The Soroca Fortress can become in the near future more attractive to tourists due to new technologies. The Moldovan Landmarks Agency (AIRM) and the authorities of the French region of the Vendee are partnering up to provide an audio tour of the medieval fort, along with a 3D application to showcase its reconstructed interior, and interactive 3D monitors to show how the place looked like in various periods of history.

AIRM director Ion Ștefăniță told a press conference that preserving a historical site may be not enough, it should be kept “alive” so that visitors can experience history first-hand. The audio tour – translated in a humber of world languages, including English, French, German, Italian and Russian – will enable thousands of visitors to discover the Fortress by themselves, says Ștefăniță, and so will the 3D tools.

Such interactive multimedia solutions are widely popular in France. Anne Grelard is a cultural mediator in the Vendee. Her job involves creating animations for children. Anne says such animations can help kids get a better insight into history. She also creates textual and visual content for tablets which can tell the story of a cultural site in 40 minutes. Other media can be used, like tutorials, 3D films, or websites to communicate about historical landmarks.

Carole Ripoche, deputy director of the Château de Tiffauges in the Vendee, says that the castle hosts various medieval reenactment events, as well as concerts and outdoor shows. These activities are organized especially for students and tourists, and are very popular, as the castle gets about 60 thousand visitors in half a year alone.

Marc Badel, director of Cultural Actions of the Vendee Department, said the region is France’s second most popular among tourists. This is achieved by policies that preserve and promote cultural heritage. There are tens of historical and cultural sites and protected natural areas in the Department. “Our goal is to make these sites as discoverable as possible”, says Marc Badel.

Landmarks in Chisinau, like the Triumphal Arch or the former building of the Nobility Mansion, could also benefit from the cooperation between AIRM and the Vendee Department.