Step into the past
Bring the streets to life with immersive living history trails on GPS-triggered maps.
Join the Venetian ‘vice squad’ for a true crime story in the eighteenth-century city. Meet the women who fought Henry VIII’s Reformation in sixteenth-century Exeter. Travel to Trento on the day that changed the course of World War II in Italy. HistoryCity’s free apps, developed at the University of Exeter, bring to life figures from the past and stitch their stories to the city and its heritage.
HistoryCity is the winner of the 2025 Heritage in Motion
international prize for virtual and augmented reality.
Experience cities as never before
Step inside the hidden histories of cities across Europe. Hidden: Venice, Valencia, Copenhagen, Florence, Hamburg, Trento, Exeter, Tours, Deventer and Landshut. Latest apps and trails below.
Hidden Venice
Three trails on a stunning historic map of the early modern city: battles on the bridges, the story of migrants, and a true crime case from 1730.
Hidden Trento
Join Emma and her father Guido in a new Hidden Trento trail that takes place on the day that changed the course of World War II in Italy.
Hidden Tours
Explore the world of late medieval Tours with the stocking maker and book hunter Jehane, in ‘The Passion Quest’ trail.
What people say
“Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for this app! It’s perfect — well designed and interactive and it shows you Florence from a different perspective, not like the rest of the tourist guides!” – Dianora, Google Play Store
“By blending first-person narratives, expert commentary, and historical collections, HistoryCity expands the boundaries of cultural heritage and promotes an engaging “museum without walls” experience.” – Heritage in Motion prize jury
Collaborate with HistoryCity
Based at University of Exeter, our specialist team collaborates with heritage organisations, universities, local councils and museums across the world to develop our award-winning apps.
HistoryCity Apps 