This weekend’s European Heritage Days offers you a chance to take a wander around some of Europe’s finest buildings and cultural sites for free. The theme of European Heritage Days 2025 is ‘architectural heritage’. Buildings that are often closed to the public for the rest of the year will open their doors on 13 and 14 September so that you can explore the diverse architectural styles, periods, and materials that have shaped Europe’s built environment.
Everyone is invited to take part in the events happening across Europe, including guided tours, exhibitions, workshops, performances, and digital experiences. “The identity of every town, village, and city across Europe is shaped by its architecture. It gives meaning and a sense of belonging to the places we call home,” says Glenn Micallef, Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport.
Developed by the Council of Europe in 1989 and joined by the European Commission in 1999, European Heritage Days is an annual initiative. Each year more than 20 million visitors visit thousands of cultural sites in Europe over one weekend to understand better their shared cultural heritage and become part of preserving Europe’s heritage for present and future generations.
Since 2013, more than 60 cultural sites across Europe have also been awarded the European Heritage Label. The Commission selected these sites for their symbolic value, the role they have played in European history and the activities they offer. The Royal Theatre Toone in Brussels, the Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste in Spain, and the ‘Three Brothers’ complex of 15th and 17th centuries buildings in Riga have all been granted the European Heritage Label, for example.
In addition to European Heritage Days, the annual European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards honour remarkable achievements, promote best practices and set new standards in the conservation and promotion of Europe’s tangible and intangible heritage. In 2025, 30 winners from 24 countries will be announced at the European Heritage Awards Ceremony on 13 October in Brussels.
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