The first European Heritage Days took place on 23 September 1984, on the initiative of the French Ministry of Culture, under the name “Open Day at Historical Monuments”. 

After the success of this first initiative, many European countries decided to set up similar events. In 1991, the Council of Europe officialised the European Heritage Days by highlighting “the promotion of diversity and dialogue in relation with the heritage in all its forms, using three major pathways: preserve/restore, protect and value all of the common European heritage”. Today, 50 States are “setting up the event, from the Vatican to Portugal, from Belarus to Moldavia, from Malta to Saint Martin”.

On the road or on the sea, in France and in Europe, this year, chosen themes include the heritage of routes, networks and connections to make you travel. The organisers explain that this idea of pathways stretches “from the straight roads laid down during the Roman Empire to the ancient winding paths used by pilgrims, and from former railways that once linked our towns and cities, to the rivers and canals that facilitated trade”. And the ministry of culture adds that over technical progress, travels grew in numbers: “new spaces are conquered, communication modes with the world are now part of our lives and our heritages, with its railway stations, airports, ports, locomotives and ships”.

More specifically, these routes are built using the 47 Cultural Itineraries of the Council of Europe, which, according to the Council, demonstrate that “the heritage of the different countries of Europe and their cultures contribute to the common cultural heritage, by offering journeys through space and time on different themes shared by several European countries”. Around thirty of these itineraries pass through France, including the Wine Route, the Olive Trees Route, the Pilgrim’s Way to Santiago de Compostela, the Route of the Impressionists in Europe and the Viking Route and the Route of the Spa Towns, which cover the whole of Europe.

The second theme of these European Heritage Days 2024 is maritime heritage. With the second largest maritime area in the world, “France has forged a very special relation with the sea”. This is an opportunity to discover iconic maritime sites.

First and foremost is France’s maritime heritage, with its typically seaside architecture. This seaside architecture is a “social, economic, industrial and cultural reflection of our history”, “a living witness to the development of leisure activities, tourism and a certain French way of living”, for example in Dinard, Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Saint-Denis on the Reunion Island. Then there are France’s ports, with a “rich and diverse maritime heritage ranging from large commercial ports to small yachting and fishing harbours”, as well as maritime expertise, such as the harvesting of seaweed in Brittany or oyster farming in Cancale, jousting in Languedoc or nautical jousting in Provence... 

In addition to the places and skills on display, the Heritage Days will also be an opportunity to discover the boats, starting with Le Belem, the “jewel of the French navy”, which recently made history by carrying the Olympic flame to Marseille. Classified as a historic monument in 1984, “this three-masted ship, a living symbol of maritime heritage”, will also be opening her decks to the public.

And the Ministry of Culture believes that, at a time when the preservation of the oceans and the influence of human actions on the environment are key issues, “conserving, bringing value and passing on maritime heritage are all ways of taking action, looking to the future”.

• In 2022, France had 45,648 protected historic monuments, 46% of which were privately owned, 41% by local authorities and 4% by the State;
• Nouvelle-Aquitaine is the region with the most historic monuments (6,258, or 14% of the total), followed by Occitanie and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (11%), Grand Est (10%) and Île-de-France (9%, with 3,884 buildings);
• in the Ministry of Culture’s 2024 budget, funds allocated to the preservation of historic monuments will increase by €40 million to €507 million.

Source: Ministry of Culture, Statistics of culture and communication, March 2024

• General presentation
• The theme of itineraries