Ecoparque de Trasmiera, an open sky museum

Arnuero, Cantabria, Cantabria.
Special mention / Diploma in the category Conservation / Conservation and adaptive reuse in the year 2015.

Applicant: Arnuero Town Council.

Reason for the award :

For the ability to revalue the heritage complex, both cultural and natural, through an innovative vision of the management of public use of the same, projecting an added value of this heritage that over the years has become a dynamic element of society, culture, conservation and even the tourist activity of the region.

  • © Víctor Gibello Bravo
  • © Víctor Gibello Bravo
  • © Víctor Gibello Bravo
  • © Víctor Gibello Bravo
  • © Víctor Gibello Bravo

The strategic plan of the Trasmiera Ecopark, presented in 1998, had among its objectives to seasonally adjust sun and beach tourism in the Cantabrian municipality of Arnuero.

The Trasmiera Ecopark is a project developed by the Arnuero City Council, of which the entire municipal complex is part, that is, Arnuero, Soano, Isla, and Castillo.

For more than ten years, the Ecopark has developed an intense effort to recover the main elements of its historical heritage, such as the Santa Olaja Tide Mill and the Historic Centre of Isla. With the same objective, active citizen participation has been encouraged in the recovery of other Assets of Cultural Interest such as the Churches of Isla and Arnuero and their main altarpieces. In addition to material heritage, important actions have also been carried out aimed at the protection of natural spaces, highlighting the environmental recovery of the Joyel marsh.

All these actions are part of what has come to be called “an open-air museum”, a unique space in Cantabria where the visitor can, in a sustainable way, get close to the history, landscape, culture, and gastronomy of this tidal land region. In this recovery and revaluation of the historical, cultural, and natural heritage, multidisciplinary activities have not been forgotten, such as the Chamber Music Competition, the contemporary art exhibition programme, and the environmental education programmes, in which more than 15,000 students and teachers from Cantabria have already participated.

Others awards in Cantabria: