Banat Ancestral Tour 2025

Dear fellow genealogists and researchers,

We are excited to announce the Banat Ancestral Tour for May-June 2025!

DATES:

The tour begins in Frankfurt, where we’ll gather at a designated hotel. Participants are free to arrive at their convenience, and many in past tours have opted to arrive a day or two early to explore Frankfurt and its surroundings. However, we recommend not arriving at the last minute! We will share the name of the hotel where the group will meet, and for your convenience, we can handle the booking for you if needed.

The official tour kicks off on the morning of May 27, 2025, and concludes on the evening of June 13, 2025, back in Frankfurt. While we’ll suggest a hotel for this last night, participants can of course choose one that best suits their travel plans. We will be traveling in two passenger vans, and for the comfort of the group, we have limited the maximum number of participants to 12. The minimum number of participants will be 8.

If you’re interested, we’ll be happy to send further details and answer any questions you may have!

ITINERARY – A Brief Overview:

This journey into your past starts in Frankfurt, Germany. From there, we will embark on a one-day scenic route through the beautiful Moselle, Alsace, and Lorraine regions of France before returning to Germany to visit the House of Danube Swabians in Sindelfingen and the Danube Swabians Central Museum in Ulm – essential stops for understanding the history and private life of the Danube Swabians.

Next, we make our way to Budapest, Hungary’s stunning capital. Before diving into the city’s treasures, we will visit the Hungarian Highlands, the first areas to be settled after the Ottoman Turks were driven out of the region. After a full day exploring Budapest, we head south toward Serbia, to the Banat, Srem, and Bačka regions, where many German communities lived until WWII.

Our base for the next four days will be Zrenjanin (Grossbetschkerek, Nagybecskerek), the historical center of the Torontal County. From our comfortable hotel, we’ll embark on daily excursions in two minibuses to visit numerous ancestral towns. We’ll explore churches, cemeteries, and search for family homes (many of the Banat towns have remained largely unchanged since the time of their founding).

After these immersive four days, we will take a half-day tour of Novi Sad, the vibrant provincial capital, and visit the impressive Petrovaradin Fortress – “Gibraltar on the Danube.” After a traditional Batschka lunch in Novi Sad, we head to Vršac, a charming town in the southeast Banat, for an overnight stay. In the morning, we will have a short tour of Vršac, known for its 19th-century wine and beer heritage, overlooked by the famous Vršac Tower.

Next, we cross into Romania for the second phase of our tour. Our new base will be in Timișoara, the historical capital of Timiș County, where we will stay for four nights. From here, we’ll visit towns across Romanian Banat, Arad, and Caraș-Severin counties, focusing on areas of interest for our participants.

After these four days, we’ll journey through Hungary to Bratislava, the lively capital of Slovakia and another charming city along the Danube. We’ll explore the city and enjoy lunch before continuing to Vienna, Austria, where we will stay for two nights. The next day will be dedicated to discovering the landmarks of Vienna before returning to Frankfurt for a farewell dinner.

If you’re interested, we’d be delighted to provide additional information and assist with any questions.

Warm regards,
Staša, Darko, and Aniko
Synergia Team