In January 2026, I took part in the Living Heritage Journeys transnational meeting in Kraków, hosted by the Museum of Kraków.

The meeting had a particularly strong connection with the Kraków pilot devoted to the Nativity scene (szopka) tradition. I have been closely involved in the process that led to the inscription of the “Nativity scene (szopka) tradition in Krakow” on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2018. This made the Kraków pilot not only an important project case study, but also a point of reference for broader questions of heritage governance, community participation and ownership.

During the meeting, partners discussed issues such as meaningful community involvement, visibility and interpretation with proper context, and the diversity of heritage communities. The programme also included engagement with the local context of the tradition, including a visit to the post-competition exhibition of Kraków nativity scenes and a workshop element.

Living Heritage Journeys explores ways of integrating intangible cultural heritage into sustainable tourism experiences that leave positive footprints for practitioners, visitors and communities across five pilots in Croatia, Italy, Belgium, Sweden and Poland.