European Heritage Days

The European Heritage Days are back on 20 and 21 September 2025, with the 42th edition focusing on the theme of "Architectural Heritage". This is your chance to visit monuments and sites that are exceptionally open for the occasion.

A weekend to celebrate heritage

A key event in the autumn, the European Heritage Days take place every year during the 3rd weekend in September. Time for all to discover or rediscover the treasures of our national heritage and to understand the rich legacy of the past.

We cannot reveal the entire programme here, but we can already highlight the theme for 2025: ‘architectural heritage’. This will be an opportunity to celebrate the work of architects past and present, as well as protected historical monuments.

From François Mansart, whose Château de Maisons is considered his masterpiece, to Jean Nouvel, who designed the Philharmonie de Paris, and Franck Gehry, who designed the Fondation Vuitton, there are many different styles in the Paris Region. The famous French architect Le Corbusier also left a beautiful architectural legacy in the Paris Region with the Villa Savoye and the Maison La Roche. This is an opportunity to visit these two buildings, which are located close to each other.
Many architects have left their mark on Paris, which aims to be modern but also a symbol of a perfectly preserved historical heritage.

During the 2025 European Heritage Days, which also mark the 50th anniversary of the ‘European Year of Architectural Heritage’, don't forget these places that tell the story of architecture in museums such as the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine or the Pavillon de l'Arsenal.

All forms of heritage are honoured, whether artistic, archaeological, industrial, agricultural, agricultural, river or military.

Sometimes closed to the public the rest of the year, a wide variety of places can be visited (often with a guide): churches, castles, museums, banks, prefectures, courthouses, chambers of commerce, town halls, private residences…. Many unusual places open their doors: television channel headquarters, former prisons, factories and factories, behind the scenes of public transport…

In Paris, the high places of power also play the game, such as the Palais de l'Elysée (seat of the Presidency of the French Republic and official residence of the President of the Republic), the Palais du Luxembourg (seat of the French Senate) or the Hôtel de Matignon (official residence of the Head of the French Government).

We can't give you the full programme here, but we can already highlight a guided tour of the musée Yves Saint Laurent, the Galerie Dior and the Palais Galliera, as well as the fascinating world of the Puces de Saint-Ouen, concert for violin and cello at the Zadkine museum, a night-time visit to the Paris department stores' Les Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, a demonstration of direct-cut engraving at the Monnaie de Paris, France's national monetary institution and the oldest industry still in operation.

Iconic monuments, majestic châteaux, must-see museums with world-famous masterpieces, unusual collections, artists' houses](/en/what-to-see-and-do/museums-and-monuments)… Paris Region is the ultimate cultural and artistic destination.