The city, where the regional landmark Trenčín Castle or the MA Bazovský Gallery are located, was shortlisted by an evaluation committee of experts from one of the most recognized projects in the European Union.

The title of European Capital of Culture (ECOC) is awarded to a pair or trio of European cities in honor of Melina Mercouri. The city of Trenčín is one of the three cities that will compete with him in Slovakia together with Nitra and Žilina in 2026. It is working on the Trenčín 26 project on the basis of a signed memorandum with the support of the Trenčín County and the spa town of Trenčianske Teplice. A jury composed of experts from the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Committee of the Regions and the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic included him in the shortlist of eight Slovak cities. "Progression to the finals is a great success not only for the city, but also for the whole region. Together we will do everything to ensure that the city under Trenčín Castle gets the ECOC 2026 title," said Jaroslav Baška, the mayor of Trenčín.

You can watch the online statement of advancing places to the final stage of the selection of the ECOC - Slovakia 2026 in this video .

Source: Dept. communication and international relations of TSK