Students Explored the Heritage Game Living Lab in Lučina

Students of the Department of Geography at the Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia, took part in a field-based educational programme at the HeritageGame Living Lab located in the former village of Lučina in the Czech borderlands.

The field excursion combined heritage research, experiential learning, digital innovation, and community-based approaches to cultural heritage preservation. During the programme, students explored the remains of the former settlement, documented visible traces of the historical landscape, and discussed the transformation of borderland communities throughout the twentieth century.

The Living Lab serves as an open educational and research environment where innovative methods for cultural heritage interpretation are tested and developed. During the visit, students actively participated in the pilot testing of a newly developed digital application created within the HeritageGame project. The application is designed to support the interpretation of cultural heritage through gamification principles and interactive storytelling, encouraging users to discover local history through active engagement rather than passive observation.

The programme included a series of thematic workshops and lectures focused on cultural heritage preservation, community participation, sustainable regional development, and the role of digital technologies in heritage interpretation. Students were introduced to current European approaches to heritage management and discussed how heritage can contribute to regional identity, education, tourism, and community development.

The educational activities also highlighted the importance of international cooperation within the European University Alliance KreativEU. Participants learned how collaboration between universities, local communities, cultural institutions, and international partners contributes to the development of innovative educational approaches and supports the preservation of cultural and natural heritage across Europe.

A major emphasis was placed on experiential learning. Rather than studying cultural heritage only in the classroom, students worked directly in the field, where they could connect historical narratives with real places, analyse landscape changes, and evaluate the potential of gamified approaches for communicating local history to wider audiences.

The visit demonstrated how the former village of Lučina has evolved into a unique outdoor laboratory combining research, education, innovation, and community engagement. Through initiatives such as HeritageGame and the support of the KreativEU Alliance, the site continues to serve as an important platform for testing new approaches to heritage interpretation and heritage-based education.

The field programme illustrated how universities can contribute to preserving cultural memory while simultaneously preparing students to address contemporary challenges in heritage management, sustainability, and community development.