Poland is getting more beautiful - 7 Wonders of European Funds

In the prestigious “Poland is getting more beautiful” competition, the Stalowa Wola Regional Museum’s project “Route of art déco architecture. Stalowa Wola, Lviv” was among 20 nominees, from which seven winners were selected – one in each category. A total of 137 submissions were received for the competition. Projects subsidized by EU funds competed.

The Stalowa Wola project, including not only the delineation of the Route in two cities: Stalowa Wola and Lviv, but also publications, websites and an innovative educational and promotional program, was appreciated as a cultural-tourist product unique in Poland and Ukraine.

The Stalowa Wola Museum competed in the cross-border and international tourism category , in which 22 projects competed. Two made it to the finals – the second was Lublin’s Jagiellonian Fair, promoting the common heritage of East and West.

The applications were considered in great detail. The Chapter, headed by Anita Noskowska-Piątkowska, Deputy Director of the Department of Information, Promotion and Training at the Ministry of Regional Development, met twice to carefully analyze the submitted questionnaires along with materials illustrating undertakings co-financed by European Funds. The task was not easy due to the large number and high quality of applications. The Chapter nominated a maximum of three projects in each category. From this group, seven projects – one from each category – received the main prize. After hours of deliberation, the Chapter nominated 20 projects.
Statues and commemorative diplomas were presented by Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Minister of Regional Development, during a grand gala on May 7, 2009 at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.

– We competed in this competition for the first time. Our project, which is in the first phase of implementation, has already made it to the finals,” enthuses Lucyna Mizera, director of the Stalowa Wola Museum, ”Unofficially I learned that we lost after a heated debate, by just one point. But although we did not receive a statuette, as nominees we were included in a promotional campaign on a par with the winners. The campaign includes: an album publication, videos about the nominated and awarded projects placed on the websites: www.funduszeeuropejskie.gov.pl, Pascal.pl and FunduszeOnLine.pl, the exhibition “Polska Pięknieje” (Poland Grows Beautiful), articles in the press, promotion during events organized in the country and in Brussels.

The competition is organized on behalf of the Ministry of Regional Development by Smartlink, a company specializing in the promotion of European Funds and good practices in cooperation with Pascal Publishing House, a leader in the market of tourist guides. Last year’s winners included the Rudnik Wickerwork Center.