How a Virtual Tour Helped Me Uncover the Roots of My Family’s Journey

I never expected to feel emotional staring at cobblestones through a computer screen. But there I was, watching a live, virtual tour of Prague, eyes welling up as the camera panned across a quiet, pastel-colored square my grandfather had once described in letters.

For years, I had heard fragments about our family’s origins. Stories passed down about a home in what was once Czechoslovakia, about music in the streets, about a sudden departure during uncertain times. But it wasn’t until I joined a Discover Live virtual tour of Prague that these pieces came together in color, sound, and feeling.

Canva.com

A City That Holds Stories

Prague is a city that wears its history openly. Its gothic spires and Baroque facades whisper of old empires and revolutions. But it was the human scale of the tour that moved me. Our guide, a local with deep roots in the city, didn’t just show us landmarks; he told the stories behind them. The neighborhoods that once bustled with Jewish families like mine. The music halls. The quiet courtyards that became unlikely havens during turbulent years.

Canva.com

Walking the Streets of My Family’s Past

When the tour took us to Josefov, the Jewish Quarter, something clicked. The names, the architecture, the atmosphere, they all felt strangely familiar. I remembered a photograph of my great-grandfather standing near a stone wall etched with Hebrew text. Our guide stopped at that very wall, explaining its historical significance and the families remembered there. It was surreal. For the first time, the past didn’t feel distant, it felt personal.

Canva.com

A Journey Without a Plane Ticket

I had always dreamed of traveling to Prague, but work, cost, and timing made it unlikely. This virtual experience offered something different, not just a view, but a connection. I could ask questions. I could hear the wind on the Charles Bridge. I could feel, if only for an hour, like I was there.

And somehow, it was enough. More than enough.

Discovering More Than a City

Thanks to Discover Live, I didn’t just learn about Prague. I learned about where I come from and how much of that story still lives in me. I’ve since shared the recording of the tour with my family, and it sparked new conversations, new questions, and even plans to visit in person someday.

Not everyone can hop on a plane and retrace their family’s footsteps. But that doesn’t mean you have to miss the experience. Ancestry and Discover Live’s virtual discovery tours bring places like Prague to life in real time, guided by locals who know the stories, the history, and the heart of each destination.

Whether you're tracing family roots, sparking memories for older adults, or just seeking a deeper kind of travel, Discover Live makes it all possible from the comfort of your own community or living room.

Because sometimes, reconnecting with family starts with a single city and a guide who helps you see it not just with your eyes, but with your heart.