Heritage days, our favorites

What is heritage in 2025? In the 1960s, André Malraux designated him, according to a famous formula, like the goods going “from the cathedral to the small spoon”. Undoubtedly, the former Minister of Culture would be surprised to see that his jokes exceeded him and that heritage yesterdays yesterday – HLM bar, power plant – are now protected with the same solemnity as insignificant buildings.

Fascination of power

Each year, it is the same show: the third weekend of September the lovers of old stones and the curious hoping to cross leading policies brave the crowd sometimes waiting for hours to enter the Holy of Saints: the Élysée. On the sidelines of the presidential palace and the National Assembly, where it is practically impossible to penetrate, there are in reality many places of proximity as unknown as it is exciting. The majority of city hotels, prefectures, sub-prefectures, but also courts open their doors exceptionally during this event. These places are often located in prestigious buildings with remarkable decorations. The Château de Grigny-sur-Rhône, near Lyon, thus occupies a classified building which contains the most important set of 17th century murals of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. A nugget ignored by all whose rooms filled with flowers, brocades, birds and loves are revealed for a weekend. In Lyon, the residence of the military governor allows its visitors to discover the former Hôtel Hotel du Baron Vitta. This Italian banker who had made a fortune in the silk trade was built, under the Second Empire, a magnificent palace inspired by those of the Florentine Renaissance. Its imposing facade hides an elegant court with arcades and fountains that evoke Tuscany. Inside, furniture and works of art gathered in large salons, always used for receptions, recall the splendor of the Napoleon III period. In another style, the prefecture of the lot nestled in the old episcopal palace of Cahors houses the canvases of a child in the country, Henri Martin (1860-1943), around his staircase of honor. A beautiful row of rooms and salons filled with rich drapes and ceremonial furniture completes the visit. Administrative buildings often reserve great discoveries, like the Brachet Hotel in Orleans, now headquarters of the court. The building raised at the very end of the Middle Ages keeps one of the most beautiful flamboyant Gothic staircases in France. The judicial assets also constitute an unsuspected reservoir of more surprising sites than the other. The European Heritage Days (JEP) are often the only opportunity to cross the threshold of these institutions of habit closed to visitors and to familiarize themselves with their operation. The organizers offer original visits there, like the Judicial Court of Périgueux (Dordogne) which presents its hearing rooms, but also its jails, or the courthouse of Le Havre which involves its visitors in a false trial.

Fantasies factories

JEPs are often the only opportunity to access places whose attendance is usually very limited and which are, as such, surrounded by mysteries and fantasies. One of the very popular places of the JEP is thus the Banque de France and its branches. Among the most beautiful sites, we recommend the Lille antenna, located in the Hespel hotel, which reopens after a large restoration. Another essential site in the private sector: the CIC de Nancy bank is a real crush. And for good reason, its chest room, still active, has a magnificent Art Nouveau architecture; A reserved wonder the rest of the year to its customers. Other sources of fantasies, Masonic temples are increasingly participating in this manifestation revealing their symbolism and their singular rites. A rare opportunity to discover places that could not be more discreet, because reserved for initiates, but also an original and plural heritage. On the sidelines of the Grand Lodges, atypical temples open their doors such as the Lyon-Villean Lodge, headquarters of the Scottish Freemasonry. In addition, temples nestled in the Périgord testify to the history of Freemasons in the countryside, such as the hive of the Patriots in Ribérac or the Temple of Carsac-Aillac recently installed in a rural building. These inaccessible places the rest of the year and whose functioning excites the imagination are the most popular of the JEP. We bet that for this 42nd edition the reactor of the Creys-Malville nuclear power plant (Isère) also stirs up the curiosity of the crowds.

Sliding side

The “backstage” aspect inevitably arouses public interest. The organizers have understood this since many sites focus their visits on this dimension offering an extremely wide panel. Caen thus leads to lovers of industrial heritage in the bowels of the city to discover the old cooler of the Norman city. Built in the 19th century, it has long served to keep large quantities of food before becoming a refuge for the population during the Second World War. Equally surprising but in a completely different genre, the Hospital Group of Seclin in the North opens one of its operating blocks to publicize the backdrop and raise awareness of the hospital heritage. In a more classic register, cultural, museums, theaters and archives are fully playing the “behind the scenes” card to explain their operation and highlight the talent of their teams. These open doors make it possible to enter exclusive spaces such as the fort of Saint-Cyr (Yvelines) which retains the precious collections of the heritage media library and photography in one of the links in the military belt erected to protect Paris after the war of 1870. Depending on their news, cultural establishments offer visits to lapidary deposits, catering sites or the presentation of precious funds. Other less customary professions of this type of approaches are offering this year to discover their backstage such as France 3 Occitanie. Regional television based in Toulouse opens its filming studios, its management and organizes meetings with its journalists and technicians. Finally, impossible to ignore one of the favorite heritage of the French: the rail. JEPs are indeed synonymous with exceptional openings in the field of railways. This year is no exception to the rule since the drivers of Paris-Chartres receive enthusiasts in their driving cabins, while the operational room, the nerve center of the Montparnasse station, welcomes the curious, the time of the weekend.

Back to school

Heritage of everyday life, the school universe is also often in the spotlight during the JEP, highlighting the extraordinary wealth and diversity of these inaccessible sites the rest of the year. These open days thus constitute a rare opportunity to admire places of unsuspected beauty. While the Centenary of Art Deco is celebrated, it is difficult not to mention the Lycée Jean-Monnet de Montrouge, in the Parisian suburbs. Its spectacular glass dome as well as its reliefs, representing the world of work, make it one of the most beautiful examples of the foray into this aesthetic in the school environment. In another register, Catholic establishments are often distinguished by their ancient architecture. The Sainte-Catherine school of Siena is thus installed in the old convent of the Visitandines of Aix-en-Provence. Despite the fittings, the site has retained its original structures and beautiful 17th century frescoes. Finally, JEPs are also an opportunity to discover an extraordinary place in Paris: the Eugène-Napoleon Foundation (12th arrondissement). This institution created by Empress Eugénie for the education of young girls always welcomes, true to her vocation, a school group, a vocational high school and a home for students in a spectacular monument Empire.