On October 18, new digital solutions were officially unveiled in Koknese Park and the medieval castle ruins, allowing visitors to explore the history of Koknese in a modern and engaging way.
In the outer courtyard of the medieval castle ruins in Koknese, visitors can immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the Middle Ages by viewing knight tents, trying on armour, exploring ancient weapons, and testing their skills in archery and medieval board games. Creative workshops offered the chance to make medieval-inspired crafts and discover the culinary traditions of that era.
Alongside these real-life medieval activities, visitors could also embark on a journey through time using the newly developed digital solutions. With the help of augmented reality, by scanning QR codes, it was possible to take a glimpse into Koknese’s past and see the lost landscapes. This technology combines the real environment with digital elements – images, texts, animations, sounds, and 3D objects – which, through a smartphone, bring the history of the place to life and allow visitors to compare how Koknese looked in ancient times and how it appears today.
As part of the project, a digital animation was also created, which can be viewed on a digital stand during the tourism season – in the visitor pavilion of the Koknese medieval castle ruins – and outside the tourism season at the Aizkraukle County and Koknese Tourism Information Centers. The video animation brings to life the history of Koknese Castle – from its grandeur to the present-day ruins – showing how the castle and its surroundings have changed over eight centuries. It depicts the transformation from a wooden castle to a stone fortress, its reconstruction periods, and eventual decline. The animation also revives the landscape around the castle when it stood atop a high hill, as well as the wide expanse of water now surrounding the ruins.
Visitors were also invited to actively explore the new digital solutions by participating in a digital orienteering adventure in Koknese Park. During the approximately three-kilometre route, participants could discover the history of various locations, bring historic Koknese landscapes to life, listen to an audio guide, view 3D models, and solve interactive tasks. The event’s atmosphere was enriched by the golden autumn scenery, where history blended harmoniously with the beauty of nature.
The event was also attended by the developers of the digital solutions – “JINNS” Ltd,, which created the animation about Koknese Castle’s history, and “Tomega” Ltd., which revived the lost Koknese landscapes through augmented reality.
Project partners from Zemgale Planning Region, Bauska, Jēkabpils, and Jelgava municipalities, as well as from Lithuania – Akmenė District, Rokiškis District, and the Stasys Eidrigevičius Art Centre in Panevėžys – also visited the event to explore the newly developed digital solutions.
