Heritage Days: A Free Cultural Event.

The European Heritage Days, organized by the Ministry of Culture since 1984, take place every year during the third weekend of September. This event allows visitors to discover museums as well as buildings and places that are exceptionally open to the public on this occasion. It would be a shame to miss out on it: it's free!

A weekend of discovery

The Heritage Days are a cultural event organized every year on a European scale.

They take place during the third weekend of September and are a privileged moment of discovery of European cultural heritage. On this occasion, many buildings open their doors to the public. Museums also participate in the event by offering free access to their collections.

Don't miss this opportunity to admire our national heritage in all its richness! You will be able to discover monuments, churches, theaters, and castles, as well as private residences, parks and gardens, archaeological sites, banks, courts, prefectures, palaces of justice, town halls, and chambers of commerce, which are usually closed to the public.

History of this demonstration

The European Heritage Days were established in 1991 by the Council of Europe, following the model of the "Open Doors Days of Historical Monuments" created in 1984 by the French Ministry of Culture. Jack Lang, who was the Minister of Culture in France at the time, contributed to giving a European dimension to this event.

These Days now involve more than forty countries and regions in Europe. These local events take place from late August to early November.

Since 1995, a general theme is proposed at the national level. In 2006, this initiative recorded over 12 million visits.

Note: during these Heritage Days, the most visited monuments are those in the capital, especially the official government sites such as the Élysée Palace, ministries, the Palais Bourbon, and the Palais du Luxembourg.

Edition 2023: Edition 2023

The next edition of the Heritage Days will take place on September 16th and 17th, 2023.

This year, the theme of this event is "Living Heritage" and "Sports Heritage".

It will be an opportunity for the general public to visit places and monuments where citizenship has been built.

These include places of power and decision-making, as well as spaces of freedom.

To find ideas for visits in your region, visit the official website below.