Halfway between Miskolc and Lácza is Tokaj—known for producing some of Hungary's most famous wines.

One of the many things that I noticed as we travelled across the beautiful plains of northern Hungary was the sky. It seemed higher, bluer and more beautiful than anything I had ever seen in the U.S.

Even though the prime destination on our journey to Hungary was our family's hometown village of Lácza, we spent a couple of days in the capital city of Budapest.

The architecture of Hungary's capital city—especially the government buildings and churches—was magnificent! I couldn't help but wonder what my family thought of the "big city" when they travelled there from Lácza on the first leg of their journey to America at the turn of the century.

About 45 minutes from downtown Budapest was the amazing "open air museum" of Szentendre. Over the past several decades, the Hungarian government identified, preserved and moved original houses from locations around the country. These homes best preserve the living conditions of the Magyar people from past generations. Our family house in Lácza would have once had a thatched roof like the one pictured above. The original hay roofs were eventually replaced with tile in the late nineteenth century.

This simple interior room shows what life in a small town in Hungary was like for my grandparents. This room serves as dining room, bedroom and living room.

This is another photo of the same home's interior showing a chest and some common household tools and utensils. This particular house was moved to the museum from the Zemplén region, where Lácza is located.

This incredible view of the Danube was taken from our Hilton Hotel room window on our last night in Budapest. It was fitting that a picturesque sunset closed our memorable five day visit to our ancestor's homeland.

Needless to say, I found this genealogical journey to be filled with adventure, joy, and memories that will last a lifetime. I've travelled the world and seen some pretty amazing things. But in a lot of ways, nothing will ever compare to my visit to Hungary. If you've ever thought about taking a journey of your own, my advice would be: Go. It's a decision that I believe you will never regret!

BACK