The history of Bela krajina
The diversity of the Bela krajina area and history
As part of the Tourism Development Strategy of Bela krajina, we prepared a series of three promotional animated videos for RIC Bela krajina that present and show as faithfully as possible what the towns of Metlika, Semič and Črnomelj used to look like in the past.
Towns rich in history and cultural heritage
Throughout history, this part of Slovenia has been a melting pot of multiple ethnic groups, each with its own story to tell, which has shaped the present-day image of Bela krajina. The mixture of different cultures and customs has led to exceptional cultural diversity, rich mythological heritage and tradition as well as friendly and open nature of the local population.
An enriched approach to the tourist presentation of towns that are considered meeting and coexistence points of different languages, cultures and ethnic communities from the past just calls for digitization. The best way to present interesting information, relive the past and rediscover what lies hidden in the history is in the interactive form of digitized cultural heritage.
A fascinating search for historical images of the towns
With respect to the historical remains of the old towns and their centres, not much of what could be seen centuries ago remains today. We could rely only on written sources, paintings, copper engravings, lithographs and the help of historians. In this way, we have been able to recreate the historic 3D visual image of towns and castles, animating reconstructions through time according to their states in different historical periods.
To create 3D models of the objects, we first performed a 3D scan which brought us to a stage called the point cloud. For larger objects, we also use a drone and an SLR camera to create the cloud. A point cloud is a collection of points in space that are used to create a 3D model. A suitable texture that is obtained by photogrammetry is then placed over the model and finally, the model is optimised.
A detailed view of the medieval town centre
We have also created a 3D app showing the development of the town throughout history, and visitors can use a slider to see how it has grown over time. In addition, there are “points of interest”, which reveal many fascinating features of certain buildings. The full 3D model of the town can also be viewed from different angles by rotating it around the axis.
Development of the old town center
Presentation based on historical sources
Rich educational content
Visually rich, presenting varied content and supplemented with animations and illustrations, the videos are an excellent tool for RIC Bela krajina to achieve the objectives of its tourism.
