Here are some of the experiences of past travelers who booked a guided tour with me in Bremen:
“While I had been to Bremen before, I had not seen it through a local’s eyes, and certainly I had not seen the many hidden gems that Bremen has to offer.”
“As a professional family historian and guide in the Czech Lands, I traveled to Bremen with a family whose ancestry was from Bohemia. They had left for America from Bremen. We stayed close to the city’s historic center, so Sonja was able to meet us at our hotel. She was prompt, courteous, and very well informed. Not only did she show us all the highlights of the town’s main square, along with the more important interiors she also asked questions and engaged with us in a sincere and friendly manner.
Ultimately, she led us through charming small lanes where she recommended a restaurant that I know we would not have found on our own. There were so many small details that we would certainly have overlooked, but beyond all else it was her keen awareness of the interests that are very specific to family historians. For example, the last bridge before America…
Thank you, Sonja Irani. I hope to visit Bremen and have you as a guide again soon.”
Thomas Zahn, Owner P.A.T.H. FINDERS Intl., from Prague, Czech Republic (originally from X, USA)
2-hour emigration-themed Bremen walking tour in September 2023
Through his agency “P.A.T.H. FINDERS Intl.”, Thomas organizes custom family heritage tours in and around Prague, Czech Republic for Americans with European roots. If you have ancestors from this area, have a look at what he has to offer on his website:
“It was a quick, but enjoyable visit with an engaging guide.”
“I joined Sonja for her one-day combo tour. We had a detailed tour of Bremen highlighting many of the sites that stood when my ancestors passed through on their way to Bremerhaven to emigrate to the United States and Canada.
We next had lunch in the Schnoor district followed by a visit to Bremerhaven where we explored the harbour and the emigration museum. Sonja is knowledgeable about Bremen’s history and was happy to show me around Bremerhaven.
It was a quick, but enjoyable visit with an engaging guide. I would definitely recommend Sonja.”
Sherri Tomiak from Family Connect Genealogical Services, Edmonton, Canada
Sherri organizes …. If you have ancestors from this area, have a look at what he has to offer on her website:
2-hour emigration-themed Bremen walking tour in Bremen and a visit to the Emigration Museum in Bremerhaven in October 2023
“We had always dreamed of visiting our German ancestors’ homeland, and Sonja’s expert guidance and planning made our bucket list trip a reality.”
“Sonja’s walking tour of Bremen, Germany was one of the highlights of our trip. She gave us invaluable insight into the emigration process of our ancestors and had a deep knowledge of the history of the city and surrounding areas.
With Sonja’s help, we were even able to visit our ancestors’ hometown in the Ankum/Merzen area and connect with a few distant relatives – an experience we will never forget. This part of northern Germany was beautiful. Sonja organized a tour guide for us for the day in Ankum, which made it all SO special.
Our 10 day trip also included visits to Munich, Dusseldorf, Paris, and Austria. We mostly used the train system to move between countries but we drove a rental car from Munich to Austria.
Overall, our European adventure was absolutely amazing! We are so grateful for Sonja’s expertise and professionalism, and we would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a knowledgeable and dedicated tour guide. Thanks Sonja, so making our trip to memorable!”
Debbie and Duane Vonder Haar & Bernice and Doug Vonder Haar from Illinois, USA
Ancestry-inspired trip to Germany and 2-hour emigration-themed Bremen walking tour in September 2022
with tour guides Sonja Irani (first two pictures) and Elisabeth Irani (third picture)
Photos: © Courtesy of Debbie Vonder Haar
“Our ancestry-themed tour of Bremen with Sonja was extremely memorable, personalized and a highlight of our Germany trip”.
“A couple of years ago we got our DNA sequenced with ancestry.com. In summer 2022 we decided to take a 10-day trip to Germany to find ancestors and distant cousins. We traveled over 3,000 km from the South to the North and it was a grand adventure.
The highlight was our visit of Bremen, since this city was free and the gateway to emigration and freedom for many German immigrants. We met Sonja Irani at the famous Roland statue, and were transported back many centuries during an amazing personalized visit of the city and its history.
The old neighborhoods, and the history of commerce, politics, and emigration were all co-mingled in an interesting and clear way. Bremen was probably our favorite city. Afterwards we went to the German Emigration museum in Bremerhaven which is also highly recommended”.
Olivier and Lynn de Weck from Boston, Massachusetts, USA
2-hour emigration-themed Bremen walking tour in July 2022
