The Piusa Visitor Center now offers a 3D visualization of the sand mine. The cave has been closed since 2006, but now it can be visited virtually.
The cave covers about 0.5 hectares. The total length of the tunnels is nearly 1.5 kilometers. There are three altars in the cave: the energy altar, the warrior altar, and the satanists' altar.
The 3D model was created using photogrammetry. All tunnels were illuminated and photographed, and then a 3D model was made from them. Katariina Keerd, the manager of the Piusa Visitor Center, said it is very accurate.
Many visitors have found their traces in the cave. For example, some have discovered their names or drawings scratched into the sandstone. Keerd mentioned that while they do not encourage writing on the sandstone, it is a deeply emotional experience for everyone.
Visitor Ljubov shared that she visited the cave as a child. The virtual tour was very interesting to her. On the screen, it was easier to see all the names, marks, and images that are usually missed during a regular tour.
Another visitor, Karolina, praised the 3D solution. In her opinion, it's very cool because you can see the big picture in the cave. Plus, there's no need to worry about bats flying around.