Two museums in Switzerland have won awards at this year’s European Museum of the Year competition held in Barcelona. The Burgrain Agricultural Museum near Lucerne and the Abbey Church Museum in Payerne, Canton Vaud were both given awards at the ceremony. 

Agriculture museum praised for promoting sustainability

The jury at the European Museum of the Year Awards (EMYA) praised the Burgrain Agricultural Museum for promoting sustainability. The Meyvaert Museum Prize for Environmental Sustainability 2023 was awarded to the museum for helping people to explore and understand the importance of natural resources, as well as teaching visitors about the journey food undertakes to go from farm to table. 

According to a press release from the EMYA, the Burgrain Agricultural Museum acts as a “central regional hub” and works to connect “local producers, agricultural workers, and companies to create meaningful links that allow citizens to comprehend the complexities of food production and the key players involved.” The organisation also praised the museum for drawing attention to the impact of food waste and how food production affects the environment. 

Special commendation for Abbey Church of Payerne

The Abbey Church of Payerne in Vaud also received praise from the EMYA. The organisation handed out six commendations as part of their 2023 round of awards, with one going to the historical site in Switzerland. 

The church was described by the EMYA as “an institution housed inside one of the most important masterpieces of Romanesque architecture”. The exhibition takes visitors through the sensory, visual and emotional experience of those who lived there during its long history. The abbey was designated a historic monument in Switzerland in 1990.