The story
European Heritage Days France in Various locations
France's European Heritage Days, running since 1984 and later adopted continent-wide, opens tens of thousands of sites free each September, including government buildings, embassies and private buildings not normally accessible. Many participating sites offer guided tours led by architects, historians or the people who work inside them.
European Heritage Days began in France in 1984 as Journees Portes Ouvertes des Monuments Historiques, giving the public free access to historic buildings normally closed or restricted, and the French model was later adopted continent-wide as the Council of Europe's Heritage Days initiative, now observed in dozens of countries each September.