The Heritage Craft School in Skagafjörður has received the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2026, Europe’s most prestigious heritage award. The awards are presented by the European Commission and Europa Nostra, with support from the EU’s Creative Europe programme. This year, 30 projects from 18 countries received recognition, out of a total of 261 applications from 40 countries.
The Heritage Craft School, operated by the Skagafjörður Heritage Museum, was established in 2006 to preserve traditional Icelandic building methods, particularly turf house construction. Through hands-on teaching, research, and the restoration of protected buildings, the school ensures that this rare craft tradition remains alive and is passed on to future generations.
Since 2007, the school has held around 50 courses with approximately 500 participants, both Icelandic and international. Much of the teaching has taken place at Tyrfingsstaðir in Skagafjörður, where historic buildings have been reconstructed and used as a living classroom.
The jury’s citation states: “This project addresses the decline of traditional building skills in Europe through sustained, hands-on transmission of knowledge and practice. It presents a strong intergenerational teaching model that safeguards both the physical structures and the knowledge required to sustain them. Rooted in authenticity and high craftsmanship, and strengthened through international and academic collaboration, the initiative offers a credible model for the preservation of turf-building heritage.”
The award winners will be honored at a formal ceremony in Nicosia, Cyprus, on May 28.
Online Vote – Go Iceland!
The public can vote for their favorite project in the “Public Choice Award,” with the winner receiving a prize of €10,000.
Voting is open until May 12 on the Europa Nostra website.
Below you can find a video explaining how the voting process works: