Among the recipients of the prestigious European Heritage Awards for 2026 is the partner project School of Renovation, in the category of Education, Training, and Awareness-Raising.

The project consortium consists of the Association of Historical Towns of Slovenia. It brings together the Faculty of Architecture, the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, and the Secondary School of Civil Engineering, Land Surveying and Environmental Studies in Ljubljana. The project, which takes the form of practical training, expert lectures, and public awareness campaigns, has been underway since 2015.

In its statement explaining the award, the expert jury wrote the following regarding the School of Renovation project:

»The School of Renovation responds to the real need for skilled heritage renovation through practical workshops rooted in traditional building crafts. Initiated by the National Association of Historic Towns, it demonstrates how collaboration between institutions, experts and communities can sustain living heritage and offer a model that can inspire similar initiatives elsewhere.«

The winners will be honored at a formal awards ceremony to be held on May 28, 2026, in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Heritage supporters and the general public are invited to learn about this year’s winners and vote online by May 12 for the 2026 Public Choice Award, which is worth 10,000 euros. The full list of winners is available HERE, and the voting form (in English) HERE.

Photograph: Mateja Kavčič