Ecomuseum Zagori

EcoMuseum Zagori was founded to manage the protection and exploitation of the natural and cultural heritage of the area, for the benefit of local development. The key principle is that an area’s monuments should remain in situ as a living testament to a specific era. Here visitors learn about various aspects of social life, production processes and the socio-economic and natural history of the region. At the same time, they are given the opportunity to interpret the spiritual, social and economic evolution of the local population, which is directly connected to the natural environment and to its effect on the definition of its identity.

The three-dimensional prints: The good practice is based on the possibility to let people with visual disabilities discover the ecomuseum through the three-dimensional printing. The three-dimensional prints of natural and cultural heritage elements were used to guide visitors with impaired vision. In May 2016, the EcoMuseum Zagori welcomed 26 high-school students from Alcochete in Portugal, under the European Student Exchange Programme Erasmus+.  The students remained in the Zagori area for over a month, participating in educational activities on tourism and the use of IT in the tourism industry. The educational programme included subjects such as the operation of accommodation facilities, the mapping of trails, the recognition of natural and cultural heritage elements in the field and their visualization in 3d, using 3d printing technology (implemented in cooperation with P2P lab). The three-dimensional prints of natural and cultural heritage elements were used to guide visitors with impaired vision.

Geotourism-a new form of experiential tourism: Experiential discovery through direct contact with the geo-environment and the cultural elements that comprise each area’s identity is a priority for Geotourism. Zagori is situated within the Vikos-Aoos Geopark and is a very special geocultural destination: it is a geographical region that represents the combined artwork of nature and man, depicting the evolution of humans under the natural obstacles created by an alpine environment. Geotrails are thematic itineraries based on the interpretation of geology with the aim of bringing the visitor into contact with the local geological heritage. One does not have to be geologist to participate in these tours, simply a traveler searching for clues to interpret the history of the Earth. The landscapes of Zagori are geosites that allow us to understand the important stages of the evolution of the Earth.