The French flag under the vault of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.<\/p>\n
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Paris is always a good idea, so the saying goes; France is, too, especially during the third weekend in September, this year the 19th\u201420th, when the annual cultural extravaganza known as Heritage Days (<\/strong>Journ\u00e9es Europ\u00e9ennes du Patrimoine)<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>takes place throughout the country. (Heritage Days are scheduled in many other countries, but the dates vary.)<\/p>\n On this event-filled Saturday and Sunday, countless museums, historic buildings and chateaux will be open to the public, often free or at a reduced cost. Many sites, not accessible at other times of the year, will be available for visits, too. During Heritage Days, with themes this year celebrating the history and bicentenary of photography and protecting at-risk historic sites, you can also expect a variety of one-off events, like guided walking tours, concerts, theatrical performances, workshops and artisanal demonstrations. Many happenings during this popular weekend require advance reservations, so book as far ahead as you can.<\/p>\n Here are some highlights for 2026\u2019s Heritage Days.<\/p>\n PARIS<\/p>\n The \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace<\/strong>, the official residence and office of France\u2019s president, is not generally open to visitors, but this landmark on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honor\u00e9 has welcomed visitors for Heritage Days in the past. Among the usual highlights are the ceremonial salons, the president\u2019s office and the palace grounds, although the itinerary can change from year to year. (This is a popular event; visitors will have to register at www.elysee.fr<\/a>–the date to be announced–and reservations go very quickly.)<\/p>\n The Maison Elys\u00e9e Museum,<\/strong> which is accessible throughout the year, can also be visited. Located opposite the palace at 88 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honor\u00e9, the museum provides an insider\u2019s look at the history of the French presidency\u2014there\u2019s even a reconstruction of the French counterpart to the Oval Office, the Salon Dor\u00e9. The museum offers an immersive virtual tour of the palace tracing the \u00c9lys\u00e9e\u2019s architectural history from its 18th-century construction to the present.<\/p>\n The Mus\u00e9e National Picasso-Paris, (Photo by Franck CHAZOT\/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)<\/p>\n Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images<\/p>\n The Mus\u00e9e National Picasso-Paris<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong> with more than 5000 works reflecting the arc of the artist\u2019s career, is one of the city\u2019s star cultural attractions. Housed in the H\u00f4tel Sal\u00e9<\/strong>, a 17th-century Baroque mansion located in the Marais, this magnificent structure, described by the museum as a \u201cheritage space amplifying modern experiments,\u201d provides a dramatic physical counterpoint to Picasso\u2019s radicality. For Heritage Days, there will be tours of the <\/strong>Sal\u00e9, focusing on its rich architectural history; guided visits to the new Centre d\u2019\u00c9tudes Picasso<\/strong>, the research library and archives devoted to the artist at the nearby H\u00f4tel de Rohan, are also scheduled for the weekend.<\/p>\n Yves Saint Laurent with models and muses Betty Catroux (left) and Loulou de la Falaise, outside his Rive Gauche store. (Photo by John Minihan\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Getty Images<\/p>\n The Mus\u00e9e Yves Saint Laurent Paris will be hosting 90-minute walking tours, Rive Gauche: Promenade dans le Paris d\u2019Yves Saint Laurent<\/strong>, that looks at how the designer\u2019s career evolved in the City of Light.<\/p>\n Starting in the sixth arrondissement, the tours, directed by guides from the museum, stop at 21 rue de Tournon in Saint-Germain-des-Pr\u00e9s, where YSL introduced his first store, Saint Laurent Rive Gauche sixty years ago (September 1966). It was an important debut for the fashion world, as the designer became the first couturier to open a ready-to-wear boutique. The Left Bank location, near the Rue Bonaparte, an area noted noted for its youthful, artistic and intellectual vibe and another stop on the itinerary, was key in positioning the new YSL store as a modern alternative to Paris\u2019s established couture salons. The walk concludes at the Cour Carr\u00e9e of the Louvre, where YSL ready-to-wear fashion shows were held.<\/p>\n Red silk and gray calfskin pumps designed by Roger Vivier for Christian Dior in the 1950s. (Photo by David Attie\/Conde Nast via Getty Images)<\/p>\n Conde Nast via Getty Images<\/p>\n To mark the special weekend, <\/strong>La Maison Vivier<\/strong>,<\/a> the Paris headquarters for the influential French designer Roger Vivier, famous for <\/strong>popularizing the stiletto heel and buckled pump, will be open to the public for the first time. Among the exhibit highlights will be several immersive, themed rooms, like the Salon de l\u2019H\u00e9ritage, curated by French style guru, In\u00e8s de La Fressange, highlighting the atelier\u2019s history. The Salon Vivier will explore Vivier\u2019s interior design aesthetic, and the Salle des Archives will feature over 1000 archival pieces including many historic shoes. Over his long career, Vivier\u2019s shoes were worn by numerous luminaries, like Catherine Deneuve, Audrey Hepburn and Queen Elizabeth.<\/p>\n Champagne<\/p>\n Champagne vineyards.<\/p>\n getty<\/p>\n The Champagne region<\/strong>, as little as a 45-50 minute high-speed train ride from Paris, has planned lots of happenings for Heritage weekend, among them guided tours, visits to chalk cellars, and tastings at the maisons of major producers, like G. H. Mumm, Vranken-Pommery, Taittinger and G.H. Martel. There will be special openings and guided visits to major Reims landmarks, including Notre-Dame Cathedra<\/strong>l, the Palais du Tau<\/strong>, an important site for the French monarchy, the Basilica of Saint-Remi <\/strong>and City Hall<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Collectors of wine memorabilia and design-minded Champagne lovers should head to nearby \u00c9pernay <\/strong>and visit the producer, Champagne de Castellane, which is hosting Heritage tours. The visit will include a stop at the Salle des \u00c9tiquettes et Collerettes, a space that contains an archive of some 10,000 historic labels and collerettes (neck collars), that trace the brand\u2019s design evolution from the late 19th century. Another stop is at the estate\u2019s historic Tour de Castellane, a 66-meter tower, affording sweeping views <\/strong>of the Champagne countryside.<\/p>\n Gamais, Yvelines<\/p>\n