Guest Testimonials
The most important testimony to our success at delivering memorable experiences from our events, travelling with us or simply from reading our guides is that of our past clients. Our dedication to providing a truly rewarding experience is reflected by the fact that the majority of our clients return to us -- and refer their business clients, colleagues, family and friends to MS AGENCY; there can be no better endorsement!
"Alles hat excellent geklappt. Vor allem Ivana war eine helle Freude! Wir waren echt begeistert von ihr. Pflegen Sie das Mädchen gut !!!
Im übrigen werde ich Sie gerne weiter empfehlen."
M.D., Germany
"Dear Martin, We are now safely home in Chicago having avoided almost all of the volcano problems. I cannot thank you enough for the remarkable day we spent with you. Peter was particularly moved by finding the gate and house in Modra. Last night, he got out an very old illustration that had hung it his parents' home for many years. We were able to compare the drawing with our pictures. Peter's health has been in question for some time so going to his beloved grandmother's home was by far the most important part of our trip.
Again, thank you."
J.D., Illinois, USA
"Thank you for your wonderful and educational tour of your great city of Bratislava, Slovakia with my wife, daughter and myself. We enjoyed it very much and appreciated your time and effort. It was great meeting you and I am glad I bought your tour book guide on Bratislava after we met, because it filled in any details of the wonderful sights that you showed us. Hope all is well with you and your family."
L. M., Washington, D.C., USA
"Martin, thanks again for a wonderful tour! Lunch at the bank restaurant was great, and we pumped some cash into the Bratislava tourism economy! We bought your Bratislava and Slovakia tour books, and an American couple next to us at lunch inquired about them so they probably bought one also! I did check and Rick Steves mentions you twice in the Bratislava section of his Vienne Tyrol guide. I will scan pages when we get home and send to you. Thanks again, we will be in touch about a longer trip for Mark and mysellf. Take care!"
C.C., Illinois, USA
"I thought I should write to thank you for our very informative visit to Slovakia with you as the guide. I/we very much enjoyed and appreciated not only your English language capabilities, oral and written, but your in-depth knowledge of Slovakia (and the world)--which together enabled our conversations to range widely over historical, economic, and social topics....
We appreciated too that you had your representative diligently search for the aforementioned birth certificate when it was not found in the archives for Stara Lubovna... I was pleasantly surprised that you found some of my relatives still living there---relatives who extended their hospitality very graciously, while you acted as interpreter....
In sum, I am voluntarily and highly recommending you as a guide for anyone wishing to learn more about Slovakia, perhaps especially for someone who wants to gain some greater understanding of her/his ancestral roots."
J.F., Minnesota, USA
"Vážený pán riaditeľ,
Dovoľte mi, aby som Vám vyjadril úprimné poďakovanie za spoluprácu počas pobytu ministra zahraničných vecí Rakúskej republiky p. Michaela Spindeleggera, ktorý spolu s rodinou navštívil 29.novembra 2009 Bratislavu a zároveň ocenil Vašu erudovanosť a vysoko profesionálny prístup.
Podujatie bolo nielen výbornou príležitosťou na upevnenie priateľských vzťahov medzi Slovenskou republikou a Rakúskou republikou, ale aj na poukázanie historického a kultúrneho prepojenia krajín. Možnosť využiť Vaše odborné znalosti a sprievodcovské služby zanechali nezabudnuteľný zážitok a prispeli k úspechu tohto neformálneho stretnutia.
Vážený pán riaditeľ, ešte raz Vám ďakujem a želám Vám osobne veľa zdravia, osobnej pohody a úspechov v ďalšej práci.
S pozdravom "
Miroslav Lajčák, Minister zahraničných vecí Slovenskej republiky / Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic
"Wir waren alle sowohl vom Ambiente, wie auch vom Essen sehr begeistert und haben den Tag insgesamt sehr genossen! Nochmals vielen Dank für Ihre sehr gute Betreuung und die exzellente und informative Stadtführung. Unsere Mitarbeiter haben heute noch über das Eine oder Andere gesprochen und waren von Ihrem Wissen sehr beeindruckt. Falls es sich ergeben sollte, werde ich Sie und Ihre Agentur sehr gerne weiter empfehlen!"
G.S., NIVEA WIEN, Österreich
"Dear Martin - Just wanted to reiterate how much we enjoyed meeting you and having you guide us around Bratislava. What was most fascinating was getting a full grasp of the history and politics. Your being such a great advocate for your country has undoubtedly gotten lots of folks thinking. Just goes to show one person really does make a difference! And given what we read in the paper at the end of the week regarding the bruhaha w/ the Czech Republic, we felt like we were well informed and could discuss amongst ourselves much more intelligently how ridiculous the insult to Slovakia was given the history and relationship between the two countries. We will be rooting for the continued success and development of Slovakia and would be happy to give you a tour of London if you ever come here or of New York City if/when we return!"
C.F., New York City, USA
"Chcela by som sa Vam obom velmi pekne podakovat za spolupracu na tomto Investorskom evente. Velmi ocenujem profesionalnu spolupracu, promptnost a ochotu oboch Vas, velmi ste mi pomohli pri organizacii. Dostala som iba pozitivne reakcie, tak na organizaciu, ako na program.
Takisto by som chcela podakovat za profesionalne sprievodcovske sluzby. Sprievodcovske kvality a aj rozsiahle znalosti a sposob ich prezentacie, boli ocenene aj u nasho generalneho riaditela ako aj u ostatnych kolegov z Polska.
Takze este raz Vam dakujem vsetkym za spolupracu a ked budem organizovat nieco podobne tak sa na Vas opat rada obratim."
M.B., Asseco, Slovakia
"I just wanted to say again how much we appreciated having you as our guide and translator on our trip to Slovakia. It was absolutely exhilarating and will provide us with an ongoing connection to our heritage. I'm hoping that my children and their children to come will stay in contact and again visit Bardejov. Perhaps our paths my cross again.. It has been a pleasure!"
P.M., Pennsylvania, USA
"Your "ears should be ringing"!! This is an expresion we use when we pay compliments about someone. Last evening my wife and I met with the rest of the family. I shared with them our adventure and what a rewarding life experience I was able to share with my sons. Your name was mentioned several times and to how none of this would have been possible had it not been for you. You are in employ that fits your personality perfectly. I can honestly say that you are the only correct mention by Rick Steves Slovakia!! I wish you well. "
K.M., Illinois, USA
"I am still somewhat still in awe over my experience in Saris with you. Your name comes up in conversation several times a day. Needless to say how much you impressed my sons as well as myself. Sonia is correct, you do not have a job more an adventure! Thank you, thank you for such an unforgettable sojourn of which is only encouraging me to return for a longer visit. Do you recommend any software for me to learn Slovak? That would fulfill a life long intention and now I have the motivation to learn Slovak. I wish you well and God's blessings on your beautiful family."
K.M, Illinois, USA
"Thanks again for showing us such great time in Slovakia, we will cherish these memories for many years."
F.K., Saskatchewan, Canada
"Ich möchte mich auch im Namen meiner Freunde bei Ihnen auf diesem Wege für die außerordentlich gute, lebendige und interessante Führung durch Bratislava bedanken. Sie haben es verstanden, die Geschichte Ihrer Stadt und des Landes uns so interessant und informativ zu schildern. Es war ein Genuss für uns. So werden wir im nächsten Jahr wiederkommen und auf jeden Fall die Burg besuchen. Wir werden uns bei Ihnen entsprechend früh melden.
Apropos Genuss: Auf dem Rückweg sind wir wieder an der Schokoladenbar vorbei gekommen und eingekehrt. Sie hatten Recht, der Genuss purer Schokolade hat was für sich.
R.A., Germany
"Dakujeme a chcem Ti povedat, ze co sa tyka mna tak si myslim, ze nasa spolupraca bola vyborna a dakujem aj za Tvoju trpezlivost
. Vsetko bolo zorganizovane skvele a podla nasich predstav za co Ti este raz dakujem. Uprimne takyto hladky priebeh som necakala . Urcite ked budem v buducnosti potrebovat niekoho na takuto alebo podobnu akciu tak oslovim Teba."
I.T., Holcim Slovensko
"Vďaka Vám za perfektne zorganizovaný krásny večer, bolo mi veľmi fajn. Teším sa na ďalšiu spoluprácu a želám Vám krásne Vianoce."
Alena Heribanová
"Just a note to let you know that I really enjoyed my time with you in your country while on the Danube river cruise. You came on board our boat and told us about the history and the current political status of your country. This was one of those pleasant surprises you get when traveling to different locations. Your country has a bright future if there are more talented, intelligent young men like you there in politics. The future is bright for those that are willing to take a hold of responsibility and make important day to day decisions that determine their own destiny. You impress me as that type of person, willing to take risk and also be responsible. It would be wonderful to spend more time in Slovakia and see more of the country on future trips."
L.H., California, USA
"All three of us were very, very pleased with the trip and your itinerary! Thank you for the great job that you did for us. Everything we saw was fabulous and well-chosen. You did an outstanding job of organizing everything! Your selection of castles and other attractions for us to visit was just perfect. Once again, I thank you very much for arranging such a lovely tour for us. We were all very pleased and we had a great time getting to know Slovakia better."
D.P., U.S. Embassy Bratislava
"Ich wollte mich nochmals herzlich bei Ihnen für die tolle Vorbereitung bedanken. Es waren schöne Tage in Bratislava, auch das Wetter hat ja gut mitgespielt. Die Raftingtour war schon ein richtiges Erlebnis und wir haben auch am heutigen Tag noch etwas Muskelkater. Ganz hervorragend war Ihre Wahl mit der Stadtführerin. Sie war ein Garant für super Informationen und ihre Lustigkeit hat uns alle angesteckt. Abschließend wünsche ich Ihnen noch eine gute Zeit und weiterhin vollen Erfolg. Wenn wir - mit Sicherheit dann als Familie bzw. Einzelpersonen - mal wieder in Bratislava ankommen, werden wir uns mit Sicherheit wieder Ihre Erfahrungen usw. sichern. Wir werden Sie in jedem Fall sehr positiv weiterempfehlen!!"
A.W., Germany
"Just a short message to thank you for the excellent service offered to us on both occasions. All tours were really very detailed, and the restaurants recommended were really great, in particular the Paparazzi. Forward my greetings also to Jana, for her great service."
T.M., Malta
"We wanted that write and thank you for our tour of Bratislava. You were most informative, so very helpful to us with the train tickets, and we enjoyed our time with you. You made Bratislava come alive for us. We were certainly glad that we included it our intinerary. We also have voted the Marrols our favorite hotel on our journey. All in all, Bratislava was just a great experience. By the way, we did eat at the Argentina Steak House and it was as good as you said. Thanks and best wishes to you in all your endeavors."
G.W., California, USA
"We could not have done this nor enjoyed the experience nearly as much without your help Martin! You are wonderful and we will never forget you or all your help. We agreed that we felt most "at home" when we were in Slovakia. The villages that we visited, our time in Spisska Nova Ves and our stay in Bratislava was comfortable and comforting. It felt like we belonged there. When we were leaving Praque on the train I kept wishing we were headed back to Bratislava rather than Vienna. I know that we will be back! Our accomodations were perfect, all of our guides were great! They all were very knowledgable and wonderful to spend time with. Thank you for Slovakia - you have many wonderful reasons to be proud of your country."
S.L., Pennsylvania,USA
"Sharon and I made it home safe and sound. We want to thank you very much, for making our trip to Slovakia so fantastic."
A.S., Pennsylvania, USA
"You have been a gift in my journey of life. My mother's life here where it all began came to life for me. I could see her running through the streets singing, I could see her walking up church aisle with her candle. Thank you for all of your efforts - the hotel, the interesting fact - filled days of touring & most especially the drink in the Stork Pub. I told you I heard storks would bring you good luck. I hope to keep in touch with Miroslav & you, too. I will keep you + your family in my thoughts & prayers. May health & happiness be a big part of your future."
D.H., Illinois, USA
"Just a quick note to thank you and Jeanette for all your help these last couple of days. You do a great job and I will use you in future trips. My trip to visit the family could not have gone any better."
J.B., Pennsylvania, USA
"Ich denke gern an den Abendempfang von Herrn Staatssekretär Christoph Habermann in Pressburg zurück, den Sie perfekt und im europäischen Sinn mit eigenen Ideen vorbereitet haben. Der Gedanke des Zusammenwirkens der Regionen Sachsen und Slowakei stand im Vordergrund. Sie haben diesen Gedanken auch für den Empfang bis ins Detail umgesetzt."
B.O., Germany
"Mein Mann und ich haben uns sehr über diese Nachricht gefreut und möchten Ihnen von Herzen zu dieser schönen Auszeichnung gratulieren. Da ist die Wahl wirklich auf den Richtigen gefallen!!! Es wäre schön, wenn es von Ihrer Begeisterung, Ihrem Stil und Ihrem diplomatischen Geschick mehr tatkräftige Menschen gäbe."
L.P., Germany
"Vďaka za pomoc a som rád, že som sa o Vás a Vašej spoločnosti dozvedel. Pozeral som si aj Vašu web stránku, dobre ste ju spracovali. Takže pre budúcnosť viem, na koho sa obrátiť."
R. K., Kimberley-Clark Health Care, Slovakia
"I just wanted to thank you again for the tour of Bratislava last week. I think it was a great success and everyone was very impressed with your knowledge and also with the city itself. Nobody had been there before but a number have said that they would like to visit again. I know that your guide book sold well that afternoon!"
A. M., United Kingdom
"I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know how much my sister, Mary, and I appreciated your help while we were in Bratislava this past September. Our trip to Mikulcice and Tesice was one I will always remember."
V.P., British Columbia, Canada
"Thank you again for all the organisation and hindsight information on Slovakia, we all enjoyed it very much. The rallye has been an enormous highlight, we went to the Hungaroring and finished in Budapest as 2nd in total. Will come back to Slovakia perhaps next year, and sure will tell you when.
Best regards, also to your team"
T.G., Germany
"Die Euphorie bei Teilnehmern, Zuschauern und Sponsoren und Ihr Einsatz haben das Organisationsteam dieser einzigartigen Oldtimerrallye dazu bewegt, weiterzumachen."
M.H., Germany
"Ak človek vidí prezentáciu Slovenska v takej podobe ako bola pripravená a prezentovaná, zanechá to v nom veľmi dobrý dojem. Čo je však dôležitejšie tento dojem zostal aj v ľuďoch, ktorý túto prezentáciu videli a neboli práve zo Slovenka. Ak sa dokonca nájde človek/cudzinec, ktorý niečo už o Slovensku vedel a vyjadrí sa pochvalne o takomto predstavení Slovenska, je to znak dobre odvedenej práce.
Inými slovami povedané, rád by som Vám ešte raz poďakoval za dobre pripravenú prezentáciu Slovenska a prehliadku Bratislavy."
SAF Slovakia, s.r.o.
"Bev and I want to thank you for making our trip to Slovakia most wonderful. We have many pictures we would like to share with you. So impressed with your knowledge and great personality. You really made our trip something very special we will treasure forever.Visiting the castle in Smolinitza was like a dream come true for me. Martin, your guidance and help with hotel accommodation, Opera tickets, and restaurants was amazing! Thinking of you and our grand trip, the highlight of 2004..."
R.S., California, USA
"Many, many thanks to you for making our trip to Slovakia so wonderful! My only regret is that we didn’t have more time, but we will come again and will certainly see you in the future."
V. K., New Jersey, USA
"You are a terrific guide, so personable, fun and so knowledgeable as well. Thank you for taking us to sooo many novel and historic sights. It is all flooding back to me as I write this: the plaque on the building where Mozart gave his concert at age 6; the glass factory showroom; the countryside; fields of sunflowers; the stately manor homes; the Palffy castle. I have recommended your tour agency to friends, family, etc and will continue to do so. I would love to return to those villages again someday, to sample the harvest wines, to enjoy the countryside.... Again, many thanks for your help and expertise!"
L. N., Illinois, USA
"We just arrived back in Canada on the 18th, and were about to send you a note to thank you for the arrangements with Suzanne and Peter. Both were very good, and recommend them highly. Thanks again for all your advice and help, the trip to Budkovce was the highlight of the trip."
B. G., Ontario, Canada
"My apologies for the delay in writing to thank you for your time in showing and explaining the history of Bratislava and the surrounding area during my recent visit. I was very impressed with your knowledge and would have no hesitation in requesting the services of your company should we bring a group to Bratislava. I loved the atmosphere also it is so unspoilt. I do hope that doesn't change! Will be spreading the news to our clients in 2004 to hold their events there. Many thanks once again."
H. F., United Kingdom
"We'll never forget our wonderful trip and your constant attention to us and our needs. You made it the trip of a lifetime."
E. S., Michigan, USA
"I recently returned to my home in South Africa after an extended visit to Europe and the UK. The highlight of my tour was undoubtedly the short stay I had in Bratislava, and this was in part due to your excellent guidance which I want to thank you for. Your professionalism and knowledge of Bratislava and its history were most impressive, and I congratulate you. I have also read and much enjoyed your Pictorial Guide to Bratislava, and I hope that one day I will be able to return to Bratislava and spend much more time there. Thank you for making my short visit all the more enjoyable."
C. D., South Africa
"The Proctors had a wonderful time and you certainly took very good care of them. I am going to send a letter to ..... telling them that I worked with you through .... and what a great job that you did. I certainly know who to contact in the future for Slovakia, you are truly an expert. Thank you very much for all your care and expertise. I look forward to working with you again."
S. P., California, USA
"Sowohl meine Frau Eva als auch ich fanden die Art deine Heimat vorzustellen wirklich ganz toll! Wir haben so richtig die Liebe zu deiner Heimat gespürt. Du bist ein toller Botschafter für dein Land. Ich denke Du zeigst den Menschen wirklich Stellen, wo sie als normaler Tourist vielleicht nie hinkommen würden und damit die Seele des Landes vielleicht nie empfinden würden."
E. B., Germany
"Thank you for your kindness and attention to detail. We had a wonderful stay in Zilina and Bratislava. Best wishes to your future."
R. P., California, USA
"Thank you for the most personal tour we’ve ever enjoyed."
F. D., Illinois, USA
"Many thanks for sending your book to all the journalists on the Rail Europe press trip. And also thanks for being such a wonderful guide in Bratislava. I am enclosing the articles that have been published so far as a result of the trip. You can see that they are all extemely positive and enthusiastic about your country. I hope everything is going well for you. And I hope to return soon to Slovakia."
C. L., New York, USA
"Nach unserer guten Rückkehr nach Wien möchte ich nicht versäumen, Ihnen im eigenen Namen sowie im Namen meiner Seminarteilnehmer herzlich für den freundlichen Empfang in Bratislava und vor allen Dingen für Ihre engagierte und lehrreiche Stadtführung zu danken. Wie Sie ja gemerkt haben, fanden Ihre Ausführungen großes Interesse. Sie haben insofern einen entscheidenden Beitrag zum Gelingen unserer Seminarreise beigetragen!"
W. O., Austria
"Just a quick note to say I got back OK and the trip was wonderful.....thanks to your coordination! It went off without any problems and each of the guides was great. Real individual personalities! I plan to contact the Slovak Spectator, just as I promised, to see if they will accept a testimonial-type article about my trip through you. Not that you need the press! But I want to do it. I will also contact the community district and send out a note to the University of Washington, Slavic Studies Dept to advise them to use your service if any of their people are planning trips to Slovakia."
J. B., Washington, USA
"Wir haben Ihren Slowakei-Film gesehen und waren begeistert. Vielen Dank für Ihren Hinweis. In diesem Jahr waren wir wieder etliche Wochen in Ihrem schönen Land und haben uns sehr wohl gefühlt."
G. H., Germany
"Dostala sa mi do rúk Vaša publikácia Slovacchia v talianskom jazyku, chcem sa touto cestou poďakovať všetkým tým, ktorí sa na jej vzniku podieľali. Jej prehľadné, výstižné spracovanie dokumentuje nádheru našej krajiny, ktorú treba vniesť do povedomia zahraničných turistov. Myslím,že sa Vám to podarilo. Mám o to väčšiu radosť, že vyšla v talianskom jazyku, ktorý sa učím a prostredníctvom ktorého budem môcť aj ja oboznamovať známych s možnosťami kultúrneho vyžitia. Ďakujem."
R. H., Slovakia
"Mit großem Interesse habe ich den von der ARD ausgestrahlten Beitrag über Bratislava gesehen, da ich im September im Rahmen einer Donauschiffsreise das ehemalige Preßburg besuchen werde."
E. B., Germany
"Vzhliadli sme avizovanú reportáž o Slovensku. Ďakujeme za krásny zážitok, nielen za seba, ale aj za celé Slovensko. Slovensko je krásne, ale tento film ho vykresľuje ešte krajšie. Tešíme sa na Ďalšie spoločné projekty."
P. M., Slovakia
"MARCI SAID THAT BRATISLAVA WAS HER FAVORITE. YOU WERE GREATLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT! ...AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR MAKING SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR TRIP SO VERY SPECIAL. WE WILL NEVER FORGET IT AND WANT TO LET YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WE LOVE YOU FOR ALL YOU DID."
J. S., Arizona, USA
"Ich möchte Ihnen auch nochmal ganz herzlich danken, dass Sie unser Team so super betreut und Ihnen so viel Interessantes aus Ihrem Land gezeigt und vermittelt haben, ohne Sie wäre der Film bestimmt nicht so gut und so reichhaltig geworden. Übrigens senden wir in unserer Sendung ARD-Ratgeber Reise am 24.7. den Bratislava-Film aus dem letzten Jahr noch einmal, da werden wir im Internet und im Videotext auch auf Ihre Agentur hinweisen, o.k.?"
K. W., Germany
"We are so proud of Slovakia, the newspapers, magazines and television media in the U.S. did a great job covering the summit meeting in Bratislava, quickly following was coverage of a sporting event held in Bratislava. There are also advertisements for tour packages through Bratislava. You have done so much to promote this beautiful country, we are so proud of you also."
R. P., California, USA
"Last summer my Slovak wife and I visited Slovakia for a few weeks and travelled around the country. We were guided by your excellent guide on Slovakia and on Bratislava. Compliments for the text and the illustrations. But it struck us that this guide is not available in the dutch language, although every year more and more dutch people go visit Slovakia. At this very moment in the Netherlands there are very few guides in dutch on your country, only one or two. None of them are so beautifully illustrated."
G.R., The Netherlands
"Just a quick note to say what a good time my family had in Slovakia last week and how much we appreciated your efforts to make our stay so interesting and enjoyable."
M.R., United Kingdom
"Many, many thanks to you for making our trip to Slovakia so wonderful! My only regret is that we didn't have more time, but we will come again and will certainly see you in the future. You took some wonderful photos with my camera, and I am grateful for that since it allowed me to enjoy my time with my relatives. Good luck with your future endeavors in Bratislava. I'm sure you'll do well -- you're a smart and resourceful person."
V.K., New Jersey, USA
"Für die schnelle und ausführliche Beantwortung meiner Fragen bedanke ich mich ganz herzlich. Da ich mir noch keinen Stadtführer gekauft habe, kommt mir Ihr Tip, der Stadtführer Ihres Verlages, sehr gelegen. Ein Autor, der über seine Heimatstadt berichtet , kennt die schönsten Plätze und hat für Fremde sicher so manchen Geheimtip. Ich freue mich schon auf Bratislava. Vielen Dank nochmals!"
E.B., Germany
"Alles hat excellent geklappt. Vor allem Ivana war eine helle Freude! Wir waren echt begeistert von ihr. Pflegen Sie das Mädchen gut !!!
Im übrigen werde ich Sie gerne weiter empfehlen."
M.D., Germany
"Dear Martin, We are now safely home in Chicago having avoided almost all of the volcano problems. I cannot thank you enough for the remarkable day we spent with you. Peter was particularly moved by finding the gate and house in Modra. Last night, he got out an very old illustration that had hung it his parents' home for many years. We were able to compare the drawing with our pictures. Peter's health has been in question for some time so going to his beloved grandmother's home was by far the most important part of our trip.
Again, thank you."
J.D., Illinois, USA
"Thank you for your wonderful and educational tour of your great city of Bratislava, Slovakia with my wife, daughter and myself. We enjoyed it very much and appreciated your time and effort. It was great meeting you and I am glad I bought your tour book guide on Bratislava after we met, because it filled in any details of the wonderful sights that you showed us. Hope all is well with you and your family."
L. M., Washington, D.C., USA
"Martin, thanks again for a wonderful tour! Lunch at the bank restaurant was great, and we pumped some cash into the Bratislava tourism economy! We bought your Bratislava and Slovakia tour books, and an American couple next to us at lunch inquired about them so they probably bought one also! I did check and Rick Steves mentions you twice in the Bratislava section of his Vienne Tyrol guide. I will scan pages when we get home and send to you. Thanks again, we will be in touch about a longer trip for Mark and mysellf. Take care!"
C.C., Illinois, USA
"I thought I should write to thank you for our very informative visit to Slovakia with you as the guide. I/we very much enjoyed and appreciated not only your English language capabilities, oral and written, but your in-depth knowledge of Slovakia (and the world)--which together enabled our conversations to range widely over historical, economic, and social topics....
We appreciated too that you had your representative diligently search for the aforementioned birth certificate when it was not found in the archives for Stara Lubovna... I was pleasantly surprised that you found some of my relatives still living there---relatives who extended their hospitality very graciously, while you acted as interpreter....
In sum, I am voluntarily and highly recommending you as a guide for anyone wishing to learn more about Slovakia, perhaps especially for someone who wants to gain some greater understanding of her/his ancestral roots."
J.F., Minnesota, USA
"Vážený pán riaditeľ,
Dovoľte mi, aby som Vám vyjadril úprimné poďakovanie za spoluprácu počas pobytu ministra zahraničných vecí Rakúskej republiky p. Michaela Spindeleggera, ktorý spolu s rodinou navštívil 29.novembra 2009 Bratislavu a zároveň ocenil Vašu erudovanosť a vysoko profesionálny prístup.
Podujatie bolo nielen výbornou príležitosťou na upevnenie priateľských vzťahov medzi Slovenskou republikou a Rakúskou republikou, ale aj na poukázanie historického a kultúrneho prepojenia krajín. Možnosť využiť Vaše odborné znalosti a sprievodcovské služby zanechali nezabudnuteľný zážitok a prispeli k úspechu tohto neformálneho stretnutia.
Vážený pán riaditeľ, ešte raz Vám ďakujem a želám Vám osobne veľa zdravia, osobnej pohody a úspechov v ďalšej práci.
S pozdravom "
Miroslav Lajčák, Minister zahraničných vecí Slovenskej republiky / Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic
"Wir waren alle sowohl vom Ambiente, wie auch vom Essen sehr begeistert und haben den Tag insgesamt sehr genossen! Nochmals vielen Dank für Ihre sehr gute Betreuung und die exzellente und informative Stadtführung. Unsere Mitarbeiter haben heute noch über das Eine oder Andere gesprochen und waren von Ihrem Wissen sehr beeindruckt. Falls es sich ergeben sollte, werde ich Sie und Ihre Agentur sehr gerne weiter empfehlen!"
G.S., NIVEA WIEN, Österreich
"Dear Martin - Just wanted to reiterate how much we enjoyed meeting you and having you guide us around Bratislava. What was most fascinating was getting a full grasp of the history and politics. Your being such a great advocate for your country has undoubtedly gotten lots of folks thinking. Just goes to show one person really does make a difference! And given what we read in the paper at the end of the week regarding the bruhaha w/ the Czech Republic, we felt like we were well informed and could discuss amongst ourselves much more intelligently how ridiculous the insult to Slovakia was given the history and relationship between the two countries. We will be rooting for the continued success and development of Slovakia and would be happy to give you a tour of London if you ever come here or of New York City if/when we return!"
C.F., New York City, USA
"Chcela by som sa Vam obom velmi pekne podakovat za spolupracu na tomto Investorskom evente. Velmi ocenujem profesionalnu spolupracu, promptnost a ochotu oboch Vas, velmi ste mi pomohli pri organizacii. Dostala som iba pozitivne reakcie, tak na organizaciu, ako na program.
Takisto by som chcela podakovat za profesionalne sprievodcovske sluzby. Sprievodcovske kvality a aj rozsiahle znalosti a sposob ich prezentacie, boli ocenene aj u nasho generalneho riaditela ako aj u ostatnych kolegov z Polska. Takze este raz Vam dakujem vsetkym za spolupracu a ked budem organizovat nieco podobne tak sa na Vas opat rada obratim."
M.B., Asseco, Slovakia
"I just wanted to say again how much we appreciated having you as our guide and translator on our trip to Slovakia. It was absolutely exhilarating and will provide us with an ongoing connection to our heritage. I'm hoping that my children and their children to come will stay in contact and again visit Bardejov. Perhaps our paths my cross again.. It has been a pleasure!"
P.M., Pennsylvania, USA
"Your "ears should be ringing"!! This is an expresion we use when we pay compliments about someone. Last evening my wife and I met with the rest of the family. I shared with them our adventure and what a rewarding life experience I was able to share with my sons. Your name was mentioned several times and to how none of this would have been possible had it not been for you. You are in employ that fits your personality perfectly. I can honestly say that you are the only correct mention by Rick Steves Slovakia!! I wish you well. "
K.M., Illinois, USA
"I am still somewhat still in awe over my experience in Saris with you. Your name comes up in conversation several times a day. Needless to say how much you impressed my sons as well as myself. Sonia is correct, you do not have a job more an adventure! Thank you, thank you for such an unforgettable sojourn of which is only encouraging me to return for a longer visit. Do you recommend any software for me to learn Slovak? That would fulfill a life long intention and now I have the motivation to learn Slovak. I wish you well and God's blessings on your beautiful family."
K.M, Illinois, USA
"Thanks again for showing us such great time in Slovakia, we will cherish these memories for many years."
F.K., Saskatchewan, Canada
"Ich möchte mich auch im Namen meiner Freunde bei Ihnen auf diesem Wege für die außerordentlich gute, lebendige und interessante Führung durch Bratislava bedanken. Sie haben es verstanden, die Geschichte Ihrer Stadt und des Landes uns so interessant und informativ zu schildern. Es war ein Genuss für uns. So werden wir im nächsten Jahr wiederkommen und auf jeden Fall die Burg besuchen. Wir werden uns bei Ihnen entsprechend früh melden.
Apropos Genuss: Auf dem Rückweg sind wir wieder an der Schokoladenbar vorbei gekommen und eingekehrt. Sie hatten Recht, der Genuss purer Schokolade hat was für sich.
R.A., Germany
"Dakujeme a chcem Ti povedat, ze co sa tyka mna tak si myslim, ze nasa spolupraca bola vyborna a dakujem aj za Tvoju trpezlivost
. Vsetko bolo zorganizovane skvele a podla nasich predstav za co Ti este raz dakujem. Uprimne takyto hladky priebeh som necakala . Urcite ked budem v buducnosti potrebovat niekoho na takuto alebo podobnu akciu tak oslovim Teba."I.T., Holcim Slovensko
"Vďaka Vám za perfektne zorganizovaný krásny večer, bolo mi veľmi fajn. Teším sa na ďalšiu spoluprácu a želám Vám krásne Vianoce."
Alena Heribanová
"Just a note to let you know that I really enjoyed my time with you in your country while on the Danube river cruise. You came on board our boat and told us about the history and the current political status of your country. This was one of those pleasant surprises you get when traveling to different locations. Your country has a bright future if there are more talented, intelligent young men like you there in politics. The future is bright for those that are willing to take a hold of responsibility and make important day to day decisions that determine their own destiny. You impress me as that type of person, willing to take risk and also be responsible. It would be wonderful to spend more time in Slovakia and see more of the country on future trips."
L.H., California, USA
"All three of us were very, very pleased with the trip and your itinerary! Thank you for the great job that you did for us. Everything we saw was fabulous and well-chosen. You did an outstanding job of organizing everything! Your selection of castles and other attractions for us to visit was just perfect. Once again, I thank you very much for arranging such a lovely tour for us. We were all very pleased and we had a great time getting to know Slovakia better."
D.P., U.S. Embassy Bratislava
"Ich wollte mich nochmals herzlich bei Ihnen für die tolle Vorbereitung bedanken. Es waren schöne Tage in Bratislava, auch das Wetter hat ja gut mitgespielt. Die Raftingtour war schon ein richtiges Erlebnis und wir haben auch am heutigen Tag noch etwas Muskelkater. Ganz hervorragend war Ihre Wahl mit der Stadtführerin. Sie war ein Garant für super Informationen und ihre Lustigkeit hat uns alle angesteckt. Abschließend wünsche ich Ihnen noch eine gute Zeit und weiterhin vollen Erfolg. Wenn wir - mit Sicherheit dann als Familie bzw. Einzelpersonen - mal wieder in Bratislava ankommen, werden wir uns mit Sicherheit wieder Ihre Erfahrungen usw. sichern. Wir werden Sie in jedem Fall sehr positiv weiterempfehlen!!"
A.W., Germany
"Just a short message to thank you for the excellent service offered to us on both occasions. All tours were really very detailed, and the restaurants recommended were really great, in particular the Paparazzi. Forward my greetings also to Jana, for her great service."
T.M., Malta
"We wanted that write and thank you for our tour of Bratislava. You were most informative, so very helpful to us with the train tickets, and we enjoyed our time with you. You made Bratislava come alive for us. We were certainly glad that we included it our intinerary. We also have voted the Marrols our favorite hotel on our journey. All in all, Bratislava was just a great experience. By the way, we did eat at the Argentina Steak House and it was as good as you said. Thanks and best wishes to you in all your endeavors."
G.W., California, USA
"We could not have done this nor enjoyed the experience nearly as much without your help Martin! You are wonderful and we will never forget you or all your help. We agreed that we felt most "at home" when we were in Slovakia. The villages that we visited, our time in Spisska Nova Ves and our stay in Bratislava was comfortable and comforting. It felt like we belonged there. When we were leaving Praque on the train I kept wishing we were headed back to Bratislava rather than Vienna. I know that we will be back! Our accomodations were perfect, all of our guides were great! They all were very knowledgable and wonderful to spend time with. Thank you for Slovakia - you have many wonderful reasons to be proud of your country."
S.L., Pennsylvania,USA
"Sharon and I made it home safe and sound. We want to thank you very much, for making our trip to Slovakia so fantastic."
A.S., Pennsylvania, USA
"You have been a gift in my journey of life. My mother's life here where it all began came to life for me. I could see her running through the streets singing, I could see her walking up church aisle with her candle. Thank you for all of your efforts - the hotel, the interesting fact - filled days of touring & most especially the drink in the Stork Pub. I told you I heard storks would bring you good luck. I hope to keep in touch with Miroslav & you, too. I will keep you + your family in my thoughts & prayers. May health & happiness be a big part of your future."
D.H., Illinois, USA
"Just a quick note to thank you and Jeanette for all your help these last couple of days. You do a great job and I will use you in future trips. My trip to visit the family could not have gone any better."
J.B., Pennsylvania, USA
"Ich denke gern an den Abendempfang von Herrn Staatssekretär Christoph Habermann in Pressburg zurück, den Sie perfekt und im europäischen Sinn mit eigenen Ideen vorbereitet haben. Der Gedanke des Zusammenwirkens der Regionen Sachsen und Slowakei stand im Vordergrund. Sie haben diesen Gedanken auch für den Empfang bis ins Detail umgesetzt."
B.O., Germany
"Mein Mann und ich haben uns sehr über diese Nachricht gefreut und möchten Ihnen von Herzen zu dieser schönen Auszeichnung gratulieren. Da ist die Wahl wirklich auf den Richtigen gefallen!!! Es wäre schön, wenn es von Ihrer Begeisterung, Ihrem Stil und Ihrem diplomatischen Geschick mehr tatkräftige Menschen gäbe."
L.P., Germany
"Vďaka za pomoc a som rád, že som sa o Vás a Vašej spoločnosti dozvedel. Pozeral som si aj Vašu web stránku, dobre ste ju spracovali. Takže pre budúcnosť viem, na koho sa obrátiť."
R. K., Kimberley-Clark Health Care, Slovakia
"I just wanted to thank you again for the tour of Bratislava last week. I think it was a great success and everyone was very impressed with your knowledge and also with the city itself. Nobody had been there before but a number have said that they would like to visit again. I know that your guide book sold well that afternoon!"
A. M., United Kingdom
"I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know how much my sister, Mary, and I appreciated your help while we were in Bratislava this past September. Our trip to Mikulcice and Tesice was one I will always remember."
V.P., British Columbia, Canada
"Thank you again for all the organisation and hindsight information on Slovakia, we all enjoyed it very much. The rallye has been an enormous highlight, we went to the Hungaroring and finished in Budapest as 2nd in total. Will come back to Slovakia perhaps next year, and sure will tell you when.
Best regards, also to your team"
T.G., Germany
"Die Euphorie bei Teilnehmern, Zuschauern und Sponsoren und Ihr Einsatz haben das Organisationsteam dieser einzigartigen Oldtimerrallye dazu bewegt, weiterzumachen."
M.H., Germany
"Ak človek vidí prezentáciu Slovenska v takej podobe ako bola pripravená a prezentovaná, zanechá to v nom veľmi dobrý dojem. Čo je však dôležitejšie tento dojem zostal aj v ľuďoch, ktorý túto prezentáciu videli a neboli práve zo Slovenka. Ak sa dokonca nájde človek/cudzinec, ktorý niečo už o Slovensku vedel a vyjadrí sa pochvalne o takomto predstavení Slovenska, je to znak dobre odvedenej práce.
Inými slovami povedané, rád by som Vám ešte raz poďakoval za dobre pripravenú prezentáciu Slovenska a prehliadku Bratislavy."
SAF Slovakia, s.r.o.
"Bev and I want to thank you for making our trip to Slovakia most wonderful. We have many pictures we would like to share with you. So impressed with your knowledge and great personality. You really made our trip something very special we will treasure forever.Visiting the castle in Smolinitza was like a dream come true for me. Martin, your guidance and help with hotel accommodation, Opera tickets, and restaurants was amazing! Thinking of you and our grand trip, the highlight of 2004..."
R.S., California, USA
"Many, many thanks to you for making our trip to Slovakia so wonderful! My only regret is that we didn’t have more time, but we will come again and will certainly see you in the future."
V. K., New Jersey, USA
"You are a terrific guide, so personable, fun and so knowledgeable as well. Thank you for taking us to sooo many novel and historic sights. It is all flooding back to me as I write this: the plaque on the building where Mozart gave his concert at age 6; the glass factory showroom; the countryside; fields of sunflowers; the stately manor homes; the Palffy castle. I have recommended your tour agency to friends, family, etc and will continue to do so. I would love to return to those villages again someday, to sample the harvest wines, to enjoy the countryside.... Again, many thanks for your help and expertise!"
L. N., Illinois, USA
"We just arrived back in Canada on the 18th, and were about to send you a note to thank you for the arrangements with Suzanne and Peter. Both were very good, and recommend them highly. Thanks again for all your advice and help, the trip to Budkovce was the highlight of the trip."
B. G., Ontario, Canada
"My apologies for the delay in writing to thank you for your time in showing and explaining the history of Bratislava and the surrounding area during my recent visit. I was very impressed with your knowledge and would have no hesitation in requesting the services of your company should we bring a group to Bratislava. I loved the atmosphere also it is so unspoilt. I do hope that doesn't change! Will be spreading the news to our clients in 2004 to hold their events there. Many thanks once again."
H. F., United Kingdom
"We'll never forget our wonderful trip and your constant attention to us and our needs. You made it the trip of a lifetime."
E. S., Michigan, USA
"I recently returned to my home in South Africa after an extended visit to Europe and the UK. The highlight of my tour was undoubtedly the short stay I had in Bratislava, and this was in part due to your excellent guidance which I want to thank you for. Your professionalism and knowledge of Bratislava and its history were most impressive, and I congratulate you. I have also read and much enjoyed your Pictorial Guide to Bratislava, and I hope that one day I will be able to return to Bratislava and spend much more time there. Thank you for making my short visit all the more enjoyable."
C. D., South Africa
"The Proctors had a wonderful time and you certainly took very good care of them. I am going to send a letter to ..... telling them that I worked with you through .... and what a great job that you did. I certainly know who to contact in the future for Slovakia, you are truly an expert. Thank you very much for all your care and expertise. I look forward to working with you again."
S. P., California, USA
"Sowohl meine Frau Eva als auch ich fanden die Art deine Heimat vorzustellen wirklich ganz toll! Wir haben so richtig die Liebe zu deiner Heimat gespürt. Du bist ein toller Botschafter für dein Land. Ich denke Du zeigst den Menschen wirklich Stellen, wo sie als normaler Tourist vielleicht nie hinkommen würden und damit die Seele des Landes vielleicht nie empfinden würden."
E. B., Germany
"Thank you for your kindness and attention to detail. We had a wonderful stay in Zilina and Bratislava. Best wishes to your future."
R. P., California, USA
"Thank you for the most personal tour we’ve ever enjoyed."
F. D., Illinois, USA
"Many thanks for sending your book to all the journalists on the Rail Europe press trip. And also thanks for being such a wonderful guide in Bratislava. I am enclosing the articles that have been published so far as a result of the trip. You can see that they are all extemely positive and enthusiastic about your country. I hope everything is going well for you. And I hope to return soon to Slovakia."
C. L., New York, USA
"Nach unserer guten Rückkehr nach Wien möchte ich nicht versäumen, Ihnen im eigenen Namen sowie im Namen meiner Seminarteilnehmer herzlich für den freundlichen Empfang in Bratislava und vor allen Dingen für Ihre engagierte und lehrreiche Stadtführung zu danken. Wie Sie ja gemerkt haben, fanden Ihre Ausführungen großes Interesse. Sie haben insofern einen entscheidenden Beitrag zum Gelingen unserer Seminarreise beigetragen!"
W. O., Austria
"Just a quick note to say I got back OK and the trip was wonderful.....thanks to your coordination! It went off without any problems and each of the guides was great. Real individual personalities! I plan to contact the Slovak Spectator, just as I promised, to see if they will accept a testimonial-type article about my trip through you. Not that you need the press! But I want to do it. I will also contact the community district and send out a note to the University of Washington, Slavic Studies Dept to advise them to use your service if any of their people are planning trips to Slovakia."
J. B., Washington, USA
"Wir haben Ihren Slowakei-Film gesehen und waren begeistert. Vielen Dank für Ihren Hinweis. In diesem Jahr waren wir wieder etliche Wochen in Ihrem schönen Land und haben uns sehr wohl gefühlt."
G. H., Germany
"Dostala sa mi do rúk Vaša publikácia Slovacchia v talianskom jazyku, chcem sa touto cestou poďakovať všetkým tým, ktorí sa na jej vzniku podieľali. Jej prehľadné, výstižné spracovanie dokumentuje nádheru našej krajiny, ktorú treba vniesť do povedomia zahraničných turistov. Myslím,že sa Vám to podarilo. Mám o to väčšiu radosť, že vyšla v talianskom jazyku, ktorý sa učím a prostredníctvom ktorého budem môcť aj ja oboznamovať známych s možnosťami kultúrneho vyžitia. Ďakujem."
R. H., Slovakia
"Mit großem Interesse habe ich den von der ARD ausgestrahlten Beitrag über Bratislava gesehen, da ich im September im Rahmen einer Donauschiffsreise das ehemalige Preßburg besuchen werde."
E. B., Germany
"Vzhliadli sme avizovanú reportáž o Slovensku. Ďakujeme za krásny zážitok, nielen za seba, ale aj za celé Slovensko. Slovensko je krásne, ale tento film ho vykresľuje ešte krajšie. Tešíme sa na Ďalšie spoločné projekty."
P. M., Slovakia
"MARCI SAID THAT BRATISLAVA WAS HER FAVORITE. YOU WERE GREATLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT! ...AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR MAKING SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR TRIP SO VERY SPECIAL. WE WILL NEVER FORGET IT AND WANT TO LET YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WE LOVE YOU FOR ALL YOU DID."
J. S., Arizona, USA
"Ich möchte Ihnen auch nochmal ganz herzlich danken, dass Sie unser Team so super betreut und Ihnen so viel Interessantes aus Ihrem Land gezeigt und vermittelt haben, ohne Sie wäre der Film bestimmt nicht so gut und so reichhaltig geworden. Übrigens senden wir in unserer Sendung ARD-Ratgeber Reise am 24.7. den Bratislava-Film aus dem letzten Jahr noch einmal, da werden wir im Internet und im Videotext auch auf Ihre Agentur hinweisen, o.k.?"
K. W., Germany
"We are so proud of Slovakia, the newspapers, magazines and television media in the U.S. did a great job covering the summit meeting in Bratislava, quickly following was coverage of a sporting event held in Bratislava. There are also advertisements for tour packages through Bratislava. You have done so much to promote this beautiful country, we are so proud of you also."
R. P., California, USA
"Last summer my Slovak wife and I visited Slovakia for a few weeks and travelled around the country. We were guided by your excellent guide on Slovakia and on Bratislava. Compliments for the text and the illustrations. But it struck us that this guide is not available in the dutch language, although every year more and more dutch people go visit Slovakia. At this very moment in the Netherlands there are very few guides in dutch on your country, only one or two. None of them are so beautifully illustrated."
G.R., The Netherlands
"Just a quick note to say what a good time my family had in Slovakia last week and how much we appreciated your efforts to make our stay so interesting and enjoyable."
M.R., United Kingdom
"Many, many thanks to you for making our trip to Slovakia so wonderful! My only regret is that we didn't have more time, but we will come again and will certainly see you in the future. You took some wonderful photos with my camera, and I am grateful for that since it allowed me to enjoy my time with my relatives. Good luck with your future endeavors in Bratislava. I'm sure you'll do well -- you're a smart and resourceful person."
V.K., New Jersey, USA
"Für die schnelle und ausführliche Beantwortung meiner Fragen bedanke ich mich ganz herzlich. Da ich mir noch keinen Stadtführer gekauft habe, kommt mir Ihr Tip, der Stadtführer Ihres Verlages, sehr gelegen. Ein Autor, der über seine Heimatstadt berichtet , kennt die schönsten Plätze und hat für Fremde sicher so manchen Geheimtip. Ich freue mich schon auf Bratislava. Vielen Dank nochmals!"
E.B., Germany
