try not to be disturbed if you find happy smiling tourists posing beside the gas ovens!

That will be the Americans.
 


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