As the sectors of museums across Europe expand and the importance of culture for general well-being is increasingly recognised, the quality of each museum and its contribution to society become correspondingly important.

With this in mind, since 1977 and ever since, the “European Museum of the Year” has been awarded to museums that are considered the best in innovation and excellence in various fields.

So last week, in the context of the Museum of the Year 2024, the European Museum Forum, part of the Council of Europe, in an official ceremony held in Portugal, awarded the Portimão Prize to the Salt Museum.

This award is a huge distinction with an international impact as it is one of the most important awards given to museums worldwide and its value is even greater when taking into account the fact that 50 museums from 29 European countries with very high standards in terms of technology, size, personnel and financial data participated in the competition, following a selection of special evaluators that had been carried out earlier in the year.

The jury’s reasoning states that the Salt Museum is “a museum full of heart and humility that makes a difference. A museum that promotes a collective sense of history, industrial heritage and environmental sustainability. A museum that is highly welcoming, dynamic and engaging that makes visitors feel at home.”

With this in mind, the jury ranked and included the Salt Museum in the list of award-winning cultural institutions in Europe, among which, from the Greek side, the Byzantine Museum of Thessaloniki, which was awarded 20 years ago, and the Folklore Museum of Ioanna Papantoniou in Nafplio, which was awarded 40 years ago.