mauthausen memorial

If you are still able to get a private guide for a small group I would recommend. This was not an easy or pleasant experience but one that meant a great deal to my family of three. We had an amazing guide who had a passion to share this camps story and horrible history. It made a lasting impression on us as we looked at everything with such a different light and with so much detail and insight.

well, what can i tell you about a memorial... come, see, remember, think, feel, grieve! take yourself some time for it!

This was our main reason for visiting the area as part of our travels through Europe. We wanted to see how it compared to Auschwitz and Dachau. We were glad we went as it rounded our appreciation of the damage wielded by the Nazi's. It was another type of camp, just as well presented as the others. However, there was no tour in English available when we visited and we had to revert to an audio guide which was not quite as good as a tour. The camp itself is well preserved and presented and we were just as emotionally effected by the film as we were with the more demeaning aspects of these camps.It is situated in some beautiful countryside and certainly a worthwhile visit to appreciate how bad human behavior can become. A more personal touch would have made it excellent

This is an extraordinary place for so many reasons, however, I was profoundly distressed by the amount of antisemitic graffiti on the walls. I reached out to the staff on this and they essentially said there is nothing that they can do and brushed my complaint under the rug. Further evidence how antisemitism is on the rise in Europe and a perfect example of complacency and laziness about the issue.

Well this was certainly an experience to remember. Certainly had a profound effect on me. I visited here in 2013 during a week long tour of Austria. The memorial site is perched on top of a large hill and as you approach the site the large grey walls entice feelings of fear and despair. These are heightened once you pass through the gates into the courtyard. The most starkling aspect is the stunning view of the alps on the right hand side....one can only imagine the phychological impact this would have had on the prisoners.It is a relatively small site (In comparison to say Dachau) but as a result I found it a more intimate experience. There is plenty to see here despite it's size. Audio guides are available (I didn't take one, but was happy to explore by myself). Around the side of the courtyard there are memorials for each nation who's citizens perished at this location. Getting here is not particularly straightforward. Driving is your best bet...It is a good hour outside of Linz. If driving is out of the question then you can get a bus from Linz station (one of the older posts has exact details)...look out for a big yellow school on the right hand side, that is the stop and look for the brown signs which will direct you to the memorial. It is a good 20-25 min hike up a very steep hill...note the locals clad in lumberjack gear will stare at you... (I personally thought I was going to get thrown into the wood chipper a la Fargo!). There is also a library next to the site.Give yourself a good day for this if you intend on going, there is a cafe here if you fancy a coffee .Dress for the weather too. Not much shelter if you are not driving...also it is a highly emotive experience if it's your first (or any time) to visit a memorial camp, so be prepared mentally for the experience.

I sincerely thinks it is not to be miss though it is quite far from Vienna but worth to get there and see and actually try to imagine what goes on at that time. Scary, no but sad yes. My words and thoughts is that we hope God will never allow this upon us. There is no words to explain my feeling but I recommend it to anyone to visit this historical memorial.

I visited this place some time ago in 2004 but can remember it like yesterday such was the effect it had on me. We drove up a winding road to the top of a hill to the parking area to be met with huge gates and a parade area where the prisoners would have disembarked. The walls are grey and depressing in this area. Up the stairs leads to the actual camp where the barracks, the crematorium, the small gas chamber, the furnaces and the nearby quarry are situated..There are a huge set of stairs leading up from the quarry to the camp where the prisoners were shackled together and if one slipped then all would tumble down like dominoes, The experience was very sobering. No birds could be heard in this area. As has already been said it is something to read about in books and another to see it in person. Worth the visit.

We took a train from Vienna to Linz, afterwhich bus 360 from Linz bus terminal to a stop called Hauptschule. From here, there are brown signs to direct you up a hill towards the memorial. It was a good 20 minutes hike up. Arriving at the memorial, you are greeted with grey long walls, which immediately reminds you of all those stuff you have read about in books. Get the audio-guide for 3 euros, entrance is free. I was glad I made the trip from Vienna even though it was a long journey (3 hours). It was something to read it from books and another to see it in person.

It is incredible to be there in person. Only downside is if you're a student, or don't have access to a car then you have to take a taxi there, or a bus and then walk up this huge hill. Otherwise, the Memorial is incredible, and a must visit.

We have visited Dachau before- highly recommended. Mauthausen had a different history but visiting it too is somehow required (if you know what I mean). It is hard to believe that humans can be so cruel to each other, but a visit to a place like Mauthausen reminds you that such cruelty is indeed possible. The exhibits are informative and the audio guide for EUR 2 is well worth it. Just standing in the place is unreal... Besides the exhibits you can see barracks, the crematorium, a small gas chamber and the nearby quarry. The experience is sobering and thought provoking. -- and scary. Don't miss it.

This is a sobering experience of course, but well worth taking a few hours to visit. It is easy to reach from Linz either by bus or train. I took the bus there and got off at the Hauptschule. From there it was quite a steep walk uphill for 20 minutes or so.

I was there with an organized group. The experience was shocking, eye opening, moving.. The history that this place holds will leave you speechless. When i was seeing all those rooms, gas chambers, completed with real pictures of those who were found alive is an experience that you can never forget. Because i saw this Monument as part of a summer camp, the organizers have invited survived person that was actually in the camp to tell us his story. His face and his words are something that i will never forget.

This concentration camp memorial should be visited by everyone! No entrance fee and the small fee (3 Euro) for the self guided audio was quite informative!

The story behind this place is so intense and sad that you get goosebumps several times during the excursion. You almost can't believe what happened in such a nice location.

touching, well preserved. A reminder as to how one of the most beautiful places in the world was turned into a living hell.