How to Enjoy the European Heritage Days (Journées du Patrimoine) in France

It took me a while, living in the heart of the beautiful French countryside, to cotton on to these days, so I am really happy to share this with you, as these days are a fabulous opportunity to discover a hidden gem in your local area.

The European Heritage Days are held over a weekend at the end of September – this year it’s the weekend of the 20^th and 21^st of September – throughout 50 different European countries to celebrate the common heritage of Europe.

Cultural sites, including tourist attractions, museums, and places of historical and cultural interest, open their doors to the public for free. Many also host free events, exhibitions, performances, and interactive activities, making it a great opportunity for a fun day out.

In addition to this, certain heritage buildings usually closed to the public may open as a one-off or popular sites may allow rare access to typically off-limits areas.

Contact your local Office de Tourisme for a full list of local events and sites that are taking part.

You can also look on France’s Ministère de la Justice website to discover the oldest and the newest buildings associated with French Justice and the stories they hold.

The Ministère de la Culture website also has a fabulous pop-up map featuring major events in your area. There are likely to be others not listed, so always talk to your Tourist Office or call in at your Mairie for more details of events in your area.

Here in the beautiful Charente, we have a rich Gallo-Roman influence. Just near Rouillac lies the Gallo-Roman Amphithéatre of Les Bouchauds. It’s a hidden gem in the woods with a visitor centre and plenty of year-round activities such as the annual Gallo-Roman festival, la Nuit des Lanternes, Les Nuits Archéo and more. This year’s Heritage Weekend sees four events: a conference on the origins of vines and wine in the Charente, a guided visit of the Amphitheatre, Visitor Centre and a Roman Cookery discovery!

Thanks to the Heritage weekend, not only did I discover there was a working windmill twenty minutes away from me, but I got to visit inside and taste their bread made from their milled flour, which was also sold in the local supermarket!

Being in the heart of Cognac Country, we are also privileged to have the prestigious House of Martell open the doors of its Château at Lignières. Rouillac Tourist Office offers an exclusive historic guided visit. So much local history!

The city of Angoulême is home to Asterix and The Cartoon Museum, which is throwing open its doors. Choose from Conferences, guided visits or an apéro!

Angoulême Museum, which houses great archaeological collections, is on my radar this year. I am interested in its Dinosaur bone collection, as so many discoveries are made in the Charente – notably a HUGE femur.

This September, take the time to plan your European Heritage weekend and discover a hidden gem in your local area. Let us know what’s going off in your area in the comments.