Traveller 2026
Éva & Ágnes Müller
We are Ágnes and Éva Müller, a sibling duo from Budapest, Hungary. Our project stems from the unique interaction of our academic fields: Ágnes (24) is an Architecture student specializing in Urban Planning, and Éva (25) is a Master’s student in Psychology. We are fascinated by how historical built environments shape the daily lives, community dynamics, and mental well-being of the people living within them. Our planned journey takes us through the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France to investigate how classic Western European heritage cities balance historical preservation with modern habitability. Through our dual lens of architecture and psychology, we aim to explore how thoughtful urban planning can protect these spaces without reducing them to mere tourist attractions.
Travel Route:
Amsterdam – Bruges – Brussels – Luxembourg – Strasbourg
Our Motto
Mind & Mortar: the Psychology of Living in Heritage Cities
Leonie Rinze & Jan-Gottfried Esser
Leonie Rinze (27) studied Dramaturgy at HMT Leipzig and Theatre Science University Leipzig. Jan-Gottfried Esser (27) is a Master´s student in Public History at Freie University Berlin. In September 2026, they will travel from Ohrid to Kotor and from Mostar to Split, connecting two questions: How has shade historically been organised as a collective resource, and how do third places allow young people to gather freely in the city? Living with a chronic illness that makes heat a daily consideration, they bring a personal as well as academic stake to the question of who public spaces are actually designed for.
The team will be documenting the journey through photography, essays and oral history interviews on Substack.
Travel Route:
Berlin – Ohrid – Kotor – Mostar – Split
Our Motto
Escaping the Sun
Mateusz Bartnicki
Mateusz (22) is a student of Physical Education from the Czech Republic, currently studying in Kraków, Poland. Passionate about sports, photography, videography, travel, and exploration, he is always eager to discover new places, meet new people, and immerse himself in different cultures.
For his OWHC travel, Mateusz will explore how movement shapes everyday life in World Heritage Cities. Through photography, video, and personal participation, he aims to document how people inhabit their cities and move through public spaces – whether by walking, cycling, working, exercising, or engaging in local traditions. His project focuses on the idea that heritage is not only found in monuments and historic buildings, but also in the everyday rhythms and practices that bring these places to life.
Travel Route:
Visby – Rhodes – Ibiza – Angra do Heroísmo
My Motto
MOVE
By visiting four island World Heritage Cities, each with its own unique environment, culture, history, and mentality, Mateusz will investigate the relationship between people, place, and movement. As an active traveler and runner, he will also complete a running route in each city that forms one letter of the word “MOVE,” creating a visual connection between the destinations. Through his journey, he hopes to reveal how different urban and cultural settings shape everyday life while highlighting the living heritage that exists beyond the monuments themselves.
Mia Rabus & Alex Iliescu
We’re Mia (22) and Alex (24), a couple who live and study in Regensburg. Although we come from different backgrounds, we share a passion for exploration, travel and our World Heritage hometown!
Mia is a soon-to-be ‘Nanoscience’ graduate, with additional knowledge in sustainability. In her free time, she enjoys expressing her creativity through art, particularly drawing and sketching. She is excited to experience new cities on our trip and capture their uniqueness and contrasts.
Alex studies ‘Public History and Culture’. Through his academic background and work experience he learned how to communicate (local) history. His greatest passion is listening to people and their stories. That’s why he is really looking forward to getting in touch with locals.
Travel Route:
Bamberg – Augsburg – Oporto – Guimarães – Lisbon – Sintra – Évora – Regensburg
Our Motto
Lifestyles of heritage
We believe that the special setting of World Heritage cities shapes the lifestyles of their inhabitants in a unique way. Therefore, we want to capture the small everyday elements that, however, have a significant impact on citizens’ quality of life.
Following the motto Look nano, think big, we want to get in touch with young locals and ask them: What makes your city habitable? Based on these interviews, we plan to identify key factors of habitability, and focus on one specific location mentioned by the interviewees. By joining forces, we want to capture the lifestyle of Heritage in this location by sketches (Mia) and micro-ethnographic observations (Alex).
In our travel sketchbook, we will combine our interview materials, sketches and observations and summarise our experiences in each city.
Nikola Vašková
I am a 25-year-old tourism specialist working in a World Heritage Town in the Czech Republic. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Foreign Languages for Tourism.
My work and travels have strengthened my interest in authentic experiences, storytelling, and connecting with local people. The experiences gained through my Erasmus stay in Norway, my first solo journey through the Benelux countries, and my recent walk along the Camino de Santiago have taught me to see destinations beyond their typical tourist image.
I am particularly interested in how World Heritage Cities function as lived spaces rather than only as heritage sites. During my OWHC journey, I will explore how young residents and travellers experience World Heritage Cities and how heritage shapes their identity and everyday life.
Travel Route:
Visby – Riga – Vilnius – Neringa – Kraków
My Motto
Different Cities – One Question of young people staying
I chose a motto that reflects what triggers my main interest in this project: the perspective of young people living in historic city centres.
Vania Omosemoje
My name is Vania Omosemoje (20), and a major part of my identity is being raised as a “third-culture-kid”. Born to Nigerian parents in the United States, and growing up between Nigeria and Ireland, before moving back to the States, I have grown to love and embrace various cultures of the world.
I am pursuing a double major in Political Science and Global Studies at Marist University with a Minor in Music as a part of university’s Honor’s Program. In my free time I explore my passions- playing violin or singing, reading, and learning new languages. I have studied abroad in South Korea, where I presented original research on transnational feminism portrayed in literature. I am now preparing to study abroad for a semester at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in Madrid, where I will be conducting research analyzing comparative international development.
I aspire to both educate myself about the lesser known stories of the world, and partake in effective grassroot global changes via collaboration and an appreciation of diverse perspectives and practices. My aim is to understand various communities, cities, and countries from a policy-focused approach, as well as gaining an articulate understanding of and connection to the people that dwell in them, their values, and their livelihoods.
Travel Route:
Philadelphia – Ávila – Segovia – Cuenca – Tarragona – Amsterdam
My Motto
Odes to Yesteryear and the Hereafter
