17.000 public and private places will be open and 26.000 events will take place in France but also in 49 other European countries. Last year, nearly 16.000 sites and monuments were open.
Games, circus, parties, theater, cinema, sports ... The spectrum of places visited widens. Even the Professional Football League (LFP) is committed alongside the Heritage Foundation: seven clubs will mobilize for the benefit of various projects of the Heritage Foundation campaign "Never again", alluding to the fire of the cathedral.
The opening each year to the public during an autumn weekend of these public and private monuments was originally an initiative launched by the Socialist Minister for Culture Jack Lang in 1984. It was followed by some 12 million visitors for the past five years to France.
But also in Europe since 1985, the Days are gaining momentum, from Switzerland to Iceland, via Georgia and Russia. Leading the pack, Germany with 8.000 events, followed by the Netherlands (6.000) and England (5.500).
All backgrounds
In France, a lottery of heritage acclaimed for two years, an effective popularization of the history of historic monuments by the popular host Stéphane Bern, and the shock caused by the fire of Notre-Dame confirmed the interest of the French for their heritage, all backgrounds combined.
In some sites like the National Assembly or the Ministry of Culture rue de Valois the reservation will be compulsory.
A fear however for the day of Saturday in Paris: the demonstration coincides with a new day of mobilization of "yellow vests" and a march for the climate. Some sites will therefore be closed near gathering places, such as the Petit and Grand Palais.
In the capital as in the provinces, it all starts on Friday with the second edition of "Enfants du Patrimoine", sponsored by Stéphane Bern, with treasure hunts, workshops, courses will allow classes, from kindergarten to high school, to walk the palaces , castles, parks and gardens.
Discover traditional Creole architecture or the forts of the Maginot line, learn stone cutting or take part in an architectural competition to imagine a city around a dungeon: more than 600 activities will be offered in more than fifty departments.
In support of these days, Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron will go Friday to the home of the painter Rosa Bonheur in Thomery in Seine-et-Marne, one of the emblematic projects which receive financial support from the heritage mission.
Backstage
In Paris, visitors will be able to discover behind the scenes of the Comédie-Française or the recently renovated Châtelet Theater, the Winter Circus, the Eden Cinema, the oldest cinema in the world still in operation, the Molitor Pool or the Hippodrome de Longchamp. They will be able to visit the Carnavalet museum site, before it reopens in 2020.
In the Luxembourg Palace (Senate) will be offered a sound tour entitled "The Whispers of the Palace".
Sunday a new car-free day from 11 a.m. to 18 p.m. will be required in Paris. No motorized vehicle can circulate intramural, two-wheeled vehicles and electric vehicles included. Advantageous rates will be offered in many car parks. Violators will face a ticket of 135 €.
In this year of the Notre-Dame fire, objects, therefore the arrow rooster, will be shown to the Ministry of Culture, and the immense wool carpet from the time of Louis-Philippe exhibited at the Mobilier national.
SNCF will transport historic treasures aboard five wagons of a train on line D of Transilien. As for the RATP, it will offer to visit the site of the Rosny-Bois-Perrier station, built in the open air.
Also in the provinces, the sites offered are very diverse: from the National Center for Stage Costume from Moulins to the Italian Theater in Saint-Omer, from the Palais Lumière in Evian to the National Center for Circus Arts in Châlons-en-Champagne .