My wife and I were in Munich and took a train out to Dachau. It was an interesting tour. You see the crematorium and some rebuilt barracks and a lot of history of the first concentration camp. Our tour guide was very good and seemed to enjoy his job. The tour does not take you to some of the areas, but there are plenty of displays in those as well. The visitor center is also pretty nice and helpful service. Worth a half day trip while in Munich. read more

KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau - Furnace room - Museums Near Me - Dachau, BY

Dachau was one of the first concentration camps and was the longest running one spanning from early 1933 to 1945. I have been to other camps around Europe, but this one was larger than the others that I've seen. They all are similar in that it is very sobering and sad to walk amongst these sites where so many atrocities occurred. It's insane to visit a place like this and to realize there are people on this planet that believe this is fake and never happened. It's free to enter and is a short drive from Munich. There are many different buildings and outdoor areas to walk amongst, the main ones being the small museum, the barracks, and the worst of all which was the gas chamber. This place is absolutely packed with history and is a very important educational experience for everyone. It's important that these crimes aren't forgotten and hopefully prevented in the future. It's honestly a sad visit but I would definitely recommend that everyone should visit this site at least once. Understanding history is the best way to prevent it from occurring again so it's really important that these lessons aren't forgotten and that these victims are remembered. read more

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Lots to see in this site. There's a big museum at the front, 3 religious memorials, replica bunkers, sanitation rooms, gas chamber, and convent all with a lot of information placards. You could easily spend a full day here just learning, often from firsthand accounts including from drawings a French cartoonist made. Besides the memorials and museum, there's a lot of walking and outdoor areas. Lots to see and learn. read more

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Such a gruesome reminder of what can happen when a dictatorial tyrannical government comes to power and brutalizes those whom they consider "less than". I spent four hours with friends at the Dachau Concentration Camp which although not an extermination came in a true sense, came pretty close as a place where prisoners were worked to death. Crematoriums were creepy as where bodies had been piled up before being burned. A terrible tragedy in the history of the world, which should be explored; lest we forget. read more

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Was easy to get here from the Central Station Hbf in Munich. Take the S2 train to Bahnhof, Dachau, then take a transfer to 726 bus. Will take you there and back. The visitation center has your free toilette, Cafe with food, drinks, and warm coffee and hot chocolate which was well needed for this cold day. The people at the visitor center was nice and spoke English well. Rental an audio tour guide that was useful, but honestly I enjoyed reading all the materials and posters there. The camp was amazing, and everyone was respectful there. Everyone was speaking low for respect, similar to 911 Memorial Museum in NY read more

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Worth the visit. Have been wanting to visit Europe for quite some time. I recommend reading about WWII prior to visiting any type of museums so it makes more sense. read more

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This was one of my favourite places I visited on my trip, which is weird to say. Coming here was such a powerful educational and emotional experience. They give you an audioguide, which tells a lot of important information as you walk through the eerie camp. The museum exhibits were really good, and I spent a long time reading them. I spent so many hours walking around as I went through the audioguide. To get here from Munich, I took the S-bahn then bus. read more

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Pros: 1. Free. I like they are not trying to monetize from the tragedy 2. Interesting to see how the very 1st concentration camp looked like 3. Signage is decent Cons: 1. It could have been labeled better, more videos of the atrocity, interviews from historians and/or survivors shown would have been nice 2. Holocaust museum makes you FEEL the pain, meanwhile at its original site, it is just a few buildings and that's it. You feel nothing and you learn nothing new. I thought they owed to all to inform accurately what went on there instead of just putting 1 letter size sign and leave rest to your imagination and bare bones. They could have done better. It is not even educational enough to visit here. Some buildings don't have any sign, so you start from wrong side of entrance (all open anyway). some areas it is important to enter the rooms in the correct order (for example the rooms leading up to the gas chamber) but they have no labels, so you never know, after you have seen it all, one may realize you walked all wrong get out of building and redo.. 4. There is NO one to answer questions/ no audio guide, no one. People only show up at closing time and yell at you to leave. 5. Bus does NOT come! Maybe once an hour although the bus stop says every 15 min or so. When they do come, they don't stop at this stop, you see the number of bus is right but they won't stop and drive past you.. we had to walk quite a lot and then take a taxi! No metro access read more

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Obviously this is a difficult visit - but worthwhile if you are anywhere near Munich because it's an easy, short train ride to get to and you owe it to yourself to learn, in person, up close, about these atrocities of human nature and how people allowed themselves to stay ignorant because, that was easier, for 13 years. It takes about a half an hour to get here via train from Munich and a short 10-minute bus ride. I booked a local tour guide who was very good and walked us through the museum, the grounds, and imparted things to us that I had never even heard. I was especially impressed to learn that part of German required primary education for children is to attend these camps and learn about what happened here, in person. Great care has been taken to preserve some of these buildings in order to honor those who died here and to remember what happened so as to warn future generations not to repeat. read more

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Definitely odd to rate a concentration camp as a five star attraction, but five stars it is. You'll easily spend 3-4 hours exploring the grounds and reading the tons of information exhibits. You can easily reach the camp from Munich by train to Dachau and then an obviously marked bus to the camp from the Dachau train station. The only down side here is that there is nowhere to sit so you will be standing or walking the entire time. The gas chamber and memorial buildings are way off on the far side of the camp. Audio guides are about four euros. read more

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Took a tour of the Dachau concentration camp and learned about the prisoners and system. Toured the museum and buildings with a tour guide who was very informative. A lesson on history and the atrocities that happened as a reminder to not repeat the past. There are rules to show respect to those who were beaten and killed read more

This is a must to learn more about history. This wasn't my first time here and a lot has changed. They have added an audio tour option. This part was cool as there's a lot of information to hear but also to read. The devices are 4.50€ a piece. If you bring the double earphone Jack plug and some earphones you can share with someone else. Can be a great option for littles. They do have English tours 2 times a day at 11am and 1pm There is a cafe and gift shop there. Didn't get a chance to visit as there were a bunch of school kids there. I didn't do the tour guide this time as I did it in the past. However I recommend a tour guide as it helps you not miss so much from all the reading and the crowds that can be there as you will find yourself skipping things do to the crowds. read more

Dachau is a must see if you're visiting Munich. It is convenient to get to via public transportation. The bus basically drops you right off at the entrance. I highly recommend the 2 hour guided tour. There are English tours at specific times during the day so make sure to check on the website. The tour itself was very informative. Our guide gave us an in depth background on what it was like to arrive at the labor camp, what life was like there and beyond. We got to see the barracks, gas chambers, the crematorium and more. Afterwards we wandered around the museum. Dachau is a reminder that history should never repeat itself again. read more

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I visited Dachau when I was an exchange student in 1992. What a powerful experience! The small museum at the entrance does a good job of explaining how the camps started and the atrocities that happened within them. The artifacts, while yes, a bit morbid and definitely sad, are very fascinating. The extents that the Nazis went to to separate prisoners into groups and subclasses within those groups is almost mind boggling. The rebuilt barracks buildings, to show you the living conditions prisoners were subjected to, pull at your heartstrings. The crematorium, with the showers and ovens, and the notch in the beam showing where some prisoners were hung.....it really makes you question how sick human beings can really be, and for what? After the war, different religions were allowed to build small chapel-like buildings for visitors to sit and reflect, mourn, whatever they need to do. I remember getting back on the bus, and someone in our group asked if anyone heard any birds singing while we were inside the camp. Not one of us could say that we had, but they were heard outside the grounds, all around. A sign that nature was showing respect to all the victims of that terrible place? I like to think so. Anyway, definitely worth a visit. I firmly believe that everyone should visit at least one camp, to really get a grasp of what happened during such a horrible time in human history. 22/2021 read more

Not much to say other than this is a must do in Munich. The site is powerful and emotionally while also providing you with specific and detailed information. Entry is free and they provide audio guides for about 4 €. I got a guide but after 10 min I stopped using it as there was so much to read. It's a somber experience but one I think is truly meaningful. It's very easy to get here via public trans too. read more

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This is a must go location when in the area. I recommend going with a tour to get the best experience and learn the most you can

Dachau is located in Southern Germany. It was the first regular concentration camp established by the National Socialist government. My first visit over 30 years ago hit me pretty hard and it didn't get easier over time. The remnants of 12 years of evil is overwhelming. Currently you can take an audio tour, guided tour or private tour. We elected to browse on our own with the audio tour. We walked through prisoner processing rooms, prisoner baths, role call square, barracks, cells, gas chambers, crematorium and much more. My favorite part of the tour was visiting the religious chapels, churches and spiritual monuments. I also appreciated the soulful statue of the Unknown Prisoner. The phase engraved into the base of the statue translated into English says ... "To honor the death, to admonish the living." There is a Dachau Memorial Museum on the property that you could spend several hours walking through. They have endless photos, documentation of every kind and recordings by those who survived. You need an entire day to fully absorb all that is available. read more

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Just about every American has seen a WWII movie a time or two, many of which included something about the many concentration camps. Well, seeing a movie and seeing the real deal where the Jews were imprisoned, and sadly for many, met their demise, is two entirely different things. The layout here is done very well. They give you a glimpse into the everyday life of the prisoners. There are two barracks buildings still standing and reconstructed with accuracy. The crematorium might be the most eerie of all the structures. Much of the border fencing is still intact and authentic. It's really worth a few hours of your time. It's 100% free to include parking. Open 9 - 5, I believe 7 days a week. read more

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Unforgettable, moving. A once in a lifetime must do - visiting a concentration / death camp. Beautiful area with such a tragic history. One we can never forget. Mankind can be so despicable and this place logs of for future generations. read more

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If you're visiting the Munich area, you should visit Dachau. It is a very powerful and emotional experience. They have done an exceptional job of telling the story of the concentration camp and the unthinkable acts that happened here. The buildings and museum all have signs and information posted in both German and English. We opted to also use the audio guides and used them about half of the time. We spent about 3.5 hours there. It was very sobering but worthwhile. Travel to Dachau from Munich is very easy using the S-Bahn and then the bus from the Dachau station to the site. Signs are very clear. read more

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I thought I knew what I was about to walk into, but I really had no idea to the extent of what actually happened there. I highly recommend getting the audio guide if not taking a guided tour of the grounds -- it is worth it, truly. When driving in you stop at the entrance to pay for parking. Then there is a short walk from the parking lot to the information/visitor center. There you are able to purchase tickets, guides, and tours. Also inside the center you will find a little cafeteria that serves light fare and beverages; as well as a shop. After leaving the center you follow the walkway/signs towards the camp. Your visit begins at the front of the large entry way with the gate that reads, "Arbeit macht frei". At this point you are able to walk around in the museum, watch a short video about the camp and the war, go inside one of the barracks, walk around the crematories, and much much more. They hold masses at certain hours and when it is time there is a bell that rings loudly throughout the camp. Allow yourself a few hours here as there is so so much to see and learn; and be prepared to walk a bit. I'd recommend a visit to this camp to everyone, and would definitely go back for another visit when in the area. read more

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This was such an eye opening experience! This was the first time I've been to any concentration camp and I'm glad that I was able to go this one first. It's such an important concentration camp for the Nazis and has so much historical and cultural importance during the war. They have maintained and preserved it as much as they could after the war. It's a pretty expansive area and we spent about 3 hours here. They have a small incendiary building in the back lot and it expands over a huge piece of land. Our tour guide was extremely informative and provided us with so much history, information and her own personal thoughts. It was only 3 € for this, but I believe it also has free entry. I think it's such a historical and cultural significance that I'd definitely recommend to anybody who wants to learn more about the world and of the terrible atrocities that humanity has done at its lowest point. It was also such an emotional experience, as so many terrible things went on here. The transit from Munich to get here was pretty straightforward. You ride on the metro for a bit and then you take a bus from the metro station to Dachau. Since it's a popular tourist destination, there are a lot of tourists going the same way and a lot of information on how to get there, so it shouldn't be a problem! read more

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The camp itself is history, a place where you can go to learn about stuggles, hardships and most of all - it acts a reminder of what we have moved forward from. I came here without a tour guide, just a group of friends, so we were able to walk the grounds as we pleased. Upon walking in it doesn't seem like much, but when you think about the vast space where thousands lived, stuggled for their lives and died it hits you prettty hard. There are information resources in each section. There is a large parking lot filled with cars and tour buses and it a short walk to the camp. It's hard to describe a place like this, but I highly recommend it when visiting the area. read more

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The name of this infamous concentration camp, which formed the prototype for all the camps that followed, has become synonymous with the horrors of the Nazi regime. It's an easy day-trip from the centre of Munich (a 25-minute ride on the regular S-Bahn trains). Founded in 1933 for political and other prisoners, the camp was extended as the regime expanded the list of those in its sights, including not only Jews, but Roma and Sinti, homosexuals, homeless people, and others labelled undesirable or degenerate. The history is too complex to recount here, but essentially conditions worsened as World War Two got under way and more inmates were transported from newly conquered territories, and the regime under the SS became ever more brutal. Although technically never an extermination camp, of the 200,000 inmates "processed" here, 43,000 died of disease, maltreatment, and murder. The museum covers the whole span of its history from the rise of the Nazi party and the founding of the camp, through to its post-war use as a refugee camp, before it became a national memorial. The details of life in the camp are as harrowing as you'd expect. The site comprises a modern welcome centre, where you can acquire audio guides before walking through the main entrance to the huge "Maintenance Block", now the main museum, before visiting two reconstructed prisoner barracks, the crematoria and finally the gas chambers (intact, but never in fact used here). The site also has remembrance chapels for the Catholic, Protestant and Russian Orthodox churches and the Jewish community. The site is mostly level but there are lots of long gravel paths. From Dachau S-Bahn station (on line 2), the 726 bus (clearly signposted) runs every 12 minutes during day, or it's roughly a 45 minute walk. Our visit took around 3 hours. read more

I give this place 5-Stars as a must see in one's lifetime. In 1986, I was a US Army soldier stationed in Germany. I figured this would be my only chance to see Dachau, so I made the long drive towards Munich. No one told me what to expect. I took the self-guided tour of the museum, and then set off on the walking tour of the grounds. As I walked, I felt like someone was behind me, but there was no one. The air became heavy, and I felt a weird sense of sadness or grief. Its as if someone was there......as I stood beside the crematorium ovens. As you walk thru the Rose Garden, and the brick wall where prisoners were shot, you feel a sense of grief. Some call it negative energy......I call it the presence of ghosts. Im not trying to scare you, but this place is haunted. Not really a place for the whole family......just those who want to pay respects. read more

An incredibly eye opening and devastating experience. We knew it would be a difficult place to visit and walk through, but obviously something we wanted to see and learn as much about as we could. When you enter you receive an audio guide that walks you through the different points in the camp and offers prisoners' personal stories. The staff has done a very good job keeping the site in tact for those to learn from. read more

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Completely sobering experience, and very well done. The audio guide was a little confusing, but very helpful! You need some sort of collateral in addition to the cost. I recommend a guided tour, but, really, the audio guide works well. Please remember to be respectful while learning about this Concentration camp. read more

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As someone who is very into WW2 history, I was very much wanting to come to Dachau to see a concentration camp in person. My wife and I had only about an hour to see the whole place - I'm glad we fit it in but wish we'd had more time. Because of this, we weren't able to get an audio guide or a guided tour, so I don't feel that we got to experience it like I would have liked. Having been through all matters of emotions at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, we were left feeling, well, not much at Dachau. The signage was minimal and we didn't feel that you got a good sense of the history of it and how it came to happen. Perhaps a tour would have instilled that information and emotion a lot more. Next time we will do that. read more

KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau - Museums Near Me - Dachau, BY

I wanted to go here obviously not because I have family affected by this but because I have a lot of friends whose families were. On the metro and bus ride away from Munich to Dachau, I imagined myself living in this kind of condition and immediately, I started crying and that's a rare thing. There's a lot of walking involved from the bus stop where the entrance is to the gate of the concentration camp so, be prepared. You'll see a very small closet with a few clothes hanging; metal plate, utensils, the yellow star, the log, a table with a piece of wood used to torture people, personal items and a book of names of all who went to the concentration camps. I find it quite disrespectful to see that somebody had ripped a page though. Inside the barracks, you'll see lockers, bunk beds, bathroom, and toilets. You'll see a waiting area where clothes are left before they go to a room labeled "Brausebad" which is really a gas chamber. There's a sculpture outside the barracks. There are 2 crematoriums: old with 2 "ovens" and the new one with multiple "ovens". There are 30 barracks that are no longer there, watch towers, barb wire and a ditch around the perimeter. There was a heavy feeling knowing I was walking on the same ground where lots of people were killed. That feeling you couldn't shake off easily. May history never repeat itself. read more

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While this was a very difficult place to come and visit, it is well worth the visit. This was a very emotional but educational day and i am glad that i went.BE sure to allow yourself at least five hours to really have the opportunity to experience all that is available. I took the guided tour that was available. However I think that the self guided audio tour is the better option. #NeverForget read more

Dachau really got me in the feels, more so than many others. When visiting a concentration camp or a work camp, every one is subject to emotions and experiences unprepared. With a working knowledge, you think you know what you will see and how you will feel. This camp is laid out differently. The flow pattern inside the museum's are confusing and while I was reading along, I think I may have skipped a room or two. The knowledge is extensive and focuses a lot on individual prisoners and their stories. There is even a mention of the Spanish Civil War and the countries who remained uninvolved. At the end of the main museum, there is a book with the names of prisoners. Take a look read more

Standing as a poignant reminder of one of the World's greatest tragedies, Dachau Concentration Camp is worth a visit if anywhere near Munich. Largely destroyed after liberation, some parts rebuilt to describe the daily horrors of life inside, guests visiting the free memorial will find a lengthy history spelled out in German as well as English. From barracks full of lockers and bunks to the showers and crematorium the visuals unfold over a vast space with the far end now featuring houses of worship including Catholic Carmelite Convent. read more

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I knew visiting the Memorial here would be somber, but what I wasn't expecting was for it to disrupt my mental state for the remainder of my trip and for some time after I got home. I was unable to enjoy my trip to Germany after seeing and feeling this place. I don't regret it, but I do wish I had saved it for my last day in country. Having been there, I believe if you have the chance to visit, it is your duty to bear witness to it, but please be more prepared than I was. It still weighs heavily on my mind several years later and i think it may have had a life long impression on me. read more

"Arbeit Macht Frei" was the words written on the gates of Dachau concentration camp. They used it in other camps too. It means "work makes you free." Obviously they were lying. Nothing sets you free here. Dachau is available by train or the S-Bahn (S2 train). Once you come out of the station, you can get on a bus (or walk) to the memorial site. They preserved a lot of it. Most of the barracks are gone. Instead, they built placeholders to show where the barracks used to be. They also have numbers on them in case survivors want to come and visit their old barracks. Most of the buildings are there for your viewing. They do have audio guides, a gift shop, and a cafeteria. They also have a few memorials built for the people who were at the camp. It is a very somber place. It's like visiting a huge graveyard. But I think it's important for everyone who visit Germany to try to go to a memorial site, whether it be Dachau or the others. I came here with a tour group. So I can't comment on the quality of the audio guide. I would suggest a tour group. It was very educational, efficient, and made life a bit easier for the trip. At the Hauptbahnhof train station, you can buy tour packages there for Dachau (and other places). But if you want to take you time there, it's better to come by yourself. read more

Very sobering and moving. It was bigger than I expected. I love that Bavaria has chosen to preserve history and include memorials not only for those of Jewish faith, but also Catholics and Protestants. The camp is keeping the history and the story alive in hopes of reminding us that genocides like this should not and cannot ever happen again. This is an easy train from Munich central station and a small bus from the station to the camp. Protip: Look for the EXPRESS train to and from Munich rather than the one with lots of stops at each station. Buy an XL pass which can be used on both the train and the bus - very cheap for multiple people too. read more

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This is one of the smaller Nazi concentration camps, but still a must see, especially if you don't plan to visit another one for the rest of your life. Lots to see and lots to learn, and you'll leave sad but educated. I really hate to give it less than 5 Stars, but the school groups are out of control. Its not all the kids, but about half of them are running around, laughing, joking, texting, flirting, taking selfies, and just being overall loud immature brats. Their phones should be confiscated before arrival. More chaperones are needed to keep them quiet and under control. This is not the time or place to be an asshole. read more

If you are in Munich and have some spare time, come to Dachau. Dachau Camp is the first concentration camp, and all camps after were model after it. From Munich, get a XXL Day Pass which covers the train and buses. It is only 8~9 Euro and it is worth it FYI - lots of walking is required on the ground. Walking around the camp is free. There is an audio guide for 3 Euro. It gives alot of detailed information about the camp. If you don't' want to chip the 3 Euro, there are alot of information in the museum for you to read. So the audio guide isn't necessary to know what's going on read more

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Concentration Camp. Circa 1933-1945, KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau, founded by Heinrich Himmler, acted as the model and training facility for Nazi concentration camps during WWII. It was built to hold 5,000 prisoners but at the time of it's liberation in April of 1945, the camp held over 33,000. It is estimated that 43,000 people died here during that span. I made two requests for places I wanted to go on my recent multi-country travels through Europe and this camp was one of them and as odd as it sounds (and my travel partner agrees), visiting Dachau was the best, and by far most memorable, part of our entire trip. If you're anywhere in or around Munich, or wavering on coming here, I urge you to visit. It's a must for anyone and truly worth traveling across the world to experience. I'm not a person who's often or ever 'moved', and I wouldn't say that Dachau 'moved' me or was this pinnacle of an emotional experience... I'm just not that type of person who feels things, but I can see where it could be for some. Coming here is heavy, no doubt, and felt especially so on the grey, freezing November day that we came. Normally, I don't care for memorials. Not that they aren't deserved, I'm just not particularly interested in the bastardization of tragedies and turning out some mega fountain or light sculpture that has nothing to do with the origination or reason behind the memorial. Dachau was nothing like that. This is a memorial done exactly as a memorial for something of this magnitude should be be. It was put together by survivors of this very camp. Nothing was pretty. It was never warm. At no point will you feel comfort or at peace. You'll see vast images of tragedy, horror, masochism, torture, death, terror, hell. You'll read bits of information that aren't emotional or sensationalized, just very matter-of-fact, black and white, simple even. Even the survivor accounts (in the special prisoner housing area) read like neutral testimony, emotionless, yet felt more grim because you could sense the numbness that came from living such tremendous horror. I can't remember a point in my life where I learned as much in such a short period of time. My brain became a sponge for every image, word, and cold, empty-but-filling breath. I advise coming at 9am and spending the entire length of the day (closes at 5pm) to tour the camp, which between the barracks recreation, the new visitors center, the museum, and the KZ grounds is wholly expansive. We gave ourselves from 9:30am - 2:45pm and didn't feel like we had nearly enough time, due in part to their being a LOT of reading. There is a new-ish visitors center just off the camp that has a cafeteria that oddly enough serves some of the best, most affordable, and largest portioned food in all the Munich area. Also recommended, don't fill your post-KZ evening with a ton of plans. Chances are you won't feel like partying or touring the Munich sites much after this. I'd say to leave the remaining evening with time for a meal, a quiet stroll, and then off to bed early. Dachau will definitely drain you, as one would imagine. Admission is free, but we came early to purchase tickets to the 11am English guided tour, which runs roughly 3 hours (it goes by quickly) and only costs 3-Euros a person. You can spend more and join a tour with a private company, but those will run you at least 20-Euro a head and you can expect your tour group to be large and the information to be the same as what you'd hear from taking the $3 tour offered by visitors center. Our tour guide was beyond excellent. I would even go as far as to suggest you do the research to make sure you go on a tour that is run by the same guide as we had, Keith Warmack. Keith is an American who's been living in Munich for the past 11 years and giving tours part time at Dachau since the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Keith is like a mix between the more distinguished silver fox version of Ted Danson and Tim Gunn and I couldn't have loved him more. As weird as it sounds, he wasn't a buzzkill. He gave really useful, factual, information and there were even some dark humorous (but tasteful) undertones during various parts. We learned about more than just the camp and got what was virtually a WWII tour of various historic Munich-area spots and how they related to the war. It was beyond fascinating. I could literally go on all day about everything I learned at Dachau, but instead I'll leave you with the quote that resonated the most and hope that if in the area, you invest some time into experiencing something every person should see and hopefully learn from. "First they came for the Communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Socialists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me." ~ Martin Niemölleh read more

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REVIEW #2400! I'm not one of those people that live for Today and let the future take care of itself. I remember things, try to learn from my mistakes, stay mindful of the present, and sometimes over plan for the future. We live in interesting times and one pattern that I unfortunately see more often is the fast and loose use of pejorative terms as political weapons. For example, the word "Nazi" is lobbed around by both Liberals and Conservatives alike and usually without humility or any clue of what they are talking about. Seinfeld didn't help either. And every time I hear that term, I mentally go back to my visit to the old Dachau Concentration Camp, which was the real Nazi deal. Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp opened in Germany, and is located on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory outside of Munich. The prison gates first swung open on March 22, 1933 as the first regular concentration camp established by the Nazi Party for political prisoners. This entrance marks words uttered by Hitler (Arbeit Macht Frei), meaning through hard work one will be free. These words served as a purpose of motivation to the inmates. They thought they could be freed through hard work, when in reality the only thing awaiting them was death. The camp was occupied from 1933 to 1960, the first twelve years as an internment center of the Third Reich. From 1933 to 1938 the prisoners were mainly German nationals detained for political reasons. Starting in 1938, a significant population of German Jews and other conquered foreign nations were added. From 1945 through 1948 the camp was used as a prison for SS officers awaiting trial. After 1948 the German population expelled from Czechoslovakia were housed there and it was also a base of the United States. It was closed in 1960 and thereafter, at the insistence of ex-prisoners, various memorials began to be constructed there. Over its twelve years as a concentration camp, the Dachau administration recorded the intake of 206,206 prisoners and 31,951 deaths. Crematoria were constructed to dispose of the deceased and many more prisoners died off site via death marches and executions. Together with the much larger Auschwitz, Dachau has come to symbolize the Nazi concentration camps to many people. This is partially due to the fact that it was the second camp to be liberated by British or American forces, and one of first places where these previously unknown Nazi practices were exposed to the Western world. I personally visited Dachau many years ago and I shall never forget....especially the gas chambers, the cold and eerie memories of genocide, the humbling experience, and for parts of the world that have already forgotten. read more

"Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future." ~ Elie Wiesel There is juxtaposition in the five stars here, and this is one of those times where I wish Yelp offered a no-star rating for somber and indisputable subjects. There was a light drizzle of rain coming down as I walked through the gates of Drachau - wrought iron shaped into the words ARBEIT MACHT FREI (work will make you free). It is a sobering experience like none I've felt before, with the knowledge that more than 32,000 people walked through those gates and never came out alive again. There is so much to take in. There is a film to watch which plays every half hour and rotates among several languages, the camp itself is huge and takes a long time to walk through. There are hundreds of items from the work camp to see and read about, an audio guide with several hours of dialog, guided tours and plenty more to see and do. A day does not entirely do it justice. Three large memorial religious structures stand near the back fence of what used to be the first concentration camp - the one that all others were modeled after. One set of barracks has been rebuilt to show the depravity of living conditions at the time. Artifacts from the dark days are on display. Painted German words still stand over some of the archways in the work house. Visitors walk through the shower room gas chamber in reverent silence. Dozens stand motionless staring into the dimly lit furnaces where ashes still rest. It is dark and depressing. And necessary. read more

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