European Heritage Days 2026 in Paris: 9 Exceptional Sites Open Their Doors
The 43rd European Heritage Days will take place in Paris on September 19–20, 2026, allowing access to nine sites that are typically off-limits. This year's theme celebrates the 200th anniversary of photography and addresses “Heritage in Peril: Revive, Resist, Reimagine.” Notable features include the photothèque at the Maison de la RATP, auction tours at Hôtel Drouot, and operational access to Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon. Visitors can explore the stained-glass dome at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, while the Hôtel de Roquelaure reveals its 17th-century interiors. The Sénat will open the Palais du Luxembourg, and the Assemblée nationale’s Palais Bourbon is accessible throughout the year. Guided tours will be available at the Hôtel de Noirmoutier, the Hôtel de Béhague will display its Belle Époque salons, and Quai d’Orsay will host an exhibition on information manipulation.
Key facts
- The 43rd European Heritage Days in Paris take place September 19–20, 2026, with themes of photography's bicentenary and 'Heritage in Peril.'
- Maison de la RATP opens its photographic archive of 400,000 images and celebrates 126 years of the metro ticket.
- Hôtel Drouot, founded in 1852, offers guided tours and an auction workshop called 'Si j'avais un marteau.'
- Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon participate for the first time; Gare de Lyon's facade restoration finishes mid-2027.
- Galeries Lafayette Haussmann showcases intangible heritage and contemporary crafts under its 1,000 sq m stained-glass dome.
- The Hôtel de Roquelaure reveals two centuries of history, including ties to Cambacérès and the Conseil d'État.
- The Sénat opens the Palais du Luxembourg and its greenhouses, including an orchid collection started in 1838.
- The Quai d'Orsay opens rooms prepared for King George VI and recalls Robert Schuman's May 9, 1950 declaration.
Entities
Artists
- Edgar Degas
- Camille Claudel
- Marius Toudoire
- Eugène Delacroix
- Jean Courtonne
- Marcel Proust
- Isadora Duncan
- Gabriel Fauré
- Paul Valéry
- Stefan Manciulescu
- Robert Schuman
- George VI
- Napoleon Bonaparte
- Jean-Jacques Régis de Cambacérès
- Mademoiselle de Sens
- Louis XIV
- Ferdinand Foch
Institutions
- RATP
- Hôtel Drouot
- Galeries Lafayette
- Sénat
- Assemblée nationale
- Ministère de la Transition écologique et de l'Aménagement du territoire
- Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères
- Ambassade de Roumanie
- Conseil d'État
- École d'application d'État-Major
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Maison de la RATP, 54 Quai de la Rapée, 75012 Paris
- Hôtel des ventes Drouot, 9 rue Drouot, 75009 Paris
- Gare du Nord, 18 rue de Dunkerque, 75010 Paris
- Gare de Lyon, Place Louis-Armand, 75012 Paris
- Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, 40 Bd Haussmann, 75009 Paris
- Hôtel de Roquelaure, 244 boulevard Saint-Germain, 75007 Paris
- Palais du Luxembourg, Place Paul-Claudel, 75006 Paris
- Assemblée nationale, 33 quai d'Orsay, 75007 Paris
- Hôtel de Noirmoutier, 138 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris
- Hôtel de Béhague, 123 rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris
- Quai d'Orsay, 37 quai d'Orsay, 75007 Paris
- Jardin du Luxembourg
- Île-de-France