Each year since 1985 one city has been selected by the European Union as a cultural capital. To celebrate the turn of the century in 2000 the European Union designated 9 cultural cities. This cultural cooperation between European cities is unique and will create an unprecedented synergia between 3 cities in the north, 3 cities in the centre and 3 cities in the south of Europe. The cities are Avignon, Bergen, Brussels, Bologna, Helsinki, Kraków, Prague, Reykjavik and Santiago de Compostela.