As the second edition of the European Heritage Makers Week contest came to an end we are proud to present to you the 10 selected winners that are invited for a cultural visit to Strasbourg, the capital of Europe. 

How European Heritage Makers Week competition was organised? 

All young inhabitants of Europe between 12 and 18 years of age were invited to observe, explore and describe the heritage that surrounds them. The question they were asked to answer was simple: What is your european heritage? And so the young explorers from 13 participating countries starting from March to May became the ambassadors of heritage. These young explorers wrote the stories of their community’s customs, beautiful landscapes, tales and historic monuments and made European Heritage Makers Week a fascinating chance to see the world through their eyes. Each has contributed to this year’s celebrations and the enrichment of European Heritage Days, demonstrating that our heritage belongs to the future. 

To mark the celebrations of Europe Day, European Heritage Makers Week stories were uploaded to the EHDs portal between 5 and 9 May. National Coordinators then had the difficult job of selecting up to five stories to compete on the European level. 

By 1 July the European Heritage Days jury selected 10 winners whose stories are now being promoted across EHD portal, newsletter and social media channels. The winners will soon receive an invitation to visit Strasbourg in November to learn more about the cultural capital of Europe. The cultural experience will also provide an opportunity to learn more about the home countries of their fellow storytellers and the values shared among them.

Who are the winners?

Did you know that the origin of the word vampire comes from Serbian language? Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia was once named "The city of international solidarity", but do you know why? As music is a language all Europeans can understand, we learn about a specific musical instrument with a different name in numerous European countries. Can you guess which instrument we are talking about? Do you know that Georgia and Scottish islands share the love for the same type of festival celebrating Svans and Vikings ancestors? Read full stories from the #HeritageMakers winners following the links bellow. 

Tragedy stops time. Humanity moves it.

Pskov Gusli

Lamproba and Up Helly Aa Festival

Folk Dancing

Vampires Among The Serbs

Georgian Polyphony

Ivo Andrić project

Поезія - місток між століттями/ Pоеtry is a bridge between the centuries

Our European Heritage-Dadiani Palace in Zugdidi

Natural and architectural complex «Source of the River Don»: a look into the past and present

The origin of European Heritage Makers Week

The Cultural Heritage Makers is a storytelling experience designed in Finland to inspire children and young people to explore and analyse their immediate surroundings and cultural heritage. In 2018, the project was extended to the whole of Europe by inviting all under 18-year-olds to participate by sharing a photo and a story from their own immediate surroundings.

The international initiative – European Heritage Makers Week – was inspired by the concept employed in Finland since 2013, designed and offered to the Council of Europe and European Commission by the Finnish Local Heritage Federation, Association of Cultural Heritage Education in Finland, National Agency for Education, National Board of Antiquities and Ministry of the Environment. The concept encourages children and the young to observe, explore and analyse their immediate surroundings and, through this, to also participate and influence its development and cultural renewal.


It is clear we have only scratched the surface of the enthusiasm of young Europeans for the exploration of heritage. And we hope more of you will join the EHMW in 2020. If you want your country to participate next year, contact your EHDs National coordinator for more information.