HERITAGE JOURNEY · 8 DAYS · MERCEDES V-CLASS

Roots of Galicia: Eight Days Through the Galician Shtetls

A route for families whose forebears came from Galicia — from Tarnów, Bobowa, and the surrounding shtetls liquidated during Aktion Reinhardt in 1942. Eight days, one Mercedes V-Class, a scholar accompanying the family for four days of substantive narrative, and a complete kosher operation in Kraków, Tarnów, and Łódź. The route opens in Kraków, closes in Warsaw with departure from Chopin Airport, and passes through the gate at Birkenau, the deportation square in Tarnów, and the remnants of the Łódź ghetto.

8 dni

długość

4–7 osób

rozmiar rodziny

miast

Glatt full

kosher

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Overview

Dla kogo ta podróż

Roots of Galicia is the journey we design most often for American, Canadian, and Israeli families whose roots reach into western Galicia — the historical region that today comprises the Małopolska and Podkarpackie voivodeships of Poland. Before 1939, more than a quarter of a million Jews lived across this area in a dense network of cities and shtetls: Kraków, Tarnów, Bobowa, Nowy Sącz, Rzeszów, Przemyśl, Jarosław, Bochnia, Wieliczka. The majority of that community was murdered at Bełżec, Sobibor, and Auschwitz-Birkenau during Aktion Reinhardt in the summer and autumn of 1942. This journey is built for families who wish to stand at ancestral addresses in Kraków and Tarnów, to touch what remains of pre-war Bobowa — seat of the Bobov Hasidic dynasty — to say Kaddish at the gate of Birkenau, and to close the passage in Warsaw with a visit to POLIN and the Okopowa cemetery. The emotional arc moves from context (Kazimierz, the narrative of four centuries of presence) to particularity (Tarnów, Bobowa, family addresses), through a day of silence (Auschwitz-Birkenau), to a closing of the circle (Warsaw, POLIN as the narrative of memory restored). The four substantive days are led by a scholar from the Polish academic Jewish studies community, prepared specifically for your family history on the basis of the genealogical dossier delivered eight weeks in advance.

Trasa dzień po dniu

Plan podróży

Dzień 1 Kraków

Arrival and Kazimierz Overview

Arrival at Kraków-Balice Airport (KRK) between 12:00 and 17:00 local time. The Mercedes V-Class receives the family directly at passport control (meet and greet with a name placard, luggage assistance). Transfer to a premium 5-star hotel in the heart of the Old Town, approximately thirty-five minutes. After check-in, a short two-hour walk through Kazimierz with our coordinator — without deep historical narrative, only orientation to the geography of the quarter: Szeroka, Józefa, and Miodowa streets; the location of the Remuh Synagogue, the Old Synagogue, and the Tempel Synagogue. Return to the hotel for a welcome kosher dinner delivered by a certified vendor from Kazimierz.

Miejsca: Kazimierz — orientation walk · Szeroka Street · Plac Nowy

Posiłki: Welcome kosher dinner at the hotel (certified catering)

Dzień 2 Kraków

Kazimierz Deep Dive and Scholar Takes the Narrative

The first full day with the scholar leading the narrative. In the morning, the Remuh Synagogue and its adjoining cemetery — the oldest surviving Jewish cemetery in Kraków and the burial place of Rabbi Moses Isserles. A longer visit to the Old Synagogue (now part of the Historical Museum of Kraków, with permanent exhibitions on Jewish religious life) and the Tempel Synagogue — a nineteenth-century reform synagogue, the only one in Kraków that survived the war with its original interior intact. Kosher lunch at a restaurant in Kazimierz. In the afternoon, the New Jewish Cemetery on Miodowa Street — forty hectares, more than ten thousand matzevot, and the ohel of the tzaddikim. If the family dossier identifies a specific grave, the scholar leads the family directly to its location. Return to the hotel in the evening; dinner at the hotel or at a kosher restaurant of the family's choosing in Kazimierz.

Miejsca: Remuh Synagogue · Remuh Cemetery · Old Synagogue · Tempel Synagogue · New Jewish Cemetery

Posiłki: Breakfast at the hotel (kosher arrangement), kosher lunch in Kazimierz, kosher dinner

Dzień 3 Kraków → Podgórze → Auschwitz-Birkenau

Podgórze Ghetto and Birkenau — A Day of Silence

A short morning visit to the site of the former Podgórze ghetto: Plac Bohaterów Getta with its monument of empty chairs, a fragment of the ghetto wall on Lwowska Street, the Eagle Pharmacy (the Tadeusz Pankiewicz Museum). Departure for Oświęcim at 10:30 — about an hour and fifteen minutes by V-Class. Entry to the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum at 12:30 with a licensed educator coordinated by our team with the museum. A visit to Auschwitz I (three hours), then the internal shuttle to Birkenau (BIIa, BIIb, BIIf, depending on the family's history). Kaddish at the ramp or at a place chosen by the family. Return to Kraków around 19:00. The evening is open; dinner served in the room or at a quiet restaurant near the hotel, as the family wishes. The chauffeur remains on full standby in case anyone needs to leave the site earlier.

Miejsca: Plac Bohaterów Getta · Eagle Pharmacy · Auschwitz I · Birkenau

Posiłki: Breakfast at the hotel, kosher lunch box en route, quiet kosher dinner

Dzień 4 Kraków → Tarnów → Bobowa → Kraków

Galicia — The Shtetls That Are No Longer There

Departure at 9:00 for Tarnów — an hour and twenty minutes on the road. A visit to the free-standing bimah of the Old Synagogue (all that remains of the building burned by the Germans on 9 November 1939) on Żydowska Street. A walk through the Jewish quarter: Wekslarska Street, Goldhammer Street, the former mikveh. A visit to Plac Bohaterów Getta — the assembly point before deportations to Bełżec in June and September 1942. The New Jewish Cemetery on Słoneczna Street — four thousand preserved matzevot, one of the best-preserved Jewish cemeteries in Małopolska. Lunch at a quiet restaurant in Tarnów (kosher catering delivered from Kraków in the morning). In the afternoon a short drive to Bobowa (forty-five minutes) — seat of the Bobov Hasidic dynasty. The eighteenth-century Bobov Synagogue is preserved and partially accessible today. A visit to the cemetery with the ohel of the Bobov tzaddikim (Salomon Halberstam, Ben Zion Halberstam). Return to Kraków around 19:00.

Miejsca: Old Synagogue bimah, Tarnów · Plac Bohaterów Getta, Tarnów · New Jewish Cemetery, Tarnów · Bobov Synagogue · Bobowa cemetery — ohel of the tzaddikim

Posiłki: Breakfast at the hotel, kosher lunch (Kraków catering), kosher dinner in Kazimierz

Dzień 5 Kraków

Family Day — Addresses, Archive, JCC

A day shaped around the dossier of the particular family. The standard structure includes: visits to family addresses in Kraków (Kazimierz, Stradom, Podgórze — depending on the history), work in the reading room of the State Archive in Kraków with the genealogist (Jewish community records, vital registers, interwar documents), and a visit to the JCC Krakow on Miodowa Street — conversation with the present community, with the option of a Shabbat dinner the following day if the route covers the weekend. Free time in the afternoon — kosher restaurants in Kazimierz, a walk along the Planty, or an optional visit to a contemporary art gallery. Dinner in the evening at the hotel or at a restaurant chosen by the family. The scholar remains available throughout the day as a consultant, without stepping into the role of a guide — this is the family's day.

Miejsca: Family addresses (per dossier) · State Archive in Kraków · JCC Krakow

Posiłki: Breakfast at the hotel, flexible lunch, kosher dinner

Dzień 6 Kraków → Łódź

Kraków-Łódź Transfer and Litzmannstadt Ghetto Orientation

Departure at 8:30, transfer to Łódź — approximately four hours by V-Class via the A1 motorway. Kosher lunch box prepared in Kraków. On arrival, check-in at a premium 5-star hotel in central Łódź (Piotrkowska Street or vicinity). Two hours of initial orientation across the terrain of the former Litzmannstadt Ghetto: Radegast Station (the departure point for transports to Chełmno and Auschwitz, today a monument), Plac Kościelny, Brzezińska Street (the ghetto boundary), Survivors' Park. A short visit, without deep narrative — preparation for the seventh day. Kosher dinner at the hotel (catering organised from Warsaw or sourced from a locally certified vendor).

Miejsca: Radegast Station · Plac Kościelny · Survivors' Park

Posiłki: Breakfast at the Kraków hotel, kosher lunch box en route, kosher dinner in Łódź

Dzień 7 Łódź

Litzmannstadt Ghetto Deep Dive and the Bracka Cemetery

A full day with a scholar specialising in the history of the Łódź ghetto. In the morning, the Jewish Cemetery on Bracka Street — the largest surviving Jewish cemetery in Europe (forty-two hectares, more than two hundred thousand graves). The Mausoleum of Israel Poznański, the Ghetto Field with twenty thousand graves of those who died in the ghetto between 1940 and 1944. If the family dossier identifies a grave, the scholar leads the family directly. Lunch (kosher catering from Warsaw or local). In the afternoon, a full route through the former ghetto: the Judenrat building on Limanowskiego Street, the house of Chaim Rumkowski, the ghetto factories, and Radegast Station (a deeper visit with the narrative of the transports). Return to the hotel in the evening. Kosher dinner at the hotel. Evening at leisure.

Miejsca: Bracka Jewish Cemetery · Poznański Mausoleum · Ghetto Field · Judenrat building · Radegast Station

Posiłki: Breakfast at the hotel, kosher lunch, kosher dinner

Dzień 8 Łódź → Warsaw → Departure

Transfer to Warsaw, POLIN, and Departure from Chopin

Departure at 9:00, transfer to Warsaw — two hours by V-Class. A three-hour visit to the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews on the grounds of the former Warsaw Ghetto, 6 Anielewicza Street. The permanent exhibition "1000 Years of the History of Polish Jews" — a narrative from the tenth century to the present, providing the emotional closing of the journey. A short visit to the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes opposite the museum. Lunch at a nearby kosher restaurant (Warsaw has several certified vendors coordinated with the Chief Rabbinate). Transfer to Chopin Airport (WAW) or Warsaw-Modlin (WMI) according to the family's ticket — the V-Class remains at the family's disposal until passport control. Farewell with the chauffeur and our coordinator.

Miejsca: POLIN Museum · Monument to the Ghetto Heroes

Posiłki: Breakfast at the Łódź hotel, kosher lunch in Warsaw

W cenie

Co jest zawarte

✓ Mercedes V-Class for the entire journey with a single chauffeur (eight days, approximately 1,400 kilometres)
✓ Premium 5-star hotels in Kraków (5 nights) and Łódź (2 nights), with family rooms on the same floor
✓ Four days of scholar accompaniment (a scholar drawn from the Polish academic Jewish studies community)
✓ Pre-trip genealogical research (six to eight weeks before arrival, printed dossier in two copies)
✓ Complete kosher operation — all meals through certified vendors in Kraków, Tarnów, Łódź, and Warsaw
✓ Entry to the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum with a licensed educator coordinated by our team
✓ Entry to the POLIN Museum, Tempel Synagogue, Old Synagogue, JCC Krakow, and Jewish cemeteries (Remuh, Kraków New, Tarnów, Bracka)
✓ Meet and greet at Kraków-Balice (KRK) and farewell transfer to Warsaw Chopin (WAW)
✓ Welcome kosher dinner on the first evening, farewell lunch in Warsaw
✓ Family dossier: cadastral maps, copies of archival documents, historical photographs, and a list of family graves where identified
✓ our team available 24/7 throughout the journey
✓ Operator-side travel insurance

Nie zawarte

Co poza zakresem

— Airfares to Kraków and from Warsaw
— Personal travel and health insurance for passengers (an international travel policy is recommended)
— Personal expenses and gratuities for hotel staff (the chauffeur and scholar are already included)
— Additional visits outside the planned route, delivered as add-ons
— Meals not listed in the programme (some evenings are designated as free)

Inwestycja

Budżet

The budget range for Roots of Galicia depends on the number of passengers (four to eight in a single V-Class, or two vehicles for a larger party), the chosen hotel level (premium 5-star as standard, ultra-luxury on request), the scope of kosher operations (mehadrin as standard, bishul Yisroel as an extension), the number of scholar accompaniment days beyond the standard four, and any add-ons (deeper genealogical work, a photographer for three days, a cantor for Kaddish, a second chauffeur if the family wishes a second vehicle for senior passengers). The price covers the full journey including transport, premium accommodation throughout, all kosher meals listed in the programme, the scholar and our coordinator, the genealogical dossier, museum and memorial admissions, and 24/7 coordination. A concrete proposal follows an initial written enquiry and a discussion of the itinerary.

Opcje dodatkowe

Rozszerzenia podróży

Glatt mehadrin kosher catering

Extension of standard kosher to glatt mehadrin or bishul Yisroel — coordination with vendors operating under Wiener Beit Din supervision for families observing the highest level of kashrut.

Professional photographer, three days

A documentary photographer accompanying the family on three chosen days (Kazimierz, Tarnów, and Birkenau as standard). Discreet presence, delivery of eight to twelve thousand photographs within three weeks of the journey's end.

Extended pre-trip genealogical research

Deeper work by the genealogist (twelve weeks instead of the standard six to eight), access to closed Jewish community archives, contact with local historians in Tarnów and Łódź, and a final genealogical work bound as a family book.

Extended scholar accompaniment

Extending scholar accompaniment to six or eight days (rather than the standard four), including family days and inter-city transfers. For families that wish for substantive context at every step.

Cantor for Kaddish at Birkenau

A cantor from the Polish cantorial tradition accompanies the family during the visit to Birkenau, leading Kaddish and El Male Rachamim at the place chosen by the family.

Multimedia archive deliverable

At the close of the journey we deliver a fully organised digital archive: photographs, scholar narrative recordings, copies of archival documents, and maps from the route. The form is an encrypted USB and a cloud backup with family access.

FAQ

Pytania o tę trasę

Is the journey suitable for a senior of 85 or older?

Yes. We regularly design Roots of Galicia for three-generation families travelling with a survivor or a survivor's child aged 80 to 95. The V-Class can be fitted with a wheelchair ramp; hotels are chosen with lifts and rooms on the same floor in mind. Days are paced with hourly breaks every two hours, lunch in quiet interiors, and the option to return to the hotel during the day if the senior needs rest. Birkenau occupies a full half-day with the possibility of early departure at any point — the chauffeur waits at the car park on full standby.

What if my family is not from Tarnów or Bobowa, but from a different town in Galicia?

The route is a skeleton, not a fixed itinerary. Tarnów and Bobowa are standard stops because they are representative of the region (Tarnów: a larger city of 25,000 pre-war Jews; Bobowa: a Hasidic centre). If your family came from Rzeszów, Nowy Sącz, Przemyśl, Jarosław, or another Galician shtetl, the we redesign Day 4 to that specific location. All of these towns are within reach of a single day from Kraków by V-Class.

How does Shabbat work on the journey?

The journey is normally set to start on a Sunday or Monday so that Shabbat (Friday evening through Saturday evening) falls in Kraków. The hotel is chosen within walking distance of the Remuh or Tempel Synagogue. We can coordinate Kabbalat Shabbat at the synagogue of your choice; a Shabbat dinner with the local community through the JCC Krakow is an option. The vehicle is not used between Friday before sunset and Motzei Shabbat. Rooms are prepared with Shabbat mode (light timers, lift override where the hotel supports it, an offline-format key where possible).

Does the scholar speak English?

Yes. All scholars in our pool deliver narrative in English at an academic level. The pool also includes scholars who lead in Hebrew (for Israeli families), French, German, and Yiddish (for the older generation that returns to the language of childhood). The language is fixed during route design.

Can I substitute a visit to Treblinka or Bełżec for Auschwitz?

Yes. Roots of Galicia includes Auschwitz-Birkenau as standard for two logistical reasons: its proximity to Kraków, and the fact that around 60% of the Jews of western Galicia were murdered there between 1942 and 1944. If your family history leads to Bełżec (Aktion Reinhardt victims from Tarnów, Rzeszów, Lublin), we redesign Day 3 around Bełżec (four hours each way from Kraków, but we coordinate the logistics). Treblinka falls outside the geographical scope of this route — in that case we recommend Polish Crown Lands.

May I invite a rabbi or cantor from my own congregation to join the journey?

Yes. Some families travel with their own rabbi or cantor, which the we support logistically (an additional seat in the V-Class, coordination with local synagogues, bimah access). The rabbi or cantor counts toward the passenger total (eight maximum in a single V-Class). If the family would prefer to engage a Polish cantor or rabbi for specific moments (Kaddish at Birkenau, Havdalah in Kazimierz), we coordinate that from within the Polish community.

Begin

Rozpocznij swoją Heritage Journey

We design Roots of Galicia from the beginning for every family — the skeleton of eight days is a point of departure, not a template. We begin with a written brief — the family history, documents in hand, and expectations. After the initial exchange, we prepare an itinerary proposal with a budget breakdown. Acceptance of the itinerary triggers the genealogical work and the hotel reservations, which we typically close eight to twelve weeks before the family arrives. We invite you to a consultation — the contact form, or a direct email to our team.

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