Routes to Polish Roots

About Tour

The history of Poles in Romania is certainly linked to the history of Bucovina, a region in the north of the medieval state of Moldova annexed and named as such in 1775 by the Austrian Empire.

At the time, Bucovina was a buffer zone between Eastern and Western civilization, located in an area where the Ottoman, the Russian and Austrian Empire, have exercised their influences as well as the Slavic, Byzantine and Central European ones. Polish communities began to grow during the 18th century in Bucovina, with Polish immigrants who came from Galicia. The region attracted ordinary people, where they found better conditions of living, people such as officials, priests, teachers, and few nobles. Let us not forget the so-called "mountain people" in the region Czadec, now belonging to Slovakia. These people inhabited all the cities in Bucovina.

During the Second World War, Poland suffered most from the two evil empires, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Following the invasion of Poland by the Nazis and Soviet armies in 1939, over 60,000 Poles took refuge in Bukovina and other regions of Romania. After the war, Poland and Romania have agreed to repatriate thousands of Polish families, both refugees and descendants of the ancient colonies. This process has been one of great magnitude, but not entirely destroyed the Polish communities in Bucovina and Romania. If considering today Republic of Moldova we can find polish roots in it's northern districts, where the Polish landowners had land and established even localities. So let’s discover two wonderful countries, their culture and history, but also look for some traces the Polish people left behind.

What People Say

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Dearest Viorica, 

I really want to thank you enough for being the most amazing guide and introducing me to your tremendous country. What a priviledge it has been to travel back in time and catch the enduring presence of Moldovans through the centuries. I couldn’t imagine being transported through song and hear the love of family, hope & blessings being passed on. Family, food, friendship, sharing of thoughts and ideas connect us in real time and across time as well. 

This may not have been a clear chosen career path bat I must say you excel at it!!! Your ability to be flexible and accommodating is beyond the norm! I totally loved the book you helped create and will use it to dig deeper and continue to learn more about this country. 

The cooking, clothing weaving, embroidery, people have captured a part of my heart. The pictures we’ve taken will remind us of our time together for a lifetime & these stories you have shared will be retold and shared with many many others. 

Thanks so much again, 

Pat. 

If you go to Moldova, for tourism or for business, you can't do it without Cristina. She knows the country perfectly, its history, its culture, its traditions... And she knows all its places: monasteries, churches, villages. Plus it speaks perfect Russian, Romanian and Italian and will let you communicate with all the people you meet.

Thanks, Cristina, for making this trip beautiful and unforgettable.

Natalia, a very knowledgeable guide, has beaten my expectations by far!!! I am a frequent traveller, always trying to find good guides. But up till now Natalia is my absolute favorite. It's the information she gave us in between you never can expect from a normal tour guide. Everything was well organized. One can feel that she loves her job. She has wide-ranging skills. Thank you!