The project “Red Monastery – Reborn” received a grant of €1.959 million from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants. The project was co-financed by the State Budget of the Slovak Republic in the amount of €293,850.

The project was implemented under the programme “Cultural Entrepreneurship, Cultural Heritage and Cultural Cooperation” and had the potential to fundamentally transform two buildings and several other selected parts of the Carthusian Monastery. It combined the restoration of two historic monastery buildings with the introduction of new functions and activities reflecting the site’s historical legacy. The restoration and new use of these buildings were designed not only to preserve the restored structures but also to generate income that would support the continued restoration of the monastery complex.

The project’s objective was, on the one hand, to significantly enhance the attractiveness of Buildings E and F (the former farm building and the convent) by creating an engaging visitor experience centred on the site’s cultural and historical heritage. On the other hand, it aimed to establish facilities for professional training in the field of heritage conservation.

The new visitor offer was inspired by reviving selected aspects of monastic life, as well as by the functions the monastery had fulfilled over recent decades, including a nature school, a museum, and a training facility of the Monuments Board of the Slovak Republic. These activities represent innovative interpretations of the monastery’s original functions, some dating back centuries and others introduced more recently.

Following the withdrawal of the Polish partner from the Interreg project in September 2022, funding for the restoration of the façades and roofs of Buildings E and F became unavailable. Thanks to the prompt and generous support of the donor countries and the Programme Operator, the project budget was increased by an additional €749,809 during 2023, making it possible to complete these essential works.

The project agreement and its amendments are available at:

https://www.crz.gov.sk/4841974/

https://crz.gov.sk/zmluva/5647306/

The project aimed to revive several of the monastery’s original historic functions, including:

• brewing beer and producing mead (the monastery brewery and mead fermentation facility),
• manufacturing products from medicinal herbs (Brother Cyprian’s Pharmacy and Herbal Workshop),
• educational activities for children (Monastery School),
• providing a space for deeper reflection and meditation away from the distractions of modern life (Digital Detox Camp / Experience Monastic Life).

The project also established an attractive training centre for heritage conservation professionals (Training Centre of the Monuments Board of the Slovak Republic – Červený Kláštor) and created a modern, visitor-friendly museum exhibition.

The project was carried out in cooperation with two distinguished Norwegian partners active in the field of cultural heritage preservation: Norsk Kulturarv and Fortidsminneforeningen.

The project lasted 51 months, from 27 January 2020 to 30 April 2024. In 2023, its total budget was increased to €1.959 million.

Supported by the citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants.

Co-financed by the State Budget of the Slovak Republic.

Working together for a green, competitive and inclusive Europe.

To learn more about programmes and projects funded through the EEA and Norway Grants in Slovakia, visit:

www.eeagrants.sk

www.norwaygrants.sk

You can explore the exact locations where the project activities were carried out through the 3D model of the monastery, created by the Department of Digitisation and Graphic Documentation of the Monuments Board of the Slovak Republic.