Functionalism & Geocaching
In the footsteps of our shared 20th-century history
From 1 February 2025 to 30 November 2025, the Creative Centre of the FabLab at Trenčín University, in cooperation with VŠ Ambis, carried out a joint cross-border project focused on functionalist architecture and geocaching as a form of gaming in tourism.
Functionalism & Geocaching
The project consisted of 3 interconnected activities
I. Tourism kick-off
Launching experiential tourism through presentation and community workshops focused on functionalist architecture.
II. Geocaching
Strengthening destination management in tourism through geocaching focused on functionalist architecture.
III. Training activities
Training activities for tourism stakeholders to build competencies in interpretive guiding.
Workshops for the general public
I. Tourism kick-off
Launching experiential tourism through presentation and community workshops focused on functionalist architecture.
In the Trenčín Region, the South Moravian Region, and the Zlín Region, many high-quality and iconic structures and buildings based on the principles of functionalism were built in the pre-war period of the First Czechoslovak Republic, and they rank among the finest 20th-century architecture.
Workshops delivered
We launched experiential tourism through 6 workshops for both the general public and professionals on functionalist architecture and 20th-century buildings in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Connecting play with interesting buildings
II. Geocaching
The aim of this activity is to strengthen destination management for locations with interesting buildings and their stories through the game-based activity of geocaching. Geocaching is a leisure, game-based tourism activity that combines searching for “treasures” (caches) associated with buildings, monuments, or landscape and natural areas, using satellite location and navigation technology and various “clues” leading to the cache location (KŠ).
The principle is to create a place—a container for storing the cache (KŠ) and then share the coordinates online on the geocaching platform. After finding it, a tourist may keep the cache; they may, but don’t have to, swap it for another. After visiting the location, the tourist logs the find in the so-called logbook on the platform.
25 new geocaching caches
As part of the project, we gradually set up 25 geocaching caches—15 in Slovakia and 10 in the Czech Republic.
Interpretive guiding
III. Training activities
Training activities for tourism stakeholders to build competencies in interpretive guiding.
Interpretive guiding is a form of narration, information sharing, and travel that focuses on understanding and interpreting the cultural and historical aspects of places and areas a visitor or tourist can explore. This type of guiding doesn’t focus only on surface-level observation of monuments and places, but aims to give visitors a deeper insight into their meaning and context.
As part of the project, we delivered 2 training sessions for tourism workers and entrepreneurs, as well as for students of TnUAD and VŠ Ambis. We also organized a series of guided tours as a practical demonstration of how to run guided tours directly on site.
Training delivered
We delivered training on interpretive cultural heritage tourism for tourism stakeholders, complemented by guided tours in Brno, Trenčín, Partizánske, and Trenčianske Teplice.
