Events, places, and buildings have the power to tell stories about past eras and significant moments in history. But what happens when these witnesses no longer exist—when buildings have been destroyed, places have disappeared, and memories remain only in archives? This challenge is addressed by the project “Reclaimed History”, officially titled “Digitally Accessible and Attractive Lost Cultural Heritage Tourism Destinations in Zemgale and Northern Lithuania.”
By using modern technologies, the project provides everyone with the opportunity to explore lost history and rediscover places that have changed or completely vanished over time. Through cooperation between municipalities and institutions in the Zemgale region and Northern Lithuania, innovative digital tourism solutions have been created, providing visitors with unique experiences while simultaneously increasing awareness of cultural and historical heritage. These digital solutions also complement and integrate seamlessly into existing tourism offerings.
As the project approaches its conclusion, its main objective has been successfully achieved: the tourism offer of Zemgale and Northern Lithuania has been enriched with interactive, digitally accessible tourism products across seven partner territories. Following the implementation of the digital solutions, significant attention was devoted to their promotion through media publications, collaboration with influencers, media visits, and training for tourism professionals.
Project manager Anna Builo-Holme emphasises that while the tourism offer in Zemgale and Northern Lithuania is already rich, this project has added a unique “journey through time” made possible by modern technologies. Although initial interest in such digital solutions might have seemed modest, visitor monitoring data and application download statistics clearly demonstrate strong and growing engagement. Visitors have also highly appreciated the opportunity not only to physically visit sites such as castles or manors, but to explore their history in a simple, modern, and interactive way.
The beginning of the year traditionally marks a preparation period for the active tourism season – a time to seek new travel ideas and plan routes for the warmer months. To help with travel planning, a joint tourism route with a map has been created and is available in printed form in Latvian, Lithuanian, and English. Visitors are warmly invited to plan their journeys and reclaim the rich history of Zemgale and Northern Lithuania.
More information in the original publication: https://www.zemgale.lv/lv/jaunums/ka-atgut-zuduso-vesturi-ar-tehnologiju-palidzibu
