One day, after rewatching the series Game of Thrones, I decided to visit some filming locations in Croatia. The capital of the Seven Kingdoms—King’s Landing—is actually situated there, in the southern Croatian city of Dubrovnik.
However, I ended up going somewhere else. There were no games, no thrones, and no coastline; instead, I stumbled upon the beautiful old town of Zagreb. Everything was stunning: winding streets, narrow stone steps, tiny churches, majestic cathedrals, and peculiar little shrines tucked beneath bridges. To say I was amazed would be an understatement! I highly recommend convincing your parents to pack their bags and embark on an adventure to this incredible little town!
This city is not unique in its charm. Europe boasts a plethora of similar quaint, historic towns (having originated around 476 AD, many cities have been created and preserved over time), yet tourists often overlook them in search of beaches, pools at luxury hotels serving drinks with tiny umbrellas, favoring bustling metropolises instead. However, the team behind Minecraft aims to show that there are places just as beautiful as modern skyscrapers. They developed this map to shift people’s perspectives on the world around them. Perhaps someone will plan their next vacation to Poland, specifically to the historical city of Toruń.
Toruń shares much in common with Zagreb: white and terracotta building colors, spires of churches and clock towers, along with small squares where people gather for leisurely afternoon coffee.
The medieval city of Toruń, often referred to as the Gingerbread City, owes its name not to houses made of gingerbread and sweets—imagine the challenges the government would face in protecting such structures from rain! The moniker comes from a traditional recipe for gingerbread that locals have cherished. Visitors can even join guided tours where they can bake gingerbread under the supervision of experts, and at the end, enjoy the delicious treats they’ve created.
Another reason for the fame of the city of Toruń is its age. “Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland,” says Mateusz from Aventure Studios. “It is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.” This is indeed true, as the city has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage list due to its historical significance, which led the Aventure Studios team to create it as part of the “World Heritage Preservation” competition in Minecraft Bedrock. Interestingly, another build that we previously wrote about also participated in this same competition — Westminster Abbey.
Aventure Studios took on a significant challenge by choosing the city of Toruń. They had to construct an entire city from scratch. The project took them 14 days to complete. Mateusz mentions that this was their “first ambitious project” created by the team. They aimed to make the buildings and other elements as detailed and realistic as possible. Google Maps were instrumental in this process; they frequently cross-referenced with the city map to ensure every detail was accurately placed, with each window and tower needing to look just right.
However, builders attempting to recreate architectural structures in Minecraft face numerous challenges. “It was difficult to use a standard color palette,” says Mateusz, “and maintaining scale to achieve realism was challenging.” But, as he noted, the hardest part wasn’t that. It was his first time working in a team, so adapting and getting used to collaboration was essential.
“We wanted to test ourselves as a newly formed group,” says Mateusz. “We aimed to see if we could compete with other, more experienced teams.” After the results were announced, Aventure Studios had reason to celebrate — their build secured 1st place, surpassing 37 seasoned participants! This is an impressive achievement for a novice team. Now, the city of Torun has yet another accomplishment — it claimed first place in the Minecraft Bedrock competition!
