The Buzludzha monument in Bulgaria. By Annboeva – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,

An Albanian archaeological site and post-Byzantine churches, Bulgaria’s UFO-like communist monument and an abandoned casino in the Romanian city of Constanta have been selected among the 12 finalists for the pan-European “7 Most Endangered Programme 2018”.

The programme is a joint initiative by Europa Nostra, a leading European heritage organization, and the European Investment Bank Institute, aimed at raising awareness and mobilising efforts to save endangered heritage sites across Europe.

The final list of the seven most endangered heritage sites in Europe will be selected by the board of Europa Nostra on 15 March.

The 12 finalists, determined by a panel of experts in history, archaeology, architecture, conservation, project analysis and finance, were announced at the opening of the European Year of Cultural Heritage on January 16.

They include: the Historic Centre of Gjirokastra in Albania; post-Byzantine churches in Voskopoja and Vithkuqi, in Albania; the historic centre of Vienna, Austria; a coal preparation plant in Beringen, Belgium; the Buzludzha nonument in Bulgaria; the aerial cableway network in Chiatura, Georgia; the David Gareji Monasteries and Hermitage in Georgia; the Castle of Sammezzano, in Tuscany, Italy; the Constanta Casino in Romania; the prehistoric rock-art sites in the province of Cadiz, in Spain; the Prinkipo Greek orphanage, Princes’ Islands, in Turkey; and the Grimsby Ice Factory, in northeast England.

“This shortlist is, first and foremost, a call to action. We urge public and private stakeholders at local, national and European levels to join forces to rescue the heritage gems, which tell our shared story and which must be saved for future generations,” Denis de Kergorlay, the president of Europa Nostra, said.

The organizers have explained that the “7 most endangered” is not a funding programme, but aims to serve as a catalyst for action by public and private bodies to preserve the endangered sites.

Here are the Balkan gems that have made it to the list of most endangered sites in Europe:

Historic centre of Gjirokastra, Albania

Gjirokastra. By ShkelzenRexha – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Gjirokastra in southern Albania has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2005. The towns contains architecture typical for the Ottoman period. Its centre features 17th-century two-storey houses, as well as a bazaar, an 18th-century mosque and two churches of the same period. But Europa Nostra says a recently adopted bypass road project could severely damage the structural and visual integrity of the old town centre. A 2016 study has also warned that more than half of the 615 monuments in the protected site are endangered, due to illegal construction, or risk collapse.

Post-Byzantine churches in Voskopoja and Vithkuqi, Albania

A church in Voskopoje. By ILMOTOREDIRICERCA – originally posted to Flickr as Egnatia odos-57, CC BY 2.0

The churches in Voskopoja and Vithkuqi in southeast Albania are a group of 12 churches built during the 17th and 18th centuries. According to the “The Past for the Future” Foundation, which nominated the churches for the programme, they are “the most authentic evidence of the extraordinary economic development of these two Christian centers during the Ottoman rule in the Balkans”.

Their isolated location has challenged their conservation and they are facing threats such as theft and water and humidity damage, due to neglect.

The Buzludzha monument, Bulgaria

The inside of the Buzludzha monument. Photo: Mark Ahsmann – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,

Decrepit and collapsing, the House-Monument of the Bulgarian Communist Party on the top of Mt Buzludzha is internationally known as “Bulgaria’s UFO”.

It is the biggest ideological building in Bulgaria, built as a tribute to the creation of the Bulgarian Socialist movement in 1891.

Designed by architect Georgi Stoilov, it was unveiled in 1981 after seven years of construction work, involving over 6,000 workers and 20 Bulgarian artists, who worked on its interior decoration.

The star on the top of its 107-metre tower is the biggest in the former Soviet world, and three times larger than the one in the Kremlin.

Nowadays, the star is riddled by gunshots of vandals who thought it was made of ruby. Many of the glasses and mosaics have been stolen and the whole construction is disintegrating.

Despite recent moves for its revival, including plans for restoration by the Bulgarian Socialist Party, the process of decay is ongoing.

Constanta Casino, Romania

The Constanta casino. By www.bdmundo.com – Constanta Casino, Romania, CC BY-SA 2.0

This landmark Art Nouveau building on the Black Sea shore was built in 1910. It has been abandoned since the 2000s, due to lack of funding by the local authorities for its restoration. The property rights over it have juggled between different local and state institutions, the last owner being the National Investments Agency within the Ministry of Development.

“The main danger to the building comes from the corrosion and rusting of structural metal parts. Sea storms and winds have shattered most of the windows facing the sea. It is very likely that the roof will collapse if this process continues,” the nominating ARCHÉ Association warns.