Be a part of Slovakia’s exciting folk art and traditional music revival on the 2020 Slovakia Heritage Tour, September 11-20. This nine-day, small group tour (limit of 15 travelers) brings you back to your Slovak family roots as you explore the vibrant culture, intriguing history, and spectacular countryside of your ancestral land.
Over the past few years Slovakia has seen a revival of interest in its traditional music, dress and crafts. Once again people are sewing, embroidering and wearing the traditional kroj (clothing) distinctive to each village. Traditional folk patterns are finding their way into contemporary fashion as well as home and product design. Musicians playing the folk music of each region can be found in cafes, restaurants, street corners and parks bringing back the old-country melodies that you might remember from your childhood. For young people it’s now “in” to dance and play music with a folk-dance company, filling the stages of local festivals with the swirling of colorful outfits, and acrobatic dance moves to the lively, haunting village tunes.
From the Danube plains to the Tatry Mountains and Eastern Slovakia, we’ll travel comfortably around this small but diverse country to explore picturesque villages, spectacular castles, outdoor folk-life museums, mountain resort towns, pastoral landscapes and small cities with well-preserved medieval buildings, Soviet-era remnants, and the vibrant life of Slovakia today. You’ll see Slovakia up-close and personal, joining with Slovaks as they celebrate age-old Wine, Harvest and Mining Festivals.
One of the most important parts of the tour is for travelers to explore their own Slovak roots with personalized visits to Slovak family and ancestral villages. Working with our genealogist, we’ll help you trace your family history and reconnect with family if that’s possible. We’ll also help you extend your stay with pre- and post-tour extensions in Slovakia or to Prague, Budapest or Krakow.
For more information and to discuss your personal family plans, please contact Judith Northup-Bennett, Slovakia Heritage Tours, 978-544-5144, slovakiaheritagetours@gmail.com For a day-by-day itinerary and photos of past tours, visit www.slovakiaheritage.com
