Get the feel of the region

Your ancestors were shaped by the region they lived in - the landscape, the climate, and the economic circumstances. You will better understand your family background when you understand the area your forefathers came from. We pass by neighboring villages, visit the provincial center that ruled the territory, participate in local festivities, stroll through the surrounding scenery.

Become familiar with the ancestral site

Walk through your ancestors' village. Feel what it meant to live there. Take the roads they took, pass the buildings they passed, cross the markets they went to. Visit the churches, cemeteries, and monuments that played such an important part in their lives. Attend Sunday mass at the very church where your ancestors were christened.

Visit your ancestors’ home

Many German villages put considerable effort into preserving old buildings that conserve village identity. There is a chance that the house your ancestor was born in still actually exists. In preparing your trip, I study century-old property books and compare them with current real estate registration. Often it is possible to locate your ancestor's home. If the house still exists, I ask the proprietor whether you may come in and see the inside .

What was daily life like?

Not only are names and places intriguing, sometimes it's the little ordinary things that reveal so much about how people lived in the past. Regional museums often have exhibits for artifacts used everyday. Other places teach us how craftsmen like blacksmiths, millers, miners, wine growers, farmers, weavers, and so on went about their daily work. Sometimes I can arrange a visit to a site where that occupation is still exercised. You can learn much about the general situation of emigrants. We discover which places are related to your family history , coordinate your agenda, arrange appointments, and make sure that the museums are open when we arrive.

Make friends with distant cousins

Certainly a highlight of every Heritage Tour is getting in touch with your German cousins. It is thrilling to share experiences and exchange photographs and discover what you have in common. If you like, I try to locate your relatives, contact them, prepare an encounter and take over translation, if necessary.

Enhance your family research

If your family research is still incomplete, we may spend a half or full day doing research together in local archives. We can examine church books, tax rolls, civil documents - whatever is available and useful for complementing your genealogical work. I prepare this research day in advance to get the most out of it. Before you arrive in Germany, I will have checked for relevant sources and archives and made appointments and reservations. I guide you through your research at the archives - just as I guide you through your entire Heritage Tour.

How about some local food, music, festivals?

Try the regional food specialties. Taste the food your ancestors enjoyed! You can even learn to cook some local dishes and treat your family back home to something new and delicious.

Your Heritage Tour is absolutely unique...

... and so is the price. Your Heritage Tour is the utmost in customized travel experience. It is fully designed to reflect your own personal family history. So it is not possible to quote a general price that would apply to every tour. Once your wishes and expectations have been discussed, you will be given an estimate that will be worked out exactly, once a first draft of your program has been made.