Items

• Officina Creativa
  is a place combining creativity with tourism and tradition with innovation. In the spaces of the “Vecchio Conventino,” in the heart of the Oltrarno, the artisans’ neighbourhood, is the Officina Creativa, is located. A space devoted to handicrafts and to creative activities. Twenty artisans and artists who work with wood, decoration, sculpture, painting, grinding, iron casting, leather, printing, engravings and grindings, restauration, ceramics, gold and silver, eco sustainable design, weaving and many other areas of quality artistic handicrafts and art are based here. A unique space where the most traditional techniques live together with more contemporary expressions and of research in the world of design and of the art. Find out more at: http://www.officinacreativafirenze.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/bookOfficinaCreativa2017.pdf
• The Fredriksdal
  built at the end of the 18th century, was donated to Helsingborg municipality in 1918. It comprises a cultural centre that contains Helsingborg Museums’ collection, a theatre and an educational organisation that is important for the preservation of the city’s living culture. This open-air museum is the largest of its kind in Sweden and offers an exceptional space for nature and culture to mix. The mansion, its parks and gardens are surrounded by the houses and land of the Scanian countryside, city scenes with buildings from central Helsingborg, and a botanical garden with Skåne’s wild foliage. Locals as well as visitors have the chance to learn more about the city’s living culture.Find out more at: https://fredriksdal.se
• A transformed lighthouse
  For many years, the Lighthouse of the Santa Klara Island in San Sebastian has been empty and abandoned. Inspired by the wild nature of the island, so close to the city and by the outstanding geology of the Basque country coast, the sculptor Cristina Iglesias, has produced works that transform the interior of the Lighthouse, restoring it and converting it into a startling sculptural place. Find out more at: https://www.donostia.eus/ataria/es/web/hondalea/home
• The other side of history
  “The other side of History” project is based on heritage interpretation. It introduces visitors to the social and historical atmosphere of the 18th century Dubrovnik Republic. Considering that the Dubrovnik Museums own a rare historical instrument-fortepiano built by Viennese builder Anton Walter in 1790, the project contains specialised costumed performance on period instruments with storytelling.The aim of this project is not just to present and highlight the values and richness of both tangible and non-tangible cultural heritage, but to also immerse visitors into the special historical environment of a reconstructed event in the Rector’s Palace. Therefore, Concert by the Rector’s which is implemented as an additional cultural- touristic programme of Dubrovnik Museums offers live performances in the presence of the Rector himself who is the host to the event. Performed both in Croatian and English, it brings the story of the life of composers whose works are performed as well as the history of the Dubrovnik noble families and their relations to European cultural centres of the time. Listening to the music performed on the original period instrument, accompanied by the degustation of the preferred sweet of the Dubrovnik nobility, the visitors are becoming a part of an exclusive cultural event which connects musical performance with its socio-cultural context. Find out more at: https://www.dumus.hr/en/
• ‘This is Athens with a Local’
  is an open platform that helps visitors to connect with a community of local volunteers so that they can learn from each other during a walk around the volunteers’ neighbourhoods, discovering hidden treasures and places they won’t find in any tourist guides. It is part of the official Visitor’s Guide to the City ‘This is Athens’.Find out more at: https://www.thisisathens.org/withalocal/node/2
• Caravan tourism and camping in and around Gaziantep
  have become increasingly popular since the start of the pandemic. The municipality, which has made an important breakthrough in this area, ensured that the city is safe for caravan tourism. The caravan parking lot and residential area, one of the city’s most important projects implemented during the pandemic, provide safe and enjoyable travel opportunities for all – domestic as well as foreign visitors. This situation has directed the route of the visitors towards the Southeast of Turkey to Gaziantep in order to enjoy caravan tourism activities there. Not only do visitors enjoy a tourist attraction that can operate despite the pandemic, but also the local community can benefit from the visitors.Find out more at: http://www.gateofturkey.com/section/en/259/4/tourism-types-congress-tourism-gaziantep
• Braga boasts some consolidated budgets
  as a city of culture with a recognition as a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts. This project began in 2017 and provided some momentum for culture and creativity in the city, not only in terms of activities and cultural expression, but also in terms of creation and redevelopment of cultural spaces and hubs, plus promotion of gatherings to share experiences. The City of Media Arts has essentially operated out of two “houses” - gnration and the Theatro Circo - and has also helped to revitalise these spaces. The cultural centre gnration is a space for creation, performance, and exhibition in the field of contemporary music and the relationship between art and technology. By adopting a sustained strategy, always open to the community, it intends to confirm its status as a unifying pole for cultural and creative dynamics, making it a space oriented towards educating and raising awareness in a new audience, demonstrating artistic practices relevant from a contemporary and cosmopolitan perspective. The cultural schedule of gnration is founded on two fundamental pillars, which can be viewed independently or jointly. Contemporary music and the relationship between art and technology are central to the programme, whether the profile is performance, exhibition, or education. Also operating inside this space is Startup Braga, a corporate incubator which seeks to foster and encourage entrepreneurship in the city and has the municipality’s support. Today, the Theatro Circo is a really dynamic cultural broadcasting centre, time and again exceeding the target of 100,000 spectators to become a geographical hub. Find out more at: https://www.bragamediaarts.com/en/braga-and-media-arts/
• The Witold Gombrowicz Municipal Theatre
  is a long-appreciated theatre stage in Gdynia. It is distinguished from all the other Polish theaters by offering a unique stage located on the beach. During summer, visitors and tourists can enjoy performances with the sea in the background, overlooking the majestic cliff coastline which is an extremely popular scenery. In addition, some of the theatre’s plays during summer are presented on board of the Dar Pomorza, a more than 100-year-old sailing ship that is permanently moored at Gdynia’s waterfront.Find out more at: https://pomorskie.travel/en/punkty-poi/teatr-miejski-im-witolda-gombrowicza-w-gdyni/and https://www.mystorygdynia.pl/en/attractions-details-page-344320?RecordID=184930
• As the 4th most-visited museum outside of central Paris
  La Cité du Vin is a unique place, revealing all the cultural wealth and diversity found in wine. Using a “tour companion”, set off on an immersive, multi-sensory journey all around the world. To promote the site locally and turn residents into ambassadors, the entry fee has been reduced for the whole summer for Bordeaux residents. The largest wine tourism event in Europe is organised by the Bordeaux Tourist Office. The success of this operation is built upon the Tasting Pass, an RFID card which allows attendees to enjoy 12 tastings from the 80 different appellations present on-site at pop-up wine bars along the waterfront. The pass also includes entry to an ‘initiation to tasting’ workshop at the Bordeaux Wine School, all providing an opportunity to discover the diversity found among Bordeaux wines.Find out more at: https://www.bordeaux-wine-festival.com/wine/tasting-pass/users-guide.html
• Interactive exhibitions
  digital audio guides for smartphones or exhibits you can touch make Karlsruhe and its museums pioneers of innovation, especially in the field of digitalization. In the past five years, the annual number of visitors to Karlsruhe’s museums has risen to almost 920,000, more than 435,000 people were guests at the 20-plus theaters in 2019, and another 250,000 at the numerous socio-cultural event spaces. The 2015 festival summer, for instance, celebrating the city’s 300th birthday demonstrably increased arrivals and overnight stays by more than 12%. With KAMUNA, Karlsruhe has had one of the oldest municipal museum nights for over 20 years. During the pandemic, the cultural location exhibited its creative resources and, within a very short time, managed to launch interactive apps, digital tours and streaming concerts even after the closure. Karlsruhe’s institutions actively promoted the development of new cultural programs right from the beginning of the closure due to the pandemic. Find out more at: https://youtu.be/F9S8IIoDklo
• The pearl of Gaziantep
  was once a riverside fortress on the Euphrates, today the fortress sits on the side of a small lake this is due to the dam that was built on the river. It is of great importance and displays the city’s cultural heritage. As one of its most important projects, the glass terrace that is still under construction will serve the nature and cultural heritage of Rumkale in the most valuable way. Additionally, the glass terrace project is about to become Turkey’s largest and most prestigious project after its completion in 2021 and will bring a new energy to Gaziantep’s tourism and dynamism-loving tourists. Getting to Rumkale, the natural wonder of Gaziantep, is very easy. Excursions and transportation are provided in addition to boats within the Rumkale castle.Find out more at: https://www.alaturkaturkey.com/destinations/rumkale.html
• The Alba Carolina Citadel in Alba Iulia
  is the largest fortress in Romania, which has been standing for more than 300 years, however, it harbours vestiges of three fortifications, dating back to as many different epochs, as every fortress built here has embraced a previous one: the Roman castrum, the medieval fortress and the Alba Carolina Citadel. This fortress has seen spectacular transformations in recent years, becoming more and more visible on Europe’s tourist map. The restoration works (co-financed by European funds) have also considered to valorise its exceptional cultural heritage. Now the citadel is an open-air stage for cultural festivals and concerts held by famous orchestra top Romanian and foreign artists. Additionally, the municipality has developed promotion and marketing tools based on new technologies: digital campaigns to promote innovative tourism offers, physical and digital maps of the Citadel, virtual guides in Principia Museum, VR tours in the Citadel, among others. Find out more at: https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/projects/romania/rehabilitation-of-alba-iulias-urban-heritage-transforms-the-city-and-its-economy
• The ‘Bordeaux nous envoie balader’
  initiative began with two objectives: support tour guides who were heavily impacted by the pandemic and spark local interest in the city’s heritage, all at a reduced price. 1000 free tours were given in the first year and 1200 at a reduced price in the programme’s second year. The rich and surprising programme (30 different themes proposed) has debunked the dusty old image of classic guided tours and shown the creativity of tour guides, attracting a new audience, notably a young audience who may previously have been less intrested . Find out more at: https://www.visiter-bordeaux.com/en/taxonomy/term/98
• Smart meters which signal waste
  resulting in the outdoor space remaining tidy and hospitable, street lighting which is only lit in places where people are present, or smart parking systems, so visitors don’t need to trawl through the entire city looking for a parking space. A tool which makes all these applications possible is the Digital Twin City project, for which a full 3D model of the city has been made, brimming with open data which is accessible to everyone. By making this data more accessible to all, the city has become an open and innovative space in which private enterprises can become involved in shaping the city more effectively.Find out more at: https://smart-cities-marketplace.ec.europa.eu/news-and-events/news/2019/rotterdams-digital-twin-redefines-our-physical-digital-social-worlds
• As part of the celebration of Dante Alighieri’s 700th death anniversary
  the city of Ravenna has installed a light art installation called La Luce delle Parole (Words of Light). This art installation has enlightened six streets of the city centre with fifteen verses from the Divine Comedy, outlining a bright path along the city’s porticoes and buildings. The installation delivers a message of hope, wishing that we will soon “see-once more-the stars” (from Dante’s Inferno XXXIV, 139). By scanning a QR using your mobile phone you can walk through this poetic atmosphere while listening to the original lines which are located under each initialisation. Find out more at: https://www.turismo.ra.it/en/events/other-events/la-luce-delle-parole-2/
• Look for the “Tomis” tablets around the city
  Categorized as “street furniture” with a stylish and innovative design, the “Tomis” are “giant tablets” in public spaces and provide locals and visitors with all necessary information. These devices are installed in Matosinhos and Leça da Palmeira and operate 24 hours a day. “Tomis” respond to the immediate needs of dwelling business and provide information about the area’s attractions and offers. These interactive panels of information are a cultural information source as they deliver culinary, heritage and effective assistance with unlimited features and constant updates. The tablets/displays allow a reliable, tailored and personalised experience to all those who ask and look for something different in the city – including where to find the world’s best fish.Find out more at: https://www.leca-palmeira.com/tomis-torna-turismo-em-matosinhos/ and https://www.matosinhoswbf.pt/pages/356
• Bus stops turned into info points
  ‘Explore Porto’ has enabled public transport to become interactive for residents and visitors to the city of Porto. By installing NFC and QR code technology in the form of beacons at bus stops, visitors can access information on points of interest and routes at various bus stops through the city. In doing so, the city is actively integrating bus stops into the tourism experience and encouraging visitors to become users of digital innovation. Find out more at: https://explore.porto.pt
• A ‘Virtual Clerk’ to help you out
  In 2015, Gdynia has become the first Polish city to introduce solutions enabling convenient and friendly contact with customers via Virtual Clerk. It is fully designed and implemented by the staff of the Gdynia City Hall and works based on an artificial intelligence mechanism that understands the question and immediately finds an answer or forwards it to the place where the answer is to be found. The Virtual Clerk is well adapted to the needs of the residents and the city by offering residents multi-channel communication and by including everyone. The accessibility of the virtual clerk also encourages people with restrictions to use this intelligent communication tool.Find out more at: https://innovationinpolitics.eu/showroom/project/residents-account-gdynia-e-services-centre/
• A webzine that promotes local tourism
  The webzine ‘Un air de Bordeaux’ highlights the actors, events and places that make up Bordeaux’s natural and cultural wealth and emphasises the strong sense of local identity. Designed by and for the residents, the webzine is also appreciated by visitors who are looking to step away from the beaten trail. It is full of ideas for local, responsible weekend trips and encourages the reader to leave their comfort zone to make local tourism interesting and desirable. Launched in 2017, it has become a local brand, with more than 400 articles published, 30,000 visitors per month and a weekly newsletter sent to 15,000 subscribers. Find out more at: https://www.unairdebordeaux.fr
• Audio city guide ‘Nexto app’
  The Nexto app is an innovative smart audio city guide that enhances the tourist experience. The app actively engages its users through features like puzzles, riddles and item collection by mobile scanning. With the help of AR, it creates engaging game-like learning experiences and contains interactive maps. It gives added value to sightseeing and uses location-aware technology for activating audio guidance.Find out more at: https://www.museum.de/videos-detail/o3buhu8isv0 and https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.nexto&hl=de&gl=US
• Braga:
  In the context of the “Braga Digital” initiative, the municipality defined a specific programme for supporting the creation of new infrastructures in the museums (physical and virtual). Particular attention is devoted to the historic-cultural contents by means of virtual reconstructions, simulations, animations, as well as the publication of real images from each site. The initiative covers the following museums: the Image Museum, the “Escola da se” archaeological site, the “Alto da Cividade” archaeological site, the Idol fountain archaeological site. The Dom Diogo de Sousa and Biscainhos museums will be featured on a dedicated web portal, presenting relevant information for visitors, who want to prepare their visit or go deeper into the information about the museum’s contents.Find out more at: https://ccg.pt/my-product/braga-digital/?lang=enIzmir: The sanalmuze.gov.tr website has made it possible for interested visitors to virtually access cultural and art activities. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic causing difficulties to experience museums in-person, digital innovations on culture and art now allow locals and tourists to partake in virtual tours in the city’s museums. People can have a 360-degree virtual tour of the entire museums and click around to get information about historical background information. Find out more at: www.sanalmuze.gov.tr
• ‘Sustainable urban innovation
  With the aim of creating sustainable solutions, ‘Smart Aarhus’ is an initiative developed in order to create sustainable urban innovation and growth; a model based on involving stakeholders through partnerships. The city is a pioneer of smart city technologies such as using cutting-edge sensor technology to tackle peak traffic and reduce fuel consumption. The experiments and the ‘Smart City’-solutions are carried out by the Aarhus City Lab, which connects citizens behaviour with digital measurements, and by using data it makes the city more citizen-friendly. The primary focuses are mobility, parking, waste, digital art & culture, events, exhibitions, interactive installations, incentives for exercise and much more. This innovative approach earned the municipality of Aarhus a prize of 10.000 EUR in 2018 as ‘Runner-up’ at The European Capital of Innovation (iCapital) Awards, an annual European Union recognition prize awarded to the European cities that best promote innovation.More about “Smart Aarhus” at: https://smartaarhuseu.aarhus.dk/about-smart-aarhus/
• Traffic monitoring and management
  The city of Marbella has facilitated E-surveillance and application of ICT for traffic monitoring and management. Marbella has an information platform that provides real-time information on different resources, to which citizens and companies have free access to certain layers of information. This is the Territorial Information System of Marbella (SITMA).Find out more at: http://sit.marbella.es/VISOR_SITMA/
• The Tourist Information Centre in Ljubljana
  has adopted the Alipay payment option. It is a popular digital payment method in China and its introduction aims to raise the profile of Ljubljana as a destination adaptable to visitor’s needs. It makes it easier for locals as well as visitors from China to pay in a more convenient for them way. Find out more at: https://www.ljubljana.si/en/news/tic-and-stic-as-the-first-payment-points-for-the-alipay-app-in-slovenia/
• Electric marine transport
  This initiative of establishing public electric maritime transport on the territory of the city of Dubrovnik will enable the coastal communication and dispersion of passengers by sea, as well as unburdening of land roads and bottlenecks in both directions (east and west), and partly the inbound and outbound city traffic. This will enable the creation of integrated multimodal links and ensure sustainable local mobility while increasing capacity and the use of public transport.Find out more at: https://econautinet.adrioninterreg.eu/news/the-electrification-of-maritime-transport-in-the-adrion-region