Digitaler Guide zur GeoTour Karlsbad

Project description

Between March and December 2024, a pilot project to enhance the GeoTours digitally was carried out in collaboration with the Albtal Plus e. V. tourism association and with the involvement of the Northern Black Forest Nature Park. The aim was to enable visitors to find their way around the area using their smartphones and to conveniently read or listen to all the information about the Geo-stations on their mobiles. This created a paperless, sustainable addition to the existing leaflet.

Project Objective and Implementation

The main objective was to convert the ‘GeoTour Karlsbad’ leaflet – which already existed in analogue form – into a digital format. The aim was to replicate the content as faithfully as possible in the web app. Working closely with the Albtal Plus e. V. tourism association, the 12 stations of the GeoTour Karlsbad were combined into a clear guide as a digital tour. This project marked the first time that integrated GPX tracks were used on the overview map, alongside route descriptions generated via text-to-speech in German and English. In future, further GeoTours – including those in Ettlingen, Marxzell, Straubenhardt, Waldbronn, Bad Herrenalb, Dobel and Malsch – are also set to receive this digital ‘upgrade’. A landing page will then provide an overview and links to all the GeoTours in the Northern Black Forest.

Features and benefits

The MAQNIFY© Guide to the Karlsbad GeoTour offers a wide range of features to guide visitors on their walk through the woods and fields around Karlsbad-Ittersbach. As well as displaying the ‘stops’, the web app also includes route descriptions generated using text-to-speech. A total of 12 stops have been included in the area via geolocation. Web app users can also view the route as a GPX track and filter by various categories, including ‘Historic Buildings’ or ‘Viewpoints’. Meanwhile, images of the stops and signposts provide a vivid impression of the local surroundings. Flip tiles are available as an interactive feature and illustrate the ‘exploration tasks’, such as ‘Who can spot the quarry?’. Unlike the printed leaflets, the information in the web app is also available in English, thanks to the integrated DeepL interface.