Czech-Slovak Genealogical Conference, Pittsburgh, Oct 2017
This year we are celebrating the successful 10th anniversary of our Incoming Travel Agency focusing on Private trips, tours, and Ancestry tours around Slovakia where we help people from abroad to reconnect with their families living in Slovakia.
The 16th Czech-Slovak Genealogical Conference held in Pittsburgh/Pennsylvania was the main purpose of our 16 day US journey.
The conference was very well organized by Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International (CGSI, with the, headquarter in St. Paul, Minnesota). Their main purpose is promoting genealogical research among descendants of ethnic groups who comprised the former nation of Czechoslovakia and other nations.
For comprehensive information about this society, visit Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International.
On this 3 day (we were there 3 full days as vendors) conference we got a chance to meet professionals, we took part in different workshops and knew lots of interesting facts about the arrival of Slovaks, Czechs, Ruthenians to the USA, back in the 1880-1920s and after.
Why the Slovak immigrants chose Pittsburgh as their new destination?
It was not by chance, Pittsburgh was at the end of the 19th century an industrial center for steel mills and coal mines. Along the Ohio River, there were factories, they gave the job for the newcomers.
The beginnings were very difficult and often dangerous, but it was the new Hope, the new Beginning.
Our friends Rudy and Marsha gave us a few-hour tour around the Old part of the town, showed us Pittsburgh from the top of Mt. Washington, brought us to the Strip area, and recommended us to trie the famous Pittsburgh Sandwiches. We knew more about the Pittsburgh Steelers and found out that it was a completely different city now from what it once used to be.
We also took part in the evening dinners and of course on Kroj – traditional Folk costume parade. I had a short speech introducing ourselves and have mentioned “It is our first America visit, our first Genealogical conference participation and our first time in Kroj parade ;)”. We truly enjoyed the evening.
We were very happy we could meet a Slovak-American icon, famous for her Love for Slovakia. Helene has been organizing tours to Slovakia for more than 25 years. Helene was very interested in our private small group tours and we exchanged lots of experiences. She was so friendly, enthusiastic, full of humor and energy from the early morning sessions up to the very last evening Folk Dance and Folk Costume Parade.
We promoted our lovely Slovakia at the conference and shared a booth with Judith Northup-Bennett, our partner for Slovakia Heritage Tours (tours with fixed departures every September since 2011).
People were curious about our offer of specialized Ancestry Private Tours where we help to connect the travelers and their Slovak relatives, organize family reunions, taking photos, and making videos.
And above all, we introduced them to the work of our specially trained professional Guide-driver-translators. They are essential.
I am personally responsible for every single private tour planning (from the first email contact up to the final, detailed itinerary), making use of knowing every corner of Slovakia (In the last 10 years, I probably visited every village even the smallest one and most of the churches, cemeteries and other sites).
How do we start with a precise Ancestry Private tour planning?
First of all, we ask for the travel dates, group size, and special requests. Secondly, we ask you to get as much information about your ancestors as possible. If needed detailed archive research, we connect you with our long-term partner – a professional genealogist.
Once we have collected all the necessary information, we will start putting together the day-by-day itinerary with a focus on the area where your ancestors came from.
We will arrange the meetings with your relatives and prepare everything for your visit.
We will add our passion for this unique experience, 10 years of travel experiences, travel tips, and of course the gastronomical delights, where and what to try;).
To read reviews before the tour planning is an essential idea, but, even better is to speak to our past visitors.
Thank you for reading our Travel Blog about our Czech-Slovak Genealogical conference.
Feel Free to get Free Travel Advice from our experts and a Non-obligatory draft itinerary with estimated costs for your Ancestry Tour in Slovakia.
