Ceremonial presentation of the Europa Nostra Award 2025 to the Małopolska Cultural Heritage Days

On 29 October, at the The Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow, the Małopolska Culture Heritage Days were honoured with the European Heritage Award/Europa Nostra Award 2025. The ceremony was attended by Prof. Jacek Purchla, Vice-President of the Europa Nostra Federation and Chairman of the Cultural Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards Jury, Agata Wąsowska-Pawlik, member of the Europa Nostra Council and Board, and the Director of the International Cultural Centre.  

Małopolska Cultural Heritage Days won the award in the category “Civic Engagement and Awareness Raising”. The award ceremony took place as part of the Małopolska Forum for the Protection of Monuments, dedicated to monument conservation programmes and related challenges. Europa Nostra is one of the most prestigious awards of the European Commission and the Europa Nostra Federation. The award honours projects and initiatives that engage European citizens in a unique way in the protection and promotion of cultural heritage.

Małopolska Cultural Heritage Days is an initiative that has been inviting residents and tourists to discover the cultural heritage of the region from a new perspective since 1999. This is facilitated by original thematic programmes, films, research and a digital platform. Popular throughout the region and beyond, the event broadens participants' knowledge of Małopolska's heritage and presents it in an unusual way. The project has also been recognised for its solid historical research and cooperation with local authorities and institutions.

The Europa Nostra/European Heritage Awards were established in 2002 by the European Commission. Their aim is to promote the best initiatives and practices in the field of protecting and preserving tangible and intangible cultural heritage. This prestigious award also serves to educate, exchange knowledge and raise public awareness. This year, EC1 Łódź – City of Culture was also among the Polish projects recognised.

More about Małopolska Cultural Heritage Days

Photo: Alicja Rzepa, 2025. MIK, CC BY SA 4.0