The ceremony took place at the site of the project which saw the restoration and conversion of the Liubavas watermill into a museum. President Grybauskaitė emphasised the importance of the award, citing it as an example to inspire others. She also underlined how the support from the Grants demonstrated the level of trust between the countries. Also present, the Norwegian Ambassador to Lithuania, Leif Arne Ulland, said: "the award has put Lithuania’s work to preserve its cultural heritage on the European map." Congratulating the award recipients, Ambassador Ulland also highlighted the various other cultural heritage preservation initiatives funded by the EEA and Norway Grants in Lithuania.
Liubavas watermill is one of the few remaining buildings from the former Liubavas Manor, not far from the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius. The EEA Grants provided a €410 000 grant to the project enabling the preservation of the watermill and making it accessible to the public as a museum. Europa Nostra recognised the museum as a prime example of conservation of European cultural heritage.
Europa Nostra Awards
The European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards celebrate excellence in cultural heritage conservation. The 28 winners of the award this year were selected from 226 projects in 31 countries. The award is split into four categories, namely conservation, research, dedicated service, and education, training and raising awareness.