43rd European Heritage Days: Exceptional Treasures to discover

18 September 2026 Évelyne Chaville and Translation : Évelyne Chaville

Habitation Clément - 0 — Habitation Clément (Le François, Martinique)

The 43^rd edition of the European Heritage Days will take place from September 18 to 20, 2026. Across the French Caribbean islands (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin), dozens of sites will open their doors to the public—often free of charge. This year, two themes will be in the spotlight: “Photographic Heritage” and “Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine”.

The first theme of the event was chosen on the occasion of the Bicentennial of Photography: “Postcards, family photos, illustrated books, exhibitions, magazines, but also even phone and computer screens: the images that surround us, both yesterday and today, all have their origins to the invention of photography two hundred years ago. The 2026-2027 period marks the celebration of the Bicentennial of Photography, an initiative of the Ministry of Culture that will promote hundreds of certified events embodying the full diversity of French photographic heritage (…) Invented by Nicéphore Niepce and offered to the world by François Arago before the Academies of Sciences and Fine Arts in 1839, photography has, for two centuries, made it possible to depict monuments through images that often constitute an important landmark, both from the perspective of local, national, and European history, and in terms of collective memory (…). “The second theme chosen at the European level for this 43^rd edition highlights ow we prioritize, protect, and preserve cultural heritage for future generations”, writes the Ministry of Culture, organizer of this major event across mainland France and its overseas territories.