After a 2020 edition marked by the health crisis, the European Heritage Days 2021 promises to be busy.
However, remember to take your health pass with you, you will be asked for it at the entrance to all cultural events.
On the practical side: an interactive map allows you to navigate the some 23,000 events organized.
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For this 38th edition, the classics of industry and economy are still in the spotlight.
Workshops, factories, and places of economic power can, for example, be visited in France.
These sites focus on pedagogy to explain to the youngest and their elders industrial processes, economic policies or even emblematic know-how.
You don't know which ones to visit this weekend yet?
Le Figaro
has prepared a non-exhaustive selection for you.
In Paris, focus on places of economic power
In Paris, the emphasis is on the places where the country's economic policy is decided.
For example, you will be able to visit:
The Banque de France
: on the program, visit of the Hôtel de Toulouse with its golden gallery and exhibition on the Napoleonic gold medals.
The visit is without reservation.
La Monnaie de Paris:
you will be able to discover the process of making coins and attend engraving demonstrations.
Reservation on the Museum's website is necessary.
The Ministry of the Economy:
in Bercy, the workplaces of ministers will be open to the public and the France Relance plan will be honored during an exhibition.
Registration is required and can be done here.
The
Court of Auditors
: its missions and its activity can be discovered at the Palais Cambon.
The history of financial jurisdictions since Napoleon will be presented there and discussions with magistrates will be possible.
Entrance is free without reservation.
Visits by the Paris Commercial Court were also canceled due to the increased security required by the opening of the trial for the attacks of November 13, 2015.
Industrial sites and places of expertise in the provinces and Île-de-France
Throughout France, you will also be able to visit emblematic sites of industry and French know-how.
Le Figaro
has listed some of them by region, in the list below.
Ile-de-France
The Menier chocolate factory,
for example, offers guided tours to discover the architecture of the place as well as chocolate-making techniques, by reservation with the heritage department of the City of Noisiel (77).
As for the Sèvres museum
(92), you can visit its production workshops and ceramic collections.
An introduction to modeling is also possible in a dedicated workshop.
Online reservation is compulsory.
Occitania
The Maison des Compagnons du Devoir in Rodez
(12) will allow visitors to discover the trades of carpenter, joiner or even stonemason with, for example, practical workshops.
The opportunity, also, to rediscover the companionship and the transmission of skills that it allows.
It will also be possible to visit the
boat workshop
in Port-Vendres (66) to understand the boat restoration process.
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
The Thizy factory
(69) will take you on a journey through time to discover the textile industry, dyers and steam engines.
The Manufacture District,
which now houses the Cité du Design, also opens its doors in Saint-Etienne (42), without reservation, between historic buildings and innovation workshops.
Hauts-de-France
The historic mining center
of Lewarde (59) plunges you into the heart of the mines for tours and workshops.
You will be able to visit spaces usually closed to the public and in which the Germinal series was filmed, for a complete immersion.
Children will also be able to reconstruct elements of the mining infrastructure using wooden elements during a dedicated workshop.
The Francière sugar refinery
(60) welcomes visitors to tell them about the history of the sugar industry in Picardy and for workshops on sugar extraction and the secrets of Cola.
Great East
The Union of Champagne Houses
in Reims (51) is offering a unique exhibition on champagne and cinema, these two French emblems.
You will thus be able to discover a selection of film archives featuring champagne.
The Manufacture de Baccarat
(54) honors one of the jewels of French craftsmanship: crystal.
Imagined as the home of a collector, the museum makes it possible to rediscover the history of this artistic and economic heritage.
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
The Rampal-Latour soap factory
in Salon-de-Provence (13) organizes tours of its modern factory which produces Marseille soaps in particular.
At the foot of the working cauldrons you will be able to discover the manufacturing secrets of this Provençal emblem.
Reservation is however necessary.
New Aquitaine
The impressive
Bort-Les-Orgues dam
(19) opens its doors with the educational objective of introducing the general public to hydroelectric production.
Stands and workshops on EDF trades and many events are planned for the 70th anniversary of the building.
Loire Valley Center
Head for craftsmanship at the Archiepiscopal Palace in Bourges (18) with the
Museum of the best workers in France
.
You will discover the temporary exhibition dedicated to the best women workers in France and their place in the world of craftsmanship.
Brittany
In Etel (56), the
municipal ice-
house welcomes visitors, free entry, on September 18 and 19 to present the history of this emblematic place.
It was initially used to produce the ice necessary for the conservation of fish.
Bought by the municipality in 2017, it must become a place of research on renewable energies.
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Rail at the heart of the weekend
This year, railway heritage is particularly highlighted on the occasion of the “European Year of Rail”, and for the 40th anniversary of the TGV.
Stations, maintenance workshops and driving simulators are thus made accessible to the public.
For example, you can visit the following places:
In Caen (14), the SNCF opens the doors
of the train station
driving simulator
.
To introduce you to the profession of train driver, you will be able to take direct control, after having duly booked your session.
In Nevers, the curious can visit the
regional Technicentre
to learn more about railway know-how and the various trades in the sector.
Guided tours are possible upon registration.
Other Technicentres are also open throughout France.
Many stations are also accessible and will allow you to explore behind the scenes.
Like Hugo Cabret, for example, dive into the backdrop of Bordeaux-Saint-Jean or Nîmes stations.
Orléans train station
even offers a treasure hunt.
Reservation is advised.