Established in 1955 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Europe Prize is the highest distinction awarded to a European city for its activities on the European stage. The prize consists not only of a diploma and medal, but also a scholarship for a trip to European institutions for young people from the winning city.
This year, four other cities were also shortlisted for the prize – Rambouillet in France, Bamberg in Germany, Połąga in Lithuania and Odessa in Ukraine.