On 13 October 2026, as part of Romania’s School Otherwise Week (Școala Altfel), we welcomed a group of teenagers to Bánffy Castle in Bonțida. Our programme aimed to bring built and cultural heritage closer to young people, making it more accessible, easier to understand, and more engaging for them.

Throughout the day, participants explored the castle’s history and exhibitions on a guided tour, then discovered different aspects of heritage through playful and creative activities.

One of the main highlights of the programme was testing a new mobile treasure hunt game. The teenagers had the opportunity to try out the game, which will soon be available to castle visitors, and their observations and suggestions contributed to its further development. The testing also gave us an opportunity to gather direct feedback on how game-based activities can help young people discover cultural heritage.

Alongside the activities, we were also interested in learning how participants perceive heritage and how stories from the past could be presented in a more engaging and accessible way for their generation. We believe it is important that young people are not merely the target audience of heritage communication, but also active participants in shaping it.

We would like to thank all participants for their curiosity, active involvement, and valuable feedback!

Cultural project co-financed by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund (AFCN).