Final day of our tour of Austria and Slovenia.
Today we left Linz, and headed back to Vienna. Along the way, we made a stop at the Mauthausen memorial. Mauthausen was the site of a Nazi concentration camp during WWII. Operating between 1938 and 1945, it saw approximately 190,000 prisoners during its operation, with more than half of that number being killed at the camp.
It was a very sombre tour through the site, self-guided using a downloaded audio guide. Despite the rainy and wet day, there were a fair number of people visiting (many of them having arrived on bikes!). Lisa didn’t feel photos were appropriate, but I didn’t think it disrespectful to take some pictures as yet another reminder of the atrocities of war. The site has most of the stone structures that were originally built, and a few of the wooden bunk houses. And throughout the site there are many memorials, for individuals, for citizens of countries, and for different racial and ethnic groups. It was a well done tour that didn’t hold back from explaining the awful events and life (and death) at the camp.
Then it was back to Vienna after a 2 hour drive and a bit more walking the streets of old Vienna.
It’s been a great trip, but looking forward to being home again soon!
