Testimonials
A tour of Nazi death camp sites
at Sobibor and Belzec
September 1998
In 1998 I set out to do research for a book I was writing about travel directions to
the concentration camp sites. I was pressed for time and needed a tour guide for
the sites in Poland.
How lucky I was to have found Slawek Nowodworski.
A few simple emails and everything was arranged. He picked me up at my hotel
and arranged the entire days tour to Sobibor and Belzec. His knowledge of the sites
was just what I needed.
AND...he has gone above and beyond the call of duty by helping
me maintain my book. He keeps me posted with information about the sites to this very day!
I can't thank him enough and would highly recommend his services.
Marc Terrance, author of
Concentration Camps, A Traveler's Guide to World War II Sites
A tour of Majdanek and Lublin, focussed on
Aktion Reinhard and Jewish Lublin
April 1999
To whom it may concern,
Mr Slawek Nowodworski guided our group of teachers in Majdanek and Lublin
for one day last November. We were very satisfied with Slawek's thorough knowledge
and his good grasp of the topics we were interested in.
We were all impressed, with time and experience Slawek will make an excellent
guide and we wish him all the best and will certainly turn to him in the future.
Stockholm, 13th of April 1999
Lena Jersenius
Svenska Kommittén mot Antisemitism,
(Swedish Committee Against Antisemitism)
A tour of Jewish Lublin and genealogical research in the Sandomierz area
June 2002
This is a somewhat overdue recommendation for a Polish guide whom I used this past
June on a trip to Poland which included visiting family
shtetlach, doing archival
research and getting to places of general Jewish interest.
His name is Slawomir (Slawek) Nowodworski, and he is based in Lublin where he is
finishing a Judaic Studies program (!) at a local university.
He is one of a number of local scholars and students with a special interest
in the Jewish history of Lublin and its surrounding region.
They have already published a significant amount of material
(both in print and on the Web) and have recently assisted in
creating a Jewish Heritage Trail and map for walking thru Jewish Lublin.
Although relatively young, Slawek is extremely knowledgeable and articulate,
having been tutored from a young age by his late father who was also a tour
guide specializing in the Jewish history of the region. (His father founded
the local Israel-Poland Friendship club.)
His attention to logistical detail during the planning stages of our trip was
quite amazing, considering the number of changes that unfortunately had to be
made. He made all the necessary adjustments without complaint and even found
ways of saving us money at the expense of his own time and energy. During our
3 days together, I cannot think of a single arrangement that was not properly
attended to ahead of time.
Although he doesn't have his own car, a driver friend of his named Piotr (Peter)
is usually available. Peter, who doesn't speak English but nevertheless is very
affable, has a Peugot SUV that can seat 3 in the back (altho if you have a lot
of baggage or are traveling long distances, I would recommend no more than 2).
Although the extended Lublin region is Slawek's specialty, I imagine he is capable
of planning trips to other regions as well. Since we were interested in visiting
south-eastern Poland, it was to our advantage to hire a guide in Lublin rather
than pay for a guide to travel from Warsaw or Krakow.
As far as archival research, Slawek has worked with Russian language records in the
past and seemed pretty adept. He is interested in increasing his experience and
taking on commissions for private research.
His email address is
info[at]explorelublin.pl
Lastly, his rates were very competitive (even with the driver) compared to other guides
whom I checked out.
If you have any further questions, I can be emailed at:
chatz[at]netvision.net.il
Shabbat shalom,
Yechezkel Anis, Jerusalem, Israel
Featured and customized tours for groups
and indivdual travellers organized by
StayPoland Travel
Since 2004
StayPoland has had the pleasure to collaborate with Mr. Slawek Nowodworski for more than two years.
On the business and organizational level, all our dealings with Mr. Nowodworski always go without
a hitch.
As for the feedback from our customers, the opinions about Mr. Nowodworski's work are always
positive and even the most demanding visitors are satisfied.
We hope that our cooperation will be equally or even more fruitful in the future.
Anna Ostrowska, Inbound Tours Manager
StayPoland Travel
www.staypoland.com
A trip to Wlodawa and Sobibor
May 2006
In May 2006 I visited Wlodawa and Sobibor. My guide was Slawomir Nowodworski.
From Lublin we drove first to Wlodawa where we visited the beautiful synagogue.
I was very much impressed with Slawomir's knowledge of Jewish culture and
of the Jewish history of the region. His knowledge and pleasant personality made
this part of the tour very enjoyable and the for me difficult visit to Sobibor much easier.
I should also like to mention Peter, Slawomir's nice and able driver contributing
to the success of the tour.
Julie Seijffers, Israel-Holland
A tour of Lublin and Majdanek
and a trip to the Nazi death camp site at Sobibor
September 2006
Among many countries I chose Poland as my first trip abroad because I thought I had to see the sites
where the most terrible behaviors were done to human beings by human beings.
At first I planned to visit and stay at Krakow and Warsaw only, but it occurred to me that
I should add Lublin to my trip.
So I asked Slawomir Nowodworski to guide me. I learn about him from a book I had read before,
Concentration Camps, A Traveler's Guide to World War II Sites
written by
Marc Terrance.
My choice turned out to be very right. Owing to nice driving by Mr. Nowodworski's friend (Piotr),
I could visit Sobibor and Majdanek. And Mr. Nowodworski explained many things about them
in plain English for me. So at these camps, where only few people were visiting, I could calmly
feel many feelings which were a bit different from those I felt at Auschwitz.
Then his wife, Mariola Nowodworska, guided me around the Old Town of Lublin City which is small
and old-fashioned but has a very pleasant atmosphere.
I think that their kind and gentle assistance made my trip to Poland much better.
Hiroyuki Ikeno, Japan
A trip to Nazi death camp sites at Sobibor, Belzec
and the Renaissance city of Zamo¶æ
October 2006
We hired Slawek to guide us to Sobibor, Belzec, and Majdanek. As a person who knows something of
Holocaust history, I can say that his knowledge far exceeds my own. He also gave us a tour of
Zamosc free of charge.
We found Slawek and Peter (his driver) to be courteous, friendly and open. A highly recommended
guide to the Lublin area. Well worth the cost. A real deal! Thank you so much for a memorable experience!
Dave Stier, Santa Cruz, California
Rita Oakes, Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey
A family heritage tour to Lublin,
Bilgoraj and Modliborzyce
September 2006
My wife and I met Slawek in October 2006 on arriving in Lublin for a 2-day "Family Heritage Trip".
We had already informed him of our wishes and planned itinerary in advance, and he prepared an agenda
which couldn't have been more relaxed, more efficient, more pleasing - and without missing a single
point in our original plan.
His proficiency in Lublin's Jewish background and history is commendable and was a great asset for us,
having family roots in that city. The same goes for helping at our parents' families'
miasteczka
(
shtetlach), either by making an appointment at the registry office, or arranging for us to meet
local residents who could still remember the Jewish past and show us the interesting landmarks in those towns.
Needless to say, Slawek's help and planning created for us a trip "in a league of its own".
It wouldn't have been the same without him. We recommend him whole-heartedly.
On our last evening, Slawek, accompanied by his lovely wife Mariola, introduced us to what is in my mind
the best
kuchnia polska (Polish cuisine) restaurant in Lublin. Had this been the only tip he would
have given us during the whole visit, it would have sufficed (no, I am not going to divulge the
restaurant's name...get it from him if you wish).
Miriam and Eli Gal, Ramat Gan, Israel
Go back to the homepage.