The Alka of Sinj Museum is dedicated to the annual knight’s tournament that takes place every August in Sinj, southern Croatia. During the competition, the knights ride their horses at full gallop through the racecourse and aim lances at an iron ring, called "alka", hanging on a rope.
The tradition was inscribed on the UNESCO List of Intangible Heritage in 2010 and a museum dedicated to this spectacle was opened in 2015, on the 300th anniversary of the tournament.
"This project expands a one-day event into a sustainable model of awareness-raising and education for the whole year which is significant to the local community, the exclusive bearers of this tradition," the jury said.
The awards were announced by the European Commission and the Europa Nostra organisation on Tuesday. They will be presented at a summit on cultural heritage in Berlin on June 22.
Seven recipients of the Grand Prix (each of which will receive 10,000 euros) and a recipient of the Public Choice Award, chosen in an online poll, will be announced at the award-giving ceremony.