FlachBackZante

FlashBack Zante is a mixed reality Application where you can explore the long gone town of Zakynthos mixed into the real world.

In 1953, a powerful earthquake struck the islands of Zakynthos and Kefallinia in western Greece, devastating much of the region. The capital of Zakynthos, once a charming town known for its Venetian architecture, was almost entirely destroyed. When the town was rebuilt, efforts were made to preserve some of its historic character. However, much of the old town’s unique architecture—including the elegant mansions, beautiful churches, and narrow streets—was lost forever, leaving behind only fragments of its former splendor.

FlashBackZante is an innovative mixed reality application that brings the lost and forgotten Venetian town of Zakynthos back to life. Users can explore and immerse themselves in the town as it appeared before the devastating earthquake, while walking through today’s Zakynthos. The app creates a 3D virtual reconstruction of the Venetian-era town, blending it seamlessly with the present day. Using the mobile device’s sensors (GPS, gyroscope, and compass), the application tracks the user’s location and orientation in real-time, allowing the historic world to be overlaid onto the current landscape. As users walk around Zakynthos, they can hold up their device and view specific locations through the screen, revealing how these spots looked in the past—before the earthquake transformed the town.