The Virtual Museum “On the Move” project is well underway in Bileća, Bosnia and Herzegovina — building digital tools, engaging local communities, and laying the foundations for a new way of experiencing the city’s rich cultural heritage.
Exhibition “Echo of the Stone of Herzegovina” launches the project
The project was publicly announced at the opening of the collage exhibition “Echo of the Stone of Herzegovina” at the Local Museum in Bileća in August 2025. Created in partnership with the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU) and the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Belgrade, the exhibition presented the most significant monuments of Bileća’s cultural heritage through photographs and visual documentation — spanning from archaeological research of the 1960s through to contemporary initiatives. The exhibition directly linked traditional museum presentation with the digital content to come.The aim of the exhibition was to raise awareness of the value and potential of Bileća’s cultural heritage in an educational and touristic context.
Panel discussion: heritage as a driver of development
A major community engagement event brought together 38 students from the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy in Banja Luka alongside citizens of Bileća, the local Tourism Organisation, and municipal representatives including Mayor of Bileća. Participants joined an expert-led heritage tour of the city — including an informal visit to the Bileća Military Barracks — followed by lectures on cultural tourism, place-making, heritage interpretation, and digital accessibility. The event was facilitated by heritage tourism specialist Aleksandra Drinić and Professor Jasna Guzjan. A catering reception featuring traditional Herzegovinian dishes, provided by a local producer, rounded off the day — celebrating the intangible cultural heritage of the region. Following the event, the Bileća Tourism Organisation expressed interest in closer cooperation to develop and promote the city’s tourism offer.
Digital infrastructure: website and community survey underway
The development of the Virtual Museum website (including visual identity and promotional materials is being implemented. In parallel, a community survey on Bileća’s cultural heritage was developed, targeting local residents and the wider public, resulting with the publication.The data gathered will directly shape the content and direction of the virtual museum.
More intensive fieldwork and content production are planned for the coming months ahead of the project’s completion in June 2026, as well as community survey analysis , Virtual museum website development and launch.
