The Hague / Brussels / Luxembourg, 18 March 2025
The list of the 7 Most Endangered monuments and heritage sites in Europe for 2025 was released today by Europa Nostra, the leading European heritage civil society network, and the European Investment Bank (EIB) Institute. Since its launch in 2013, the 7 Most Endangered Programme has become a key civil society initiative dedicated to saving Europe’s heritage at risk, acting as a catalyst for mobilising expertise, halting unsuitable development, and/or ensuring necessary public and private support, including funding. Each listed site is eligible for an EIB Heritage Grant of €10,000 to assist in implementing an agreed activity that will contribute to the site’s preservation.
These are the 7 Most Endangered heritage sites in Europe for 2025:
- Arakelots Monastery and Settlement, ARMENIA
- Nyborg Castle, DENMARK
- Castle of Monemvasia, GREECE
- Great Synagogue in Orla, POLAND
- Generalštab Modernist Complex in Belgrade, SERBIA
- Valhalla Swimming Hall, Gothenburg, SWEDEN
- Victoria Tower Gardens, London, UNITED KINGDOM
The announcement was made at an online event, co-hosted by Guy Clausse, Vice-President of Europa Nostra, and Shiva Dustdar, Head and Director of the EIB Institute, which featured the participation of Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport. Nominators and representatives of the selected sites contributed to the online event, which attracted participants from across Europe and beyond.
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This year’s list comprises three cultural and natural heritage sites – the Nyborg Castle, the Castle of Monemvasia, and the Victoria Tower Gardens in London – which are threatened by the construction of invasive new buildings and unsuitable development projects; two modernist buildings – the Generalštab Complex in Belgrade, and the Valhalla Swimming Hall in Gothenburg – under imminent threat of demolition; and two religious heritage sites – the Arakelots Monastery and Settlement, and the Great Synagogue in Orla – threatened by neglect or lack of funding, respectively.
The 7 sites were selected on the basis of their heritage significance and cultural value, as well as on the basis of the serious danger that they are facing. The level of engagement of local communities and/or the commitment of public and private stakeholders to saving these sites were considered as being of crucial added value. Another selection criterion was the potential of each of the sites to act as a driver of sustainable socioeconomic development.
The 7 finalists were selected by the Board of Europa Nostra from among the 14 monuments and heritage sites previously shortlisted by the Advisory Panel of the 7 Most Endangered Programme. The nominations of the sites for the 7 Most Endangered Programme 2025 were made or endorsed by members of Europa Nostra, as well as by members of the European Heritage Alliance.
Teams of experts representing Europa Nostra and the EIB Institute, together with the organisations and individuals that nominated the 7 selected sites and other partners, will now gather information and meet with key stakeholders to assess the sites and issue a technical report with recommendations for action.
Messages from key representatives of Europa Nostra, EIB Institute, and European Commission
The Vice-President of Europa Nostra, Guy Clausse, stated: “Together with our partners, both European and national, we will provide civil society and technical expertise, identify possible sources of funding, and mobilise our wide network to support local efforts to save this year’s 7 Most Endangered heritage sites in Europe. Our heritage and our culture play a key role in building more sustainable, inclusive, and democratic communities throughout our continent and beyond.”
The Head and Director of the European Investment Bank Institute, Shiva Dustdar, said: “The cultural heritage of Europe is a cornerstone of its shared identity, economic vitality, and historical legacy. This list of endangered sites highlights not only their significance but also the urgent need for action to ensure their survival. By supporting Europa Nostra, the EIB Institute is proud to empower local communities that recognise the critical role of heritage preservation in addressing wider societal challenges. Protecting these sites is an investment in the cultural, social, and economic fabric of Europe, ensuring their value endures for generations to come.”
The European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef, stated: “Culture enriches our lives, and it is our collective responsibility to take good care of it. Cultural heritage is the foundation for building an inclusive, prosperous, and sustainable future for the EU. It is a testimony to our diversity, to our identity, it generates millions of jobs, and is a source of inspiration for the cultural and creative sectors. Spotlighting Europe’s most endangered sites and monuments helps us identify where we need to strengthen our efforts to protect our cultural heritage, so that future generations can enjoy it.”
From Denmark to Serbia, preserving Europe’s shared heritage and identity
Being on the list of the 7 Most Endangered serves as a catalyst for action and as an incentive for mobilisation of the necessary public or private support. Ultimately, the listing helps raise awareness; it also fosters the sense of European identity and the feeling of belonging to a wider European community.
Arakelots Monastery and Settlement, ARMENIA
The Arakelots Monastery and Settlement, hidden within the forests of the Tavush region in northern Armenia, is a gem of medieval heritage. The remnants of the settlement include a pair of churches, a caravanserai, an oil mill, and the Sranots Bridge, which collectively narrate the story of a vibrant medieval trade hub on the Armenian Silk Road. Despite its historical prominence, the religious and secular ensemble has been abandoned since the 17th century. Encroaching vegetation, structural decay, and climate-related hazards jeopardise its preservation. Its precarious state, due to geopolitical tensions and environmental challenges, calls for immediate action.
Nominated by an Individual Member of Europa Nostra, Dr. Jasmine Dum-Tragut from the Armenian Studies Division at the University of Salzburg in Austria, with the support of stakeholders from Armenia.
The Nyborg Castle is among Denmark’s best-preserved royal castles from the Middle Ages. Founded in the 12th century, it was modified with Renaissance features during the 16th century. Despite its exceptional historical and cultural value and legal protections, the Nyborg Castle is threatened by an invasive construction project. The development aims to build a new information centre, covering over 2,000m², in the listed archaeological courtyard of the castle and directly on the medieval base and underlying cultural remains of its North side, as well as a secondary structure to accommodate support functions. In 2020 the highest national ‘Board of Complaints’ had declared the project illegal, agreeing it “violates the Danish laws” and would result in “irreparable damages to the protected castle”. However, the Danish Minister of Culture decided to override the “Board of Complaints” judgment, and obtained, on 19 December 2024, the favourable vote by the Danish Parliament of a new special law normally used to allow works on vital infrastructure, setting aside the existing legal protections and considerably reducing the possibility of using the legal complaints framework by stakeholders.
Nominated by the association “Kultur & Arv” with the support of other important organisations and experts.
With structures from the Byzantine to modern times, Monemvasia has attracted visitors from all around the world. The Castle of Monemvasia is perched on a massive limestone rock with steep cliffs, projecting from the south-eastern coast of the Peloponnese. The rock is connected to the mainland by an isthmus and a bridge. The main threat for Monemvasia lies in a plan for a cable car promoted by the Ministry of Culture and the local municipality. The cable car project clearly risks diminishing the environmental and cultural value of the overall site, depreciating the experience of visitors, and threatening the visual integrity of the landscape.
Nominated by ELLINIKI ETAIRIA – Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage, which proposes to substitute the plan for a cable car with a plan for a passenger lift to improve the accessibility of the Upper Town.
Great Synagogue in Orla, POLAND
Founded in the second half of the 17th century, the Great Synagogue in Orla is located in Bielsk county on the eastern border of Poland, with Belarus. The building’s interior reflected Baroque and Renaissance influences, and its most distinctive feature used to be the Torah ark. As a result of the Holocaust, the building served as a storehouse for property stolen by the German soldiers, and the ark was destroyed. The building is not used anymore as a synagogue, and suffers from a serious state of decay and structural deterioration. It is owned by the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland, which aims to create a multicultural and educational centre in the building after its full renovation. However, the local funding capacity is insufficient for that.
Nominated by Future for Religious Heritage, a member of the European Heritage Alliance.
Generalštab Modernist Complex in Belgrade, SERBIA
This complex consisting of twin buildings, designed by Nikola Dobrović and built between 1953 and 1964, stands as an iconic symbol of modernist architectural heritage in Serbia. Known locally as Generalštab, this modernist complex was built to house the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense. Significant parts of the building were severely damaged during the NATO airstrikes in 1999. Recent announcement that the Serbian government signed an agreement with a private investor from the USA to demolish the complex in order to make space for a large-scale hotel and real-estate redevelopment project have sparked public outrage. The proposed redevelopment would destroy a protected building and would have a massive detrimental impact on the protected historic administrative quarter in the centre of Belgrade. Moreover, such a redevelopment would be in breach of the legal protection of this architectural and urbanistic ensemble, which was introduced in 2005 but removed at the end of 2024 by the Government of Serbia in violation of the provisions of the National Law on Cultural Heritage and against the expert view of the national Institute for Monuments Protection.
Nominated by Europa Nostra Serbia with the support of 22 organisations and academic institutions, which champion the restoration and possible adaptive reuse of the Generalštab Modernist Complex for public purposes.
Valhalla Swimming Hall, Gothenburg, SWEDEN
The Valhalla Swimming Hall in Gothenburg is one of the largest indoor swimming facilities in Scandinavia, and attracts nearly half a million visitors every year. It stands for both a significant expression of the 1950s’ pioneering architecture and artistic decoration, and a breakthrough for a new public health responsibility. The Valhalla Swimming Hall has been recognised as a culturally and historically valuable building in the city’s preservation programme, which means that its preservation is considered of public interest. However, it is threatened with demolition due to the Municipality of Gothenburg’s plans to build a new, larger sports and entertainment arenas.
Nominated by Europa Nostra Sweden, which champions the preservation of the building for architectural, cultural, social, economic, and environmental reasons.
Victoria Tower Gardens, London, UNITED KINGDOM
Partly situated within the World Heritage Site of the Palace of Westminster in London, Victoria Tower Gardens is a small public park that has provided a quiet oasis for parliamentarians, local residents, and tourists alike for over 150 years. It is often used for public events, demonstrations and art installations. Victoria Tower Gardens is severely threatened by the proposed construction of a national Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, which would dominate the whole southern half of the gardens. Tall metal and concrete fins representing the memorial would span the width of the gardens. If constructed at this location, the memorial would irreversibly transform the character and uses of the gardens’ civic space, as well as decrease the resilience of the park to changes in the climate and rainfall levels.
Nominated by Europa Nostra UK with London Parks & Gardens which together with other heritage organisations advocate for an alternative location for this important project.
