We were incredibly fortunate to have the guidance of Polish Origins, led by organizer Magdalena Znamirowski and tour guide Daniel Paczkowski, on our extraordinary journey to Poland to visit the birthplaces and hometowns of our grandparents Stefan Jablonski and Jozefa Veronica Walczak and immerse ourselves in the rich history and culture of their Catholic faith.
I dedicated over 12 months on Ancestry.com reaching out to the Polish Archive of Plock, and eventually hiring a skilled genealogist who uncovered invaluable information about my Jablonski lineage, providing significant stops for our trip. Additionally, we located and visited with living relatives in Toruń.
While initially anxious about planning a TransAtlantic trip for 10 cousins from Ohio, Florida, and Texas; Polish Origins delivered beyond our expectations. They were professional, timely and honest.
Our journey took us Eastward from Warsaw, leading us to the charming villages of Korzen, Trebki, Przyzorz, and Niedrzakow in the Mazowieckie province. Polish Origins furnished us with a top-notch Mercedes travel van and the courteous driver Mario, ensuring a comfortable journey. At the Hotel Dwor Sojki, we stepped into a world of nobility, once the stately manor of our grandparents’ employer and indulged in a gastronomic feast of perogies, sour soup, potato pancakes, pigs knuckle, breaded pork chops,sausage and beer!
The trip included visits to Warsaw, Jasna Gora Monastery, and the Black Madonna, as well as Auschwitz’s Concentration Camp, Salt Mine, and the picturesque city of Krakow.
A trip filled with memories!
Sharon
How exciting! My sister and I visited Bukowsko in 2022 to meet with our Plesniarski family members. Our great grandparents were married at the same church that are in the photos, and relatives from NJ sponsored the restoration of the altar to the left of the main altar. We are planning a return trip in the summer or fall of 2026 with a larger group of family members. Please share a contact for the tour guide that you used. I would like to reach out to them for assistance in planning our trip. You can email me at: [email protected]. Thank you!!
Correction, our trip was in 2023.
Kathy,
Sharon and her family had this experience using our PolishOrigins Tours team, including our dedicated tour managers and guides. We’d be happy to help you plan your own personalized journey. Just fill out our tour request form here: https://polishorigins.com/tour-request, and we’ll get back to you with all the ways we can assist 🙂 .
This was wonderful to read. I am currently working with Polish Origins and we will be coming to Poland in October this year. Polish Origins has already found the birth records and marriage records of ALL eight of my great-grandparents who were all born around central Poland. Please text or email as I would love to have a short conversation to learn more. [removed]. mnowak333 AT yahoo.com. Sincerely, Michael Nowak
Lovely family trip, and great photos – thanks for sharing!