Les Journées Du Patrimoine

European Heritage Days in France

For more than 30 years, the third weekend of September has been dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of Europe’s rich and diverse cultural heritage. The Journées européennes du Patrimoine, or Europe Heritage Days, present an occasion to explore a great variety of monuments and sites ranging from civil buildings such as churches, town halls or museums to private villas, castles and parks. While some of those sites may be open to the public on a regular basis, many are accessible to visitors exclusively during this weekend.

Depending on the type of building or site, numerous events and activities such as guided tours, theatrical and musical performances also allow visitors to engage with cultural heritage more in-depth.

Most importantly, as the idea behind the initiative is to create wider access to the cultural heritage sector for everyone, entry to most of the sites is free!

On the website of the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, a map provides an overview of all events taking place in France and even allows you to filter them depending on the type of building or site but we have also compiled a list of places in France that are worth visiting on this special weekend!

La Banque De France, Paris

The Bank of France has been situated in the historic Hôtel de Toulouse in the first arrondissement since 1811. For the Journées du Patrimoine, the bank is letting visitors take a peek into some of its tresors. Find out more HERE