31 July 2019 - Starting July 31, visitors to the Kanli Kula Fortress in Herceg Novi will be able to “step” into the medieval era and take a peek into what this centuries-old fortress and the town of Herceg Novi looked like throughout history using of augmented reality goggles and 3D animation.
This brand new concept will be implemented at the high-tech Visitor Centre, which was recently opened at the Kanli Kula Fortress. The equipment of the Visitors Centre is funded by European Union through the Interreg IPA Cross-border Cooperation Program Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina-Montenegro 2014-2020 for the Fortress ReInvented Project - Innovative approach and digital contents in historical fortification monuments. The total value of the project, whose funds are used by institutions and organizations from four municipalities - Šibenik, Klis, Herceg Novi and Zenica, amounts to 1.3 million EUR, reports European Integration Office of Montenegro.
"Thanks to the European funds for cross-border cooperation, the Kanli Kula Fortress in Herceg Novi, the Old Town of Vranduk near Zenica, the fortress of St. Mihovil in Šibenik and Klis will receive high-tech equipment, which will enable visitors “step” into the medieval era and experience the true value of cultural and historical heritage of these precious structures," Montenegro's Chief Negotiator with European Union Aleksandar Drljević said at the opening of the Visitors Centre.
He emphasised that cultural heritage and tourism are one of 4 thematic priorities that the trilateral program for Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro has identified as priorities for the development of the cross-border area. The other three priorities include improving public health and health care services, protecting the environment and improving energy efficiency and supporting the competitiveness and operations of SMEs.
The Mayor of Herceg Novi, Stevan Katić, emphasised that the Herceg Novi municipality is the first in Montenegro to implement this type of project, which will surely attract the fans of cultural tourism and improve the tourist offer of the city. As he said, the Kanli Kula Fortress got a new concept - in addition to the most beautiful summer theatre, stage and cinema under the open sky and in front of the open sea, it became a real time machine. "The project of reinvention of the Kanli Kula, which is one of the emblems of our city, was carried out without the slightest disturbance of its architectural identity. Only the barriers of time have been moved, allowing us to extend the experience and visually experience the historical events, epochs and civilizations that this grandiose monument testifies to," said Katić.
Visitors will have the opportunity to rent 20 augmented reality goggles with installed video content in 4 different languages to choose from, which present the history of Kanli Kula Fortress and Herceg Novi. The goggles with 3D animations will be used while taking a tour through the fortress, following the prepared map with checkpoints that require visitors’ attention.
This cross-border project also includes the installation of a screen that will provide visitors with the opportunity to take a live tour through the partner forts from the other two countries. An innovative sound guide to all four fortresses, with an application that enables the automatic activation of content when visitors pass by, is provided for people with visual impairments.
Read more information on places to visit when travelling through Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.
