In the wake of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, we recognize the importance of preserving history and bearing witness to the atrocities of the Holocaust. Visiting these solemn memorial sites offers travellers the opportunity to pay respects, reflect on humanity’s capacity for both cruelty and resilience and ensure that “never again” remains a commitment for future generations. These destinations provide powerful educational experiences that can transform your understanding of this dark chapter in world history while honouring the memories of those who perished.

Auschwitz-Birkenau remains the most recognizable symbol of the Holocaust

Located in southern Poland near the town of Oświęcim, Auschwitz-Birkenau was the largest Nazi concentration and death camp where more than 1.1 million people perished. The site has been preserved as a museum and memorial featuring the infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei” gate, prisoner barracks, gas chambers and crematoria. Visitors can take guided tours in multiple languages, providing crucial historical context. The vastness of Birkenau (Auschwitz II) with its railway tracks leading directly into the camp illustrates the industrial scale of the genocide. Plan at least a full day for your visit and consider booking accommodation in nearby Kraków, where you can arrange transportation or join organized tours.

Yad Vashem offers a profound educational experience in Jerusalem

Israel’s official memorial to Holocaust victims combines a museum, research centre, documentation archive and educational facility on the slopes of Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. The architectural design itself tells a story, a long triangular concrete structure penetrating through the mountainside culminating in a balcony with a spectacular view symbolizing hope after darkness. The Children’s Memorial honouring the 1.5 million children murdered during the Holocaust is particularly moving with its reflections of candle flames and recitation of names. The museum’s chronological narrative contextualizes the rise of Nazism through liberation and beyond. After your visit, consider exploring other significant Jerusalem sites, including the Israel Museum and the Old City with its diverse religious heritage.

Berlin’s Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe creates a sense of disorientation and unease

This striking memorial in central Berlin consists of 2,711 concrete slabs or “stelae” arranged in a grid pattern on sloping ground. Designed by architect Peter Eisenman, the memorial intentionally creates feelings of confusion and isolation as visitors navigate the increasingly tall columns. The underground Information Centre beneath the memorial provides historical context with personal stories and photographs. Berlin offers numerous other Holocaust-related sites within walking distance, including the Topography of Terror documentation centre on the former Gestapo headquarters site and the Jewish Museum designed by Daniel Libeskind. Stay in accommodations near the Mitte or Kreuzberg districts for convenient access to these important historical locations.

Terezín served as both a ghetto and transit camp in the Czech Republic

Known as Theresienstadt in German, this fortress town near Prague was converted into a ghetto and transit point for Jews being sent to death camps. It was cynically presented as a “model Jewish settlement” to deceive Red Cross inspectors. Today, the Terezín Memorial includes the Small Fortress where political prisoners were held, the Ghetto Museum housed in a former school and the Magdeburg Barracks with reconstructed living quarters. Despite brutal conditions, cultural and intellectual life persisted here, with lectures, concerts and art creation. Many children’s drawings from Terezín survive, offering poignant testimony. Most visitors arrive on day trips from Prague, which offers excellent accommodation options and transportation connections.

Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York presents American perspectives on the Holocaust

Located in New York’s Battery Park City with views of the Statue of Liberty, this museum connects Holocaust history to American immigration stories and values of freedom. The core exhibition “The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do” features more than 750 original objects, photographs and testimonies. The Garden of Stones, designed by Andy Goldsworthy, offers a contemplative outdoor space where visitors can reflect. The museum frequently hosts special exhibitions, educational events and survivor talks. Its location makes it easily combinable with other significant New York attractions including the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Ellis Island and the Financial District. Numerous hotels in Lower Manhattan provide convenient access to this important educational institution.

Anne Frank House preserves the hidden annex where a family sought refuge

This museum in Amsterdam preserves the actual building where Anne Frank and seven others hid from Nazi persecution for more than two years during the Second World War. Visitors can walk through the secret annex behind a movable bookcase where the Frank family lived in hiding before their eventual discovery and deportation. Original items, including Anne’s diary and family photographs, are displayed alongside historical context about the persecution of Jews in the Netherlands. The museum becomes particularly crowded during peak seasons, so purchasing tickets online well in advance is essential. Amsterdam offers numerous accommodation options along its picturesque canals, with excellent public transportation connecting to the museum in the Jordaan district.

Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site documents the prototype for Nazi camps

Established in 1933 as the first regular concentration camp in Germany, Dachau served as a model for all later camps in the Nazi system. Located near Munich, the memorial site includes reconstructed barracks, the crematorium, religious memorials and a comprehensive exhibition. The infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei” gate marks the entrance to this former site of imprisonment primarily for political prisoners, though later including Jews, Roma and other persecuted groups. Audio guides provide detailed information as you walk the grounds where over 41,500 people died. Many visitors combine Dachau with exploring Munich’s cultural offerings and Bavarian heritage sites, staying in Bavaria’s capital city with its excellent transportation links.

Mémorial de la Shoah honours France’s Holocaust victims and righteous gentiles

Located in the historic Marais district of Paris, this memorial and museum documents both Jewish persecution under Nazi occupation and examples of resistance and rescue. The Wall of Names records 76,000 Jews deported from France, while the crypt contains ashes from various concentration camps and the Warsaw Ghetto. The Righteous Among Nations Alley honours non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jewish people. The documentation centre houses extensive archives for research. After visiting, explore the surrounding Marais neighbourhood with its Jewish heritage sites, including historic synagogues and kosher restaurants. Paris offers accommodation options for every budget, with many charming hotels in the central arrondissements providing easy access to this important memorial.

Ghetto Fighters’ House in Israel focuses on Jewish resistance during the Holocaust

Founded by survivors in 1949, this museum and kibbutz in Western Galilee presents the Holocaust with particular emphasis on Jewish resistance, uprising and survival. The Yad LaYeled Children’s Memorial Museum specifically addresses how to teach children about the Holocaust in age-appropriate ways. The Centre for Humanistic Education promotes tolerance and democratic values. Located near Acre and the Mediterranean coast, visitors can combine this meaningful site with exploration of northern Israel’s diverse cultural and natural attractions. The museum offers expert-guided tours that provide deeper insights into resistance movements, including the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

Oskar Schindler’s factory museum tells a story of courage amid darkness

Located in the former enamelware factory of Oskar Schindler in Kraków’s Zabłocie district, this museum chronicles the experiences of Poland during Nazi occupation with special focus on Schindler’s efforts to save more than 1,200 Jewish workers. The immersive exhibition takes visitors through recreated wartime streets, a typical Jewish apartment and the factory office where Schindler worked. Interactive displays and original artefacts bring to life the daily realities of occupation and resistance. Made famous by Steven Spielberg’s film “Schindler’s List,” the factory offers a rare Holocaust narrative that includes stories of rescue and moral courage. Consider staying in Kraków’s Jewish quarter Kazimierz, with its revitalized Jewish culture, restaurants and proximity to both the museum and the historic Podgórze ghetto area.