The Night of Fortresses: A transnational model for sustainable and inclusive cultural heritage management

The Night of Fortresses (NOF) is an international cultural initiative and event launched in 2022 by the Fortress of Culture Šibenik, Croatia, to enhance the cultural offer and participation at fortified heritage sites across Europe. It emerged in response to the underutilization of fortification heritage and the need for greater collaboration among cultural heritage stakeholders. NOF promotes fortified sites as platforms for cultural engagement, environmental awareness and sustainable development. From 2025, the event adopts the slogan NOF Goes Green, emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and inclusive programming. Through shared visual identity and synchronized implementation, the initiative also enables transnational learning and support network for capacity building in sustainable heritage management. The originality of NOF lies in its dual function as both a public cultural event and a strategic framework for professional development and systemic transformation in the cultural heritage sector. The initiative and the event address a critical gap in cultural policy: the perception of heritage as a barrier to climate action. NOF challenges this notion by positioning historic sites as active contributors to the European Green Deal and the UN Sustainable Development Goals at the same time aligning the strategy with the New European Bauhaus values of sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusion. By fostering knowledge transfer, operational innovation and strategic cooperation, the initiative further works on the solutions how to equip heritage managers with tools to implement eco-friendly practices, promote circular economy models and enhance climate change resilience at cultural sites. By engaging diverse audiences, including vulnerable groups, and encouraging local innovation tailored to community needs, NOF contributes to building resilient cultural ecosystems and ultimately redefines the role of heritage sites from passive cultural relics to active, inclusive, and sustainable community assets.