Additional information for persons with mobility difficulties
The entire premises of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum is included in the official register of historical monuments. Due to the need for conservation protection and the preservation of the authenticity of the historic site and buildings, there is limited scope for adaptation and adjustment to meet the specific needs of visitors.
Car park (ul. Więźniów Oświęcimia 55)
The car park in front of the Museum has designated parking spaces for individuals with disabilities and accessible toilets for those with special needs.
Visitors’ Service Centre (VSC) and entrance to the Memorial Museum
The Visitors’ Service Centre building is equipped with wheelchair ramps and features an accessible indoor platform that facilitates movement between various floors for individuals with mobility problems. The Visitors’ Service Centre (VSC) also features floor paths for the visually impaired.
Toilets for persons with special needs are available in the building.
The Museum offers free wheelchair and walker rentals for visitors to move around. It is recommended that you submit such a request in advance by sending an email to .
The need for a wheelchair or walker can also be requested on the day of the visit at the ENTRY PASSES desk. If no one else has booked them, they will be made available.
A free shuttle bus transfers visitors between the former Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau camps It can be used by individual visitors and visitors with mobility difficulties.
The bus is equipped with a special platform that allows entry/exit for people using wheelchairs.
Site of the former Auschwitz I camp
When visiting the site of Auschwitz I, considerable distances have to be covered (approx. 1,300 m.)
The tour begins with a passage nearly 600 m long, part of which is a tunnel that stretches almost 300 m. Part of the tunnel rises gradually upwards, which may require more effort to negotiate. This is the longest section of the tour, which the visitor covers without stopping during the first part of the Museum tour.
Owing to the nature of the historic road surface and pavements at the Auschwitz I site, the movement of people with mobility impairments is difficult and in most cases requires assistance. The surface is uneven, making it challenging for wheelchair users to navigate certain pavements smoothly.
Access to the historic buildings housing the exhibitions is restricted. The historic outdoor staircase in front of the building entrances hinders the installation of permanent accessibility elements, (ramps, lifts) to facilitate access for people with mobility disabilities.
The post-camp blocks have limited space, particularly in the corridors, which makes it challenging to navigate a wheelchair.
Due to safety and evacuation concerns, wheelchair users cannot access the blocks' floors and the basement of block 11.
Only one side of the stairs leading to the floors is equipped with railings.
Site of the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp
Entrance from ul. Ofiar Faszyzmu 12
During a tour of the Auschwitz II-Birkenau site, considerable distances must be covered (more than 2,000 m).
The road surface has numerous unevennesses due to its historic nature, which make it difficult for people with mobility impairments to navigate.
Entrance to the site is via a passage at the historic Death Gate building; the entrance is at ground level. The Death Gate Tower is inaccessible to wheelchair users.
The Sauna Building is accessible via external ramps and a raised floor inside the building. However, it is located 1.5 km from the main entrance. Currently, the building is closed for tours due to roof repair works.
The majority of the buildings are historic timber and brick single-storey barracks with floor levels close to the ground level around the facility. To facilitate access to the open masonry barracks, wooden platforms were installed in the area to level the uneven ground.
Situated amidst the ruins of the gas chambers and crematoria II and III lies the International Memorial to the Victims of the Camp, comprising multiple levels paved with cobblestones. For this reason, navigating the monument space with a wheelchair is challenging.
The post-camp blocks have limited space, particularly in the corridors, which makes it challenging to navigate a wheelchair. The existence of uneven flooring within the wooden barracks poses a substantial challenge.
The Death Gate building and the area near the ruins of the gas chamber and crematorium III are equipped with toilets specifically designed for individuals with special needs.
"Old Theatre" (seat of the International Centre for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust)
ul. Leszczyńskiej 15, 32-600 Oświęcim
The building is equipped with lifts.
The entrance to the building is level with the ground (there are no steps or thresholds).
The doors leading to the rooms and lecture halls are wheelchair-accessible in width and without thresholds.
The building is equipped with toilets and parking spaces for people with special needs.
The building offers rental options for audio-guided equipment with pre-recorded audio commentaries. This allows individuals with visual impairments to navigate the facility independently.
If visiting the Museum in person is not feasible due to limited accessibility for individuals with reduced mobility, we highly encourage you to explore the Memorial through a guided online tour using the 'Auschwitz in Front of Your Eyes' platform. Further information can be found HERE.
