Amid a global pandemic that has been keeping the world captive for months and with no end in sight just yet, the idea of time travelling might sound more tempting than ever before. Enter Luxembourg startup Urban Timetravel. 

Created back in 2017 with only four team members, the company was looking to make history more engaging and memorable in order to offer a unique sightseeing experience and preserve cultural heritage. 

One-of-a-kind 

To do so, the founders came up with the idea of merging augmented and virtual reality with GPS tracking. Using geo-tracking based technology, guests are able to go on an exploration of Luxembourg City as it was back in 1867. These one-of-a-kind sightseeing tours, that can be booked through the Luxembourg City Tourist Office, consist of a trip around the Pfaffenthal in an upgraded minibus while wearing specialized VR glasses that enable the past to come to life right in front of travellers while the bus is driving through the streets of the present. 

These digital tours of the past have been carefully built with the help of archive research, historical recordings and expert discussions in order to create a detailed reproduction and offer a realistic journey back in time. 

Winner of the Lux Tourism Innovation Award, the start-up has grown significantly since its creation in 2017, and currently counts 15 employees as well as a management board of four senior experts in business, IT, design and psychology.