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DISCOVER FRANCE

12 places to visit on France’s 2024 Heritage Days

The Journées du patrimoine (heritage days) are when thousands of France's historic buildings, cultural centres and museums throw open their doors - many of them free of charge. Here's our pick of the best places to visit this year.

Published: 27 August 2024 13:12 CEST
Updated: 27 August 2024 15:31 CEST
French 19th-century three-masted barque Belem
French 19th-century three-masted barque Belem. (Photo by CHRISTOPHE SIMON / AFP)

On Saturday, September 21st, and Sunday, September 22nd, more than 25,000 fascinating sites – many of which are not normally available to the public – will put on events across France for the Journées du patrimoine (heritage days).

As a result, it can be a little overwhelming to decide how to make the most of the heritage days.

What do the events involve?

This year marks the 41st anniversary of the event. The themes are ‘routes, networks and connection’ and ‘maritime heritage’. 

To find out what’s on near you, check out this interactive map created by France’s ministry of culture.

At the time of writing, more than 21,000 events and places to visit were registered on the site.

Exploring transport heritage (stations, airports, ports), movable heritage (locomotives, planes, cars, boats), connections (antennas, satellite dishes, radars), highlighting intangible cultural practices such as transhumance are just a few examples. 

The European Heritage Days are also an opportunity to promote the roads, paths and other physical routes historically taken for spiritual or commercial reasons – highlighting, for example, the 31 cultural routes in France, such as the pilgrimage trails to Santiago de Compostela, the Route de la Libération and the Route des Vikings.

Here are some of our suggestions for this year:

Paris Hôtel de Ville 

Even though every commune in France has a mairie, this one really stands out. The building itself is not particularly old by French standards, only dating back to 1882, but it is still a monument in the heart of the capital that contains plenty of history and culture. 

This year the building’s ten heritage and specialist libraries will be on display.

Even though entry is free, be sure to book tickets ahead of time. You can find them here.

The Belem in Saint-Malo

The Belem – originally used to transport cocoa from the Antilles in the 19th century and classified as a historical monument by the Ministry of Culture in 1984 – recently made history by carrying the Olympic flame to Marseille.

Listed as a historical monument in 1984, this three-masted ship will open its decks to the public in Saint-Malo during the Journees du Patrimoine. Details here. 

France Televisions Headquarters in Paris

Tour studios and control rooms at the headquarters of France Televisions in Paris to find out more about the 24/7 world of broadcasting. Technical staff, journalists and internal teams will be on hand to answer questions – and you’re certain to meet a famous face or two… Online registration opens in early September here.

Observatoire Historique de Marseille

Take a guided tour of the Merz-Eichens telescope, followed by a visit to Léon Foucault’s large glass mirror telescope. Plus, there’s a temporary exhibition with a self-explanatory title to enjoy – “Planets and Climates”. More here. 

Opéra National de Bordeaux

Featuring artistic performances in the grand staircases and a hip-hop performance by Mourad Merzouki on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Online reservations available from September 14th on the Opéra website.

READ ALSO Festivals and events: What’s on in France this autumn 2024?

Art workshops at the Louvre

The art workshops of the Louvre in Paris open their doors to demonstrate the painstaking work that goes into the apparently simple act of hanging a work of art for display – from mounting drawings, framing gilding, decorative painting, lighting of works, museographic supports, installation of works, marble work, tapestry, carpentry cabinetmaking and metalwork.

Visitor registration is set to open soon on the museum’s website.

Travel back in Time in Alsace

The Maison de l’Archéologie des Vosges du Nord will take visitors on a guided tour of daily life in the Bronze Age in what is now the Alsace, while there is also a chance to peruse collection of medieval artefacts, thanks to the work of volunteers who, for more than ten years, have been restoring the Schoeneck, one of many fortified castles in the Northern Vosges.

Further details here.

The criminal history of Lyon

Tricksy lawyer Maître Jeannot Sambre will take visitors on a tour of key landmarks in Lyon’s criminal underworld, explaining the secrets of Place Bellecour to the ancient Abbey of Ainay, and revealing the truth about the Gang des Lyonnais. More details here.

La Route des Villes d’Eaux in the Massif Central

The spa towns of the Massif Central have a unique history, specific architecture, and preserved living environment and their particular art of living.

The Route des Villes d’Eaux has a series of events planned for this year’s Journees du Patrimoine. Find out more here.

Antarctic Exploration in Toulouse

Toulouse, in south-west France, was the birthplace of French 19th-century explorer Gaston de Roquemorel, who was one of the first humans to go to Antarctica. During the Journees du Patrimoine, the Natural History Museum in his home city will delve into his journey of discovery, and put some of his finds on display.

No reservation required, but more details are available here. 

Archives de la Planète d’Albert Kahn in Strasbourg

In 1908, Albert Kahn launched his Archives de la Planète, a project to capture men and women across the globe “to better attempt to mutualise their proximities, everything that unites in difference, everything that makes the world, at a time when, precisely, a certain experience of the world seems destined to disappear”.

The Great Depression of 1929 put an end to his grand plan – but not before he had catalogued thousands of images. Many will be on display at University Library of Strasbourg.

The Elysée Palace in Paris

Each year, the French Presidential Palace, which is usually closed to the public, opens its doors for visitors during the journées du Patrimoine.

The 2024 programme was still not available as of late August, but it was expected to be published at the start of September. 

Normally, the event allows visitors to see the gardens of the Court of Honour, as well as some of the most important rooms of the palace – including the Salon Murat which hosts the French government Council of Ministers meeting each Wednesday as well as the Salle des fêtes (reception room) which hosts banquets and official state dinners.

Keep an eye on the Elysée website to register for (free) tickets before they sell out, as it is a very popular event.

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PARIS

Tickets and dates: All you need to know about Notre-Dame reopening

There are 100 days left before Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris will finally open its doors to visitors again. Here is what you need to know about getting tickets in advance, the reopening plans, and the status of the restoration.

Published: 30 August 2024 10:57 CEST
Tickets and dates: All you need to know about Notre-Dame reopening

August 30th marks a major milestone in the restoration of Notre-Dame in Paris, with just 100 days – or three intense months of work – remaining for the 500-plus artisans working against the clock to ensure the cathedral is ready in time.

The Cathedral has been closed to the public since it was badly damaged by fire in April 2019.

Since then, Parisians and visitors have been able to see a lot of the progress, as the outside work redefined the city’s skyline, but they have not been able to go inside.

But soon, visitors will be able to re-enter the famous cathedral. Here is what you need to know;

When exactly will the cathedral re-open?

The Cathedral is on track to re-open on time on December 8th – the Festival of the Immaculate Conception.

How can I get tickets?

Anyone planning to visit Notre-Dame after its grand reopening should be aware that, when it does throw open its doors to the public, you will need to have a pre-booked ticket to enter.

In anticipation of an estimated 15 million visitors a year, the diocese is taking steps to better manage the flow of people in the 6,000m2 of the building – which can accommodate 2,500 people at a time. 

A mobile app is due to be rolled out in the autumn, and the official website is being redesigned to allow visitors to book free tickets.

But officials are keen to point out that potential visitors do not need to rush to the website or app to book months in advance. Spaces are expected to be available probably a day or two in advance, and visitors will be able to book a visit at the cathedral itself on the day they intend to visit.

What about groups?

Be aware that admission will initially be reserved for individual visitors. Group bookings will not be possible until six months after the cathedral’s reopening, officials have said.

What is the status of the restoration work?

“We can see that we are close to the goal and that fuels our confidence that we will achieve the objective,”  Philippe Jost, president of the public institution responsible for the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris, told Le Parisien, in an interview to mark the date.

The vault of the transept crossing was completed in May, allowing work to start on finishes to the interior of the building, and the gradual removal of scaffolding from the outside. The cathedral’s renewed silhouette has been visible throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Spectacular steps” have been taken in the past six months, Jost said, including the completion of the solid oak frames above the nave and the choir, and the installation of the lead roofs.

But, he said, there are still “an incredible amount of things to do in every corner” – including restoring the flooring, connecting electrical networks and installing new liturgical furniture. In just 100 days. “There is no question of falling asleep and telling yourself that it’s in the bag,” Jost said.

What can I do in the meantime?

You can still walk around the site and read the posters explaining the restoration process, though you will not be able to enter. Photos of the fire-damaged cathedral and its restoration form an exhibition on the barriers keeping people out of the site.

Guided tours exist in the area, including one offered by Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral and CASA volunteers. These tours are free and they go around the cathedral, lasting about one hour. More info for booking here.

Will there be other work in the future?

Even though Notre-Dame is reopening, the cathedral’s restoration work will continue for another four to five years. 

“The City of Paris … will be carrying out work around the cathedral, notably on the forecourt, for at least three years,” the diocese said in a press release.

Starting in 2025, the cathedral’s stone exterior will begin to be refurbished, using surplus funds from the huge pot of donations that poured in after the fire.

The plans include adding trees and vegetation to the square in front of the cathedral, as well as a small stream that will help to cool the area during hot weather. 

The space behind the cathedral will also be transformed, adding in a lawn and grassy area. Under the monument, the underground parking lot will transform into a visitor centre, offering an interior walkway that will give access to the archaeological crypt and will open up onto the Seine.

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