From July 1942 to August 1943, an estimated 850,000 people, mainly those of Jewish descent, perished in the Treblinka II extermination camp and the Treblinka I labor camp. It's the second largest of such Nazi camps, after Auschwitz. Unlike Auschwitz, Treblinka is often described as "not much to see" since much of it was razed by the Nazis. The whole site now operates under the name of the Museum of Fighting and Martyrdom (Muzeum Walki i Meczenstwa). By the information office, you'll find the visitors' books filled with touching messages in all languages, including English, Yiddish, and Spanish. The memorial standing in Treblinka II consists of hauntingly silent islets of jagged stones and boulders, a symbolic cremation pit, and a stretch of symbolic railway track. Surrounded by pinewoods and in the middle of nowhere, the impact is surreal and powerfully poignant. Another 10-minute walk takes you to Treblinka I and another execution site.

Strictly speaking, Treblinka is in Northeastern Poland. From Warsaw, by car, it should take about 2 hours, but factor in another hour for ongoing road work. There are regular trains from Warsaw to Makinia, taking about 90 minutes. It's 8km (5 miles) to Treblinka from the Makinia station. Your options are a 1 1/2-hour walk or the 30-to-40-minute taxi ride. A round trip by taxi is about 150 z to 200 z, depending on how long the driver waits for you at Treblinka. Most visitors spend 1 to 2 hours here.