Photo: Eric Herchaft
On April 22, 2026, the European Heritage Label (EHL) marked an important milestone with the 2026 Label award ceremony, marking the initiative’s 15th anniversary and officially welcoming Europe’s earliest salt-producing and urban center, Provadia-Solnitsata, into its growing community of 80 sites across 23 European countries.
Held in Brussels, Belgium, at the Art & History Museum, the 2026 European Heritage Label award ceremony is the flagship event of the European Heritage Label and represents the culmination of the 2025 selection process announced earlier this year. The event opened with a keynote address by Glenn Micallef, Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture, and Sport. It brought together Members of the European Parliament, representatives of European institutions, diplomats, cultural heritage experts, and stakeholders. The program also included artistic performances and several exhibitions of sites bearing the Label; it was organized by the Label Office as a moment of recognition and celebration of shared European heritage.
The 2025 selection features 13 new sites that reflect the diversity and depth of Europe’s shared history and cultural landscape. Selected by an independent panel of experts from 21 candidates, these sites stand out not only for their historical significance but also for their commitment to education, community, and the promotion of European values, especially among younger generations.
Speaking at the event, Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture, and Sport Glenn Micallef stated: “These 13 newly awarded sites embody the best of what the European Heritage Label represents. They reflect the richness of our shared history, with each marking an important milestone in building a committed, informed, and future-oriented society rooted in the European values we cherish. In times of great change and upheaval, our heritage serves as an anchor. It helps us understand where we come from, make sense of where we are today, and inspires us to build the community of tomorrow. We must never underestimate the significance and potential of these sites: to help citizens connect with their identity and see their shared history reflected in the places recognized by the European Heritage Label.”
The leaders of the Provadia-Solnitsata project attended the ceremony where they received the award – a plaquette bearing the logo of the Label – from Commissioner Glenn Micallef. In his brief remarks, Academician Vassil Nikolov highlighted the significance of Provadia-Solnitsata for the earliest European history and thanked the expert panel, the Label Office, and the European Commission for the prestigious award bestowed upon the site.
Since its inception, the number of sites awarded the European Heritage Label has grown to 80 in 23 European countries, forming a living museum of Europe that reflects both the diversity of its history and the unity of its values. Beyond their historical significance, they are dynamic spaces offering exhibitions, seminars, guided tours, performances, and educational programs designed to encourage dialogue and critical thinking, especially among younger audiences. In this way, they demonstrate that Europe’s shared heritage is not a static legacy but a continuous process of exchange, interpretation, and renewal.
The European Heritage Label is an initiative of the European Commission supported by the Creative Europe program and implemented in cooperation with participating Member States. Since 2011, the European Commission has consistently supported the development of the European Heritage Label as a flagship initiative, enhancing the visibility of Europe’s shared heritage.
