Archive research, ancestral village visits and cinematic family documentaries for descendants reconnecting with Slovakia.
Discover the Journey
The Departure
It was likely a cold, grey morning in Eastern Slovakia. Your great-grandfather stood on a crowded platform, clutching a single leather suitcase. Inside? A loaf of bread, a Bible, and perhaps a small, faded photograph of the mother he would never see again.
He wasn't just traveling; he was escaping. Between 1880 and 1920, nearly 500,000 Slovaks left their homes for the steel mills of Pennsylvania or the coal mines of Ohio. They built a new life in America, but in the process, the old one slowly faded away.
The letters stopped coming. The language was lost. The silence grew. Today, you might have a name and a date, but do you have the story? We don't just find names in a book. We reconstruct the world they left behind. We take you back to that specific village, to that specific church, to reconnect the broken line.
Slovak Ancestry Services
From state archive genealogy research to on-the-ground heritage travel in Slovakia, each package is built around the records, locations and living memory connected to your family line.
The Foundation
Perfect if you are just starting. I visit the Slovak State Archives to locate birth records, identify house numbers and trace living relatives. You receive a detailed digital report with translations of the documents found.
Most Popular
You travel to Slovakia, we handle the rest. Airport pickup, comfortable private transport, full translation and local coordination. We walk with you through the village, knock on doors and visit the cemetery together.
Can't Travel? No Problem.
We go so you don't have to. We travel to your ancestral village, film everything in 4K, interview locals and narrate the history. You receive a cinematic documentary and audio story from the comfort of home.
Logistics & Planning
We meet via Zoom or WhatsApp to discuss what you know already: names, letters, villages or family stories. We assess the records before you commit to the next stage.
Before any trip, physical or virtual, I visit the archives and verify the data. That way we know we are going to the right village, parish and family home.
Option A (You Travel): We pick you up at the airport in private transport and help you with accommodation, timing and on-site interpretation.
Option B (We Travel): If you cannot come, we travel on your behalf, documenting the route, the village and the human encounters you would otherwise miss.
This is the emotional center of the work. We knock on doors, meet local residents, visit the church where your ancestors were baptized and translate every important conversation.
You return home with clarity. Shortly after the journey, you receive translated findings, documentary assets and, where applicable, a cinematic video or audio heirloom for your family archive.
Visualization
The Welcome. We pick you up at Vienna (VIE) or Bratislava (BTS) Airport. Enjoy a scenic drive through the Slovak countryside to your accommodation.
Evening: Welcome dinner at a traditional restaurant. We review the archive report together and explain the documents before the big day.
The Village Visit. We drive to the ancestral village. We meet the mayor, if arranged, and the local priest. We visit the specific house number from the nineteenth-century records.
The Connection: Visiting the cemetery to find family names. Lunch with locals. Nina films the entire experience discreetly.
The Culture. It is not just about the village. We visit an open-air museum to show you how your ancestors lived inside their homes 100 years ago.
Farewell: Visit to a local castle or historical town square. Souvenir shopping. Transfer back to the airport or your next destination.
Our Signature Product
Most genealogists give you a paper report that ends up in a drawer. We give you a professionally produced audio story.
Imagine driving to work and listening to your family's history narrated with music, sound effects and interviews from your ancestral village. We capture church bells, local dialect and your own emotions on site.
Who We Are
Roots & Stories works across Slovak archives, villages, cemeteries and parishes for descendants in the United States, Canada, France and beyond who want a serious, local partner on the ground.
Founder & Heritage Guide
I am a graduate of International Relations at the University of Economics in Bratislava with a deep passion for history. During my studies, I completed a semester at the Sorbonne in Paris, which refined my French and broadened my cultural understanding.
My professional background is in Global Relocation Services at Move One, where I helped international families settle in Slovakia. I understand the logistics of travel and bureaucracy. As the creator of the history podcast História na tanieri, I do not just find facts. I turn them into stories. I speak English, French and German.
Visual Director & Photographer
A professional photographer and videographer with an eye for detail. While Ľubomír handles the facts, Nina handles the feelings. She documents your journey so you do not have to experience it through a phone screen. She produces the cinematic 4K documentary and photo book that become part of your family's new legacy.
Questions Families Ask
These are the most common questions from descendants starting genealogy research in Slovakia or planning an ancestral return trip.
The best starting points are the oldest known ancestor, approximate dates, religion, village name, immigration records and any family letters or photographs. Even partial information can be enough to start archive research in Slovakia.
Yes. The virtual journey is designed for families abroad who need on-site research, filming, local interviews and a guided documentary delivery without leaving home.
We work throughout Slovakia, including eastern villages, central mountain regions and western towns. The exact route depends on the parish, archive and municipality connected to your records.
Depending on the package, you receive a translated archive summary, trip planning support or on-site documentation, plus optional 4K documentary and audio storytelling materials that preserve the journey for future generations.
We accept a limited number of families per year to keep the research, travel planning and documentary production deeply personal.