The Best European Tourism Award went to the replica Caverne Pont d’Arc (nominated by BGTW members Mary Anne Evans and John Malathronas).
It opened in Ardèche, France earlier in 2015. Taking a one hour guided tour along a raised walkway, visitors can see reproductions of 36,000 year old art. Paintings depict 15 different animal species, some of which are the only representations in Palaeolithic cave art. Discovered in 1994 by three amateur cavers, the caverns replicated were closed to the public to preserve the fragile works. The replica was designed and built a few miles from the original site. Specialists from all over France used the latest technology to create a 3-D digital model of the original. Open daily, it has turned the region into a year-round destination.
Highly Commended Projects:
– The Ġgantija Temples Interpretation Centre on Gozo, Malta (nominated by BGTW member Juliet Rix). A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this important archaeological site consists of two temples dating back to between 3600 and 3200 B.C.
– Maison du Marais de St Omer, the Marshland Discovery Centre near St Omer, France (maison-du-marais.fr) (nominated by BGTW member Gillian Thornton). The centre offers the latest interactive interpretations of the natural world; the surrounding marshes, rich with wildlife, provide a haven of peace.
Merit Awards:
- SALT Art project, Northern Norway (Roger Norum)
- Smithwick’s Experience, County Kilkenny, Ireland (Isabel Conway)
- Museo del Violino/Violin Museum, Cremona, Italy (Geoff Moore)
- The Walking in Wilfred Owen’s Footsteps Trail, Ors, Cambrai, France (John Ruler)
- Musée Carnavalet, Museum of the History of Paris, Paris, France (Paul Wade)
- Ducal Museum, Friedenstein Castle, Gotha, Germany (Kathy Arnold)
