Terezín, Czech Republic: Concentration Camp Memorial

Terezín, an hour north of Prague, was built by the Habsburgs in the 1780s as a fortified town with (still intact) massive state-of-the-art, star-shaped walls designed to keep out the Prussians. In 1941, the Nazis removed the town's 7,000 inhabitants and brought in 60,000 Jews, creating a concentration camp — a propaganda model "Jewish town." Life in this sham town appeared tolerable to human rights visitors but the reality was far more cruel — virtually all of Terezín's Jews ultimately ended up dying either here or at extermination camps farther east. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com.