By the summer of 1940, Mauthausen Concentration Camp had become one of the largest labor camp complexes in the German-occupied part of Europe. Some 200,000 people are thought to have been imprisoned at Mauthausen between 1938 and 1945, and about half of them lost their lives. Mauthausen was the last camp complex to be liberated by the Allies.
Begin your day with a cab ride from your hotel to central Vienna to join up with your driver. Hold on to your receipt so that your cab cost can be repaid after your trip.
Climb aboard your comfortable tour vehicle, meet your friendly English-speaking tour escort and become acquainted with the history of Mauthausen Memorial during the ride from Vienna. Relax as you journey through the countryside of Lower and Upper Austria.
Arrive at Mauthausen Memorial, a building that stands on the site of the former Mauthausen Concentration Camp. Grab your audio guide (available in 11 languages) and begin touring independently through the grounds. See Wiener-Graben quarry, the prisoners’ barracks, the so-called 'Stairs of Death,' SS-quarters, gas chamber, camp prison and the Mauthausen Museum for more historical background on the camp and WWII.
Afterward, climb back aboard tour vehicle and begin the drive back to Vienna. There will be a stop for lunch at a local restaurant (own expense.) You will be returned to the Vienna State Opera in Downtown Vienna.
