Behind Locked Doors: The Scoop on European Heritage Days
A glimpse of the gorgeous grounds and exterior of Azay le Rideau. Loire Valley, France. September 12, 2020.
Ever wanted to peek into a really cool spot that never seemed open to the public?
Sometimes you can.
The castle in the photo above—the stunning Azay le Rideau in France’s Loire Valley—is open to the public pretty much year ‘round. (And I got to see it, hence the photo!) But so many other châteaux and historical sites and buildings aren’t open to the public for any of a number of reasons.
Unless it’s late September in Europe, that is.
How European Heritage Days Started
For one weekend (or so) every year, historic monuments, museums, and sites across the European continent open even their typically closed doors to visitors for free or at minimal cost.
European Heritage Days (also called Heritage Open Days) began in France in 1984 to promote public learning via giving everyone access to the country’s most historic and important sites.
A year after the first event in France, the Council of Europe broadened the initiative to other countries and, in 1999, the European Union followed suit. (For a quick primer, the Council of Europe is the continent’s main human rights organization and the European Union is the political and economic union of 27 European member states. I know. Confusing.)
What to Expect during European Heritage Days
Each year, European Heritage Days attracts millions of people to see castles, fortresses, palaces, catacombs, national archives, and beyond, often at no cost. Naturally, given the name of the event, each region’s offerings are sites and guided tours linked to the city or region’s cultural and historical heritage.
To give form and context for each year’s offerings, European Union member states (and some states in Europe not part of the EU) select a theme each year. Though each country ultimately chooses its theme, the Council of Europe and the European Commission suggest they choose something that links their country to neighboring regions and supports cross-border activities that raise cultural awareness and celebrate the richness and diversity of European cultures.
Everywhere across Europe has something going on for European Heritage Days that you can only really see and experience during the all-too-brief weekend.
How to Discover European Heritage Day Happenings
As municipalities and local listings don’t often list the program, I’ve put a recurring annual task in my calendar to remember to check what’s happening on European Heritage days each year.
I started this practice after more than once having learned about a tour or open site that I would have loved to have experienced after the date and time had passed. (I’m looking at you, Paris, with your behind-the-scenes tour of the Notre-Dame rebuilding site.)
Whether you want to set an annual reminder like I have or whether you’ll be traveling somewhere in late September and want to see if something interesting is happening for European Heritage Days while you’re there, you’ll want to search out the program by late summer, if you can, to ensure you don’t miss out.
Most countries will have maps and guides available to residents and visitors that showcase what’s open and when. (For example, you can check out all that France had to offer this year via this nifty interactive map.) You can use the official European Heritage Days website’s search function as a starting point and drill down from there.
Whatever you see wherever you are, have fun! You’ll find adventures you’d never find at other times of year, I promise.